PID controllers on EBay

[woodpelletsmoker]

Originally Posted by SMAK

I know that this thread is a little old, but, just wondering if there was any progress in getting clearer more concise instructions for the use of this PID controller??

Just bite the bullet and purchased one,the build looks good and with a little searching I was able to get some settings set (My order lacked any instructions at all)

I read this thread and gleaned a little info and then contacted the manufacturer, but the time zone thing was working against Me

Its raining now so I cant really try it out, so I will have to wait until next week.

thanks and take care...

P.S. I dont have the wifi model, I have the Wolf model, I would like to have a little more in depth operational instructions for the PID side of things

I work all day except sleeping

[dgently]

Originally Posted by ChrisH

Thanks for your post. Coincidentally, I just read a support document that describes exactly what you just posted. I found it on the site for the Stoker (https://www.rocksbarbque.com/PDF/Stoker_inet.pdf, if anyone else is interested). My point is that there was no such documentation provided by WPS.

I kinda-sorta got my Lion working on my network be reading an earlier post on here. I just think that if WPS would like to compete with the likes of Stoker or Guru, then he needs to improve the support.

I am still happy with the controller in general, and I do think I will eventually get t working, it is just taking long than I had hoped. The controller works well and definitely achieves my first goal - being able to go to bed and sleep more than 4 hours while smoking. It holds my temps to +/- 20 degrees which, while not great, is adequate - I believe that it is still learning my drum, so hopefully it will improve. (it can hold within 10-15 degrees on its own, this just gives me peace of mind at night).

As someone who knows more about networks than I do, would you mind offering some advice?

I have Time Warner Cable, with a piece of junk Arris modem and router-in-one. I hate the router; it seems to only allow 5 users connected via WiFi at any time. I am strongly thinking about returning and asking for just a modem and buying a decent router. Until I do, I am struggling with my Lion setup.

My house is wired for Ethernet in every room, so I connected an old D-link router to the TWC Arris router and created a new wifi network to which I connected the Lion. Oddly, I had to make all the settings changes to the D-link before connecting the Arris, as I was unable to access the D-link when it was connected to the Arris, despite the fact that I changed the ip address of the D-link so that it was different to Arris's (previously they were both 192.168.0.1, changed the D-link to 192.168.0.2). I do no have access to the Arris as I do not have the password or username.

Anyhow, if I am connected to the new WiFi network I created, I am able to access the Lion through its address (192.168.0.190), but I was not able to get any of the port forwarding stuff to work. I created an account with no-ip.com for a dynamic DNS service, and entered the details in the D-link but it would not for the life of me work.

I suspect the reason why is that in order to get the D-link to access the Internet I had to put it in to Access Point mode, is this correct?

In a related question, if I named the new network the same as the old one and used the same password, would the operate as one seamless network? Also, would I be plagued with the same 5 user max BS?

Many, many thanks

I would like to help you, but am not sure I got all the information right.

as far as I can tell your setup is like this:

                           
INTERNET  -->  ARRIS --> D-link -> Lion
                |
                v     
         Other devices

1) Is this correct?

2) Your d-link doesn't have NAT or Masquerading setup? (can you access your lion from devices that are connected to the ARRIS network directly or only devices connected to the D-LINK?)

3) You don't have configuration access to the ARRIS? This will be necessary to do port forwarding for access from the internet.

4) Can you access the ARRIS at 192.168.0.1 from a computer connected to the D-Link?

I do not know any of the devices in particular, but with this information I could probably tell you the basic steps for configuration.

Dgently

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by dgently

I would like to help you, but am not sure I got all the information right.

as far as I can tell your setup is like this:

                           
INTERNET  -->  ARRIS --> D-link -> Lion
                |
                v     
         Other devices

1) Is this correct?

2) Your d-link doesn't have NAT or Masquerading setup? (can you access your lion from devices that are connected to the ARRIS network directly or only devices connected to the D-LINK?)

3) You don't have configuration access to the ARRIS? This will be necessary to do port forwarding for access from the internet.

4) Can you access the ARRIS at 192.168.0.1 from a computer connected to the D-Link?

I do not know any of the devices in particular, but with this information I could probably tell you the basic steps for configuration.

Dgently

Thanks for your reply. Your schematic is correct.

2) I don't know about the NAT or masquerading setup, I'll have to try next time I hook it up. I believe (but wouldnt bet my life on it) that the Lion could only be accessed through the D-link, and not the Arris.

3) I don't have admin username and password for the Arris, I was on hold with TWC but never got to speak to anyone.

4) I think so.

Thanks

Chris

[dflipse]

Any updates on the V4 Lion? Specifically, I'm interested in any success (or failure) using this to monitor (and perhaps adjust) temps using the web browser on an iPhone over WiFi. While logging is slick, it's not a must-have for me.

I see that the Tiger (dedicated wireless remote) is back on sale, and that will certainly do the job. However, I would be willing to spend a bit more on the WiFi device if that is working well, mostly to avoid having the extra device knocking around the house.

[woodpelletsmoker]

Originally Posted by dflipse

Any updates on the V4 Lion? Specifically, I'm interested in any success (or failure) using this to monitor (and perhaps adjust) temps using the web browser on an iPhone over WiFi. While logging is slick, it's not a must-have for me.

I see that the Tiger (dedicated wireless remote) is back on sale, and that will certainly do the job. However, I would be willing to spend a bit more on the WiFi device if that is working well, mostly to avoid having the extra device knocking around the house.

10+ buyers have received LION V4. 2 buyers are writing instruction manual to access LION to Internet.
If you want direct communicate between iPhone and Lion, it is very easy to set up.

You can program LION from your computer/iPhone.
Setting temperature and time interval, display in C or F.
Automatic control or manual control
Added features over V3
1.change fan speed when manual mode.
2.Graphing of Temperature-Output Voltage-Time. This feature is a great help to tune P,I,D.

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by RFehr

Folks,

I just received my WiFi unit a couple days ago. Breif review below to help others get going with this unit and I'll provide more detail later.

- First off, as others have stated the PID parameters are very good - pit temperature control is as good as I've seen Fan quality and volume is very good. The air volume from the fan at 100% is actually far to much for the 'average' backyard pit. Without testing, I suspect this fan would be more than sufficient for a large competition pit. I find that setting the maximum fan speed to 65% is about right for my purposes.

- There are a few really good features to note quickly. First, it will remember exactly where it was in it's cooking program (i.e. what stage, temp, and time) in the event of a power loss. As soon as power was restored, it will begin exactly where it left off - no reprogramming the cooking cycle necessary. The meat probe is very good - and the ability to "hold" a meat temperature after the cooking cycle is a great feature at such a low price point. Last feature to note is manual fan control to bring the pit temperature up to target VERY quickly.

A few details before we begin.

- The fan is surprisingly high volume and the controller does demand a considerable start-up current if the fan is set at the default 100% maximum rate. I would suggest either a 2-3A 12V adapter or a small gel cell battery combined with a smaller battery charge controller. The latter would be preferential for 'critical' cooking as you effectively have battery backup in addition to the battery acting as a 'buffer' to supply the extra current needed when the fan first starts up.

- For those living in one of the last 2 countries on the planet that still think in Fahrenheit (I'm Canadian - so I'm bilingual - C/F - makes no difference to me). Press and hold the Set1 buton for 3 seconds. The display will change from showing the pit current/set value to setup mode. The first setup parameter is F-C - which allows you to change the display from degrees C to degrees F. The default is 0000 which will display temperatures in degrees C. Pressing the + button will change the display to 0001 which display temperatures in degrees F.

- while your in setup mode, you might want to set the max fan speed a bit lower unless you have a very large pit. In setup mode, pressing the Set1 button will move the display to the next setup parameter. The fourth parameter is HdC which is the maximum fan speed expressed as a percentage of max. Default value is 100%, I'd suggest setting this down to 70% as a good starting point.

- More info on the other parameters later.

Now, onto WiFi details:

When the controller starts up for the first time, it will be in AdHoc networking mode. Meaning that it will not attempt to join an existing network but will rather just appear as a standalone device that you can connect to with any WiFi enabled client device (laptop, phone, tablet, etc.). The AdHoc networking mode would be useful if you were traveling with your bbq and your home network was unavailable. You could then easily monitor with just your WiFi enabled phone wherever you were.

However, for a permanent home installation, the initial AdHoc mode is really just to allow you to configure the device to join an existing network.

First off, you should note the IP details that your laptop currently has when connected to your home network. The three parameters your looking for are IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway. Note these somewhere for use later on. For those a bit more network saavy, what we're really looking for is an IP address that is outside of the normal DHCP range of your router that we can later assign to the controller. We'll also need this "open" address to set up port forwarding in the router/firewall if we want to access the controller from the internet.

Next step will be to note the exact name of your wireless network (SSID) and the method used for authentication - i.e. how does your network expect to see the wireless password? I would strongly recommend setting your wireless network to "open" or security/authentication "disabled" temporarily - much easier to start simple and add the security later.

Also, it will be much easier at this stage if you unplug or disable your home network's wireless AP or router.

That's it for preparation. Now we'll need to set the wireless adapter on your client device (laptop, phone, etc.) to a static IP address as follows:

IP: 192.168.1.16
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.15

If you are unfamilliar with how to set a static IP on your device, Google has the answers.

Next, power up the PID controller and on your client device initiate a scan for available wireless networks. You should soon see a new network available called "GOLDEN-LION" that is open (i.e., requires no password).

Connect to this network and use Internet Explorer to connect to http://192.168.1.15:1080. While you can use any browser to configure the wireless portion of the controller, at this point only Internet Explorer has been reliably working for me to see the actual pit temperatures/stages.

Once you've successfully loaded the Wireless Settings page, the first thing you'll want to do is change the name of the controllers wireless network to match that of your home network. If you've followed my recommendation, there will be no password to enter as you've disabled passwords for your home network (temporarily). Save this setting and the controller will restart. If you scan for new wireless networks, and your home network is turned off, then you should see the controller come up using the same name as your home network - but in AdHoc mode.

Connect again to the controller and now you'll be setting it's IP address to a static or fixed value that matches the format for your home network. Set the gateway and subnet mask to the same values as your laptop had when it was on your home network - and make sure you choose an IP for the controller that is unique. Save these settings again, and again the controller will re-boot.

This time, you'll need to change the IP of your laptop to a new static address that matches the format of your home network. I.e., if your home network has an IP address format of 192.168.0.x, and you've just set the controller to 192.168.0.99 because you are sure it's not in use, then you'll need to set your laptop to something like 192.168.0.98. This is just temporary for this last step.

Using Internet Explorer, connect again to the NEW address of the controller on port 1080. In the example above, this would be http://192.168.0.99:1080.

The last step is in the Advanced Settings area where we'll want to set the network mode to "Infra" rather than "AdHoc". This tells the controller to join the existing network that we set up earlier rather than creating it's own. Before you hit save, go back and plug or re-enable your home's wireless network. Save the controllers settings and it should reboot and join your home network!

Before you try to connect to it, you should restore your laptops normal settings - which is likely to have an IP address assigned to it automaticly via DHCP from your router rather than a 'manual' static address that we've been using for setup. Connect your laptop back to your home wireless network and confirm that the controller is online at the address you've set. I prefer confirming by going directly to the wireless settings page on port 1080, but if you wish you can skip this step and go directly to the PID controller page on the 'standard' port 80.

Again, for me the only browser that properly displayed the controller parameters is Internet Explorer - Chrome displayed the static text but did not run the JavaScript properly and would not display temperatures.

In the release of firmware that I have, you can only view temperatures and not actually control anything. I'm sure this is not the intended final feature set - and if someone knows something that I don't, please let me know. I'm trying to get some details on actually CONTROLLING the pit via WiFi from the developer.

If you get to this point successfully, then making the controller visible on the internet is a relatively simple matter of configuring port forwarding on your router. A lesson for another day.

Final Comments:

- Bottom line is that the PID controller and fan end of the product functions remarkable well for the price point. I would buy one again without hesitation.
- However, the WiFi end of the product is very new and needs a lot more polish to make it what I'd really like to see. I'm confident that all these issues can be solved with just a new firmware release and some good documentation - we'll see how quickly this can be achieved.
- if you're not an avid network 'hobbiest' and don't have the patience to wait for some of the WiFi features to get smoothed out, I'd stick with the "tiger" model with the wireless remote.



Save these settings and the controller will restart (actu

I followed these steps and I was successfully able to connect the controller to the home network and access the controller through the home network. However, I was only able to do so with the security disabled. When I try to enable security, I lose the ability to connect to the controller. Help, please

[landshark530]

Add the IP address of the controller into your dmz server in your router. That will circumvent your security protocols for that IP, and that IP only.

[landshark530]

I cooked the best pork butt ever last Saturday. Fired the grill at 5am and got to temp with the manuls setting, then switched to auto. Put on 2 8lb butts with only famous Dave's rub (I was short on rub).
I smoked them at 250 degrees until they hit 165. I put them both in a foil pan with about a 1/2 inch of apple juice. Covered them a put them back on till they hit 200. I let them rest in a cooler for 3 hours. They were still too hot touch when I pulled them, and were awesome.
My controller continues to perform well.

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by landshark530

Add the IP address of the controller into your dmz server in your router. That will circumvent your security protocols for that IP, and that IP only.

I tried doing that, but it did not seem to make a difference.

Do you have the wifi version of the controller?

Thanks?

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by landshark530

I cooked the best pork butt ever last Saturday. Fired the grill at 5am and got to temp with the manuls setting, then switched to auto. Put on 2 8lb butts with only famous Dave's rub (I was short on rub).
I smoked them at 250 degrees until they hit 165. I put them both in a foil pan with about a 1/2 inch of apple juice. Covered them a put them back on till they hit 200. I let them rest in a cooler for 3 hours. They were still too hot touch when I pulled them, and were awesome.
My controller continues to perform well.

What values for P, I and D do you have?

What kind of grill are you using?

I'm on a UDS.

Thanks

[landshark530]

The p.i.d. standards have not been changed. I'm using a chargriller with a side firebox. It's about as airtight as a screen door, not sealed like my uds.

[landshark530]

Originally Posted by ChrisH

I tried doing that, but it did not seem to make a difference.

Do you have the wifi version of the controller?

Thanks?

Negative, ghostrider. I have the basic non wifi, non remote control unit.

The only other idea I would have would be to open your network and see what port number the controller is using, and then set up portforwarding for that port.
I am not a network geek. I only know enough to complete screw up my own system, and once in awhile i get lucky.
Make sure your us has plenty of exhaust to draw enough air to get the system to acknowledge temp changes. I have a uds with a 1 1/2 inch intake, and 2 1/2 inch exhaust and it will run for hours at 250 with minimal adjustments. My main issue with it is temp spike from opening during a cook, and not enough room for a big cook.

[Gr8adventure]

Is anyone using one of these controllers on a UDS with 3/4" pipe nipples/ball valves and if so which adapter are you using. I'm seriously considering pulling the trigger on one of these. The more I read about them the more I think I want of his wolf basic Wolf models.

[woodpelletsmoker]

Originally Posted by Gr8adventure

Is anyone using one of these controllers on a UDS with 3/4" pipe nipples/ball valves and if so which adapter are you using. I'm seriously considering pulling the trigger on one of these. The more I read about them the more I think I want of his wolf basic Wolf models.

Following is cited from http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...=134078&page=2

Most people that build UDS's use 3/4" NPT pipe and a 3/4" ball valve. The outside diameter of this pipe is approximately 1" so your adapters fit into the ball valve nicely. Just thought I would let you know so you could explain it when asked. I will get a photo to show what I mean.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
My adapter C works for you

[Gr8adventure]

Originally Posted by woodpelletsmoker

Following is cited from http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...=134078&page=2

Most people that build UDS's use 3/4" NPT pipe and a 3/4" ball valve. The outside diameter of this pipe is approximately 1" so your adapters fit into the ball valve nicely. Just thought I would let you know so you could explain it when asked. I will get a photo to show what I mean.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
My adapter C works for you

Thank you for the fast replies to all of my questions, both here and on Ebay. I know I've probably asked way to many.

I was strongly considering BBQ Guru Nano, but I don't like that it does not have a digital read out and only has a pit probe.

So I've decided to purchase the Tiger.

I know I really do not need it for my UDS, but I want it, plus I will eventually purchase a reverse flow stick burner and this unit will be great on of them. I'll just likely have get a different another adapter.

In the mean time can anyone tell me if the connections on the following battery will work on the Tiger http://www.ebay.com/itm/221033119261...ht_2065wt_1037

Do you all think I should get a 12 volt ac/dc adapter also?