Started building my PID today

[bigarm]

I started on my PID today. Making a box out of wood. Got some of the parts mounted. About ready to start wiring. Wish me luck.

[Beagle333]

Good luck! There's a lot of folks here who have built them now. Just ask if you get stuck on something and an answer will be pretty quick.
I'm planning on building another one tomorrow. :cool:

[500MAG]

PID is the way to go. Never thought I needed one till I got one. Now I have one for each of my pots. I used a radio shack project box.

[dikman]

No luck needed, you'll be fine, it's a pretty simple job :drinks:.

[chloe123]

It's gonna feel like an accomplishment--nice job. If you don't mind sharing, upload some pics

[kbstenberg]

Just my 2 cents
I built one 4 years ago. I used a plexiglass DIY box. It was just too big. Just in the last week I used a metal box I salvaged out of an old Comp. Tower. Much smaller. The only tools I needed was a dermal.
I did use some epoxy to bed the censer and the ssr into the box. I know that using epoxy could be a problem if anything goes wrong. But I will have to cross that bridge if it comes up.

[Walter Laich]

once you get everything wired go away for a few hours or wait till the next day.
then go over the wiring again with fresh eyes.
It's a simple wiring plan but it still can be messed up if you get in a hurry

[bigarm]

Had to go to the "big town" today so didn't get started on the wiring. Finished the box yesterday and it is way large, but it will do.

[el34]

Too big is probably better than too small :smile:, as long as it's smaller than a footlocker.

[bigarm]

It is smaller than a footlocker but probably the size of bigfoot's foot and ankle! Going to start wiring today and go to town to pick up a propane tank so I can begin melting my wheelweights.

[bigarm]

Spent all afternoon wiring the PID to no avail. My wife and I thought we followed the wiring diagram that el34 so kindly provided, but no luck. I have never wired anything and was concerned. Guess I will try again tomorrow. Kind of depressed right now.

[el34]

Spent all afternoon wiring the PID to no avail. My wife and I thought we followed the wiring diagram that el34 so kindly provided, but no luck. I have never wired anything and was concerned. Guess I will try again tomorrow. Kind of depressed right now.

All is not lost my friend. If you are referring to the neon 'pot on' light I'm pretty sure what's up. PM on its way.

[bigarm]

Many thanks to el34 who has spent much time emailing me with directions and sending supplies and then tonight spent his evening on the phone with my wife and me working us through the wiring! What a great person and a great forum.

[el34]

Holy poop, thank you. Even more fun will be when you're cooking lead with it!

[dikman]

See? You didn't need luck.......you had el ;).

[el34]

See? You didn't need luck.......you had el ;).

And a dozen other helpful folks here, including you.

[bigarm]

See? You didn't need luck.......you had el ;).

How true!

[Alan in Vermont]

I'm in the process of getting the parts together to build a pair of PIDs. My google-fu is really low so I have had no luck finding the K connector that mounts in the panel. I want to be able to unplug the thermocouple when not using the controller and I don't want to have a pigtail hanging out of the box. I can find the female K half that would work on a short pigtail but I've just got it in my head I want to have it panel mounted. I'm sure I've seen them in the PIDs others have built, anyone got any hot leads on this item?

[Mike W1]

Aubers has them.

[bigarm]

My wife and I worked on the wiring today as per el34's directions and the controller powers up! I am staining it and then will ask my wife to take pictures and help me post them.

[Yodogsandman]

This link was provided to me via el34...

http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=7_43

I ordered the TCCON3, it arrived today! Thanks again, el34!

[el34]

All that I'm good at doing is echoing back a bunch of stuff I've learned from other members, starting with Frozone.

[bigarm]

117985117986

front and back

Still working on getting it to work right, but el34 has been working hard with us Thanks for your help!

[el34]

A framed PID! Way cool. Reverse the TC wires and I'll bet it works.

[dikman]

All that I'm good at doing is echoing back a bunch of stuff I've learned from other members, starting with Frozone.

Same here (until 18 months ago I'd never even heard of a PID!). Not everyone feels comfortable around electric/electronics, as you no doubt know, and it's just nice being able to help someone and give them some encouragement. And you give far more help than I do :awesome:so I see lots of Karma coming your way.

Yep, I noticed the framing around the PID, pretty classy!

[el34]

dikman, do you know offhand if the eBay TCs, probably MIC, follow the 'red=negative' convention?

Or anyone? Did the red wire wind up at the PID + or - terminal?

[dikman]

The things I do for you :). I just opened one of mine up, and red = +ve. That, btw, is the convention that we normally use here in electronics.

[el34]

The things I do for you :). I just opened one of mine up, and red = +ve. That, btw, is the convention that we normally use here in electronics.

You da man, thank you. bigarm and I have discovered that too, actually on the phone with him as I type! Don't forget to keep the right color to the connectors also, if used.

In the US and Canada the ANSI standard is red negative, the color of the *** wire identifies the type.

http://www.omega.com/techref/colorcodes.html

[Spruce]

Would someone mind posting a current Auberins parts list for a 40amp pid with a few alarms or the link to the list thats on here in the archives. Thanks.

[Mike W1]

Somebody sharper than me can probably help you out but I don't think the PID's are rated that way. It's the SSR's that are rated by amps. This SYL-2352 is the one I used with a 25A SSR and a heat sink.

http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=3
http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_30&products_id=9

[Beagle333]

On my TC, red/white is positive and green/white is negative.