What is PID

[Bullshop Junior]

I keep seeing this and I havr no idea what it is. Can someone please explain?

[btroj]

In short it is an electronic controller that allows the use of a temp probe to maintain a very consistent temp. Keeps a lead pot at a very closely controlled, and preset, temperature. Useful on a lube heater too.

I don't have one. Have considered it but not yet.

[jmort]

A fairly simple electronic "thing" that will keep you melting pot at around +/- 2 degrees. Many/ most made their own, I bought mine and it works real good. You can live without for sure, but it really makes things easier. If you want to see one, go to Vendor Forum and check out ButternutZ. That is the one I have. Very happy with it.

[ipijohn]

I bought one from Frozone (on this forum) for my lead pot , liked it so well that I made one for my grill and another for my crock pot and another for my convection oven that I cook PCed boolits in. The one from Frozone was more expensive and has more/better features than the ones I made with $30 kits off of fleebay but they all work very well.

[lwknight]

Officially:
" A proportional-integral-derivative controller is a generic control loop feedback mechanism widely used in industrial control systems."

It uses fuzzy logic which is a learning mode that can calculate your heating requirements and shut off or turn on the heater before the temperature is overshot. A simple thermostat might let your temp swing because of lag time in the element.

[btroj]

I sure hope you aren't asking about pelvic inflammatory disease.

[GlocksareGood]

Buy one. You will sware by it. They are wonderful on pots and heat treating ovens just to name two.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Okay. I`ll ask the "old man type stoopid question". How would it be hooked in to work on an RCBS 22 lb. pot?Robert

[jmort]

Plug the electrical cord into the PID and put probe in pot

[snuffy]

PID means;PID stands for Proportional, Integral, Derivative. Controllers are designed to eliminate the need for continuous operator attention.

They are a tiny microprocessor, that is a fancy thermostat.


[QUOT]Okay. I`ll ask the "old man type stoopid question". How would it be hooked in to work on an RCBS 22 lb. pot?Robert [/QUOTE]


A thermocouple has to be immersed in the lead to read it's temp.

Here's how mine is held suspended in the alloy.

[leadman]

I rethreaded a t-nut to 6mm and brazed it to the bottom of my RCBS pot and drilled a hole in the outside case so the thermocouple (without long probe) is contacting the outside of the bottom of the pot. Just easier than trying to flux around the probe in the pot.
I did make one for another member here and made a bracket that was held on with the 1/4" bolt on top of the pot. I built one today for a Lee 4-20 pot and mounted the probe with a bracket held on by one of the little screws on the top rim.
I found in using the pid that the cast weight of the boolits is much closer than when using the thermostat alone.

I have been leaving the pots original thermostat alone so it will act as a safety device if for some reason the pid goes bad. Someone said that the SSR (solid state relay) goes wide open if it fails. Don't know of this is true or not.

I have also run into 2 different controllers on E-bay. One has the output for a relay, the other for an SSR. The relay controller will not operate an SSR as it has no dc voltage to power the switch so another device would have to be in the loop somewhere or a different relay used.

[geargnasher]

I sure hope you aren't asking about pelvic inflammatory disease.

In my field "PID" is the acronym for Parameter IDentification and is generically used to mean any single, live data value.

Gear

[btroj]

A PID is often attached to the pot by an L shaped bracket. These are not easy to make quickly. They are usually made by long periods of just playing around with scraps of metal. Yes, this is what is meant by PID-L ing around......

[geargnasher]

One can always judge a "flatlander" around here because they don't know not to PID'l up-hill.

Gear

[leftiye]

Where can I get one that is good for our purposes that doesn't cost more than an old Lyman pot?

[btroj]

Where can I get one that is good for our purposes that doesn't cost more than an old Lyman pot?

I don't know of one of hose exists. If you find one, let me know, I want one too.

I just haven't decided I need a 175 dollar heat controller on my pot. Sure don't want one on my sizer.

[RedHawk357Mag]

Although 99% sure you aren't talking the military version of PID here on a cast forum, but the military and I assume LE also refers to it as "POSITIVE ID" a requirement for us in a Shoot/NO Shoot situation.

[w5pv]

If you come across a VariAct buy it.It is a devise that will keep a constant votage on an electrical devise and can use it on many other electrial devises.I use mine for bring up things that haven't been ran in a while on low voltage to high voltage plus on my melter works fine.

[wch]

Taking a hint from a previous post, a PID is apparently a thingumabob with a doohickey.

[Screwbolts]

Where can I get one that is good for our purposes that doesn't cost more than an old Lyman pot?

If you are "handy" at assembling electrical devises, the PID, SSR and Thermocoplers can be bought on Amazon quite reasonable.

I have both the TET612 and the JDL612 models working multiple devices by using plugs on the thermocouples. to attach them to different toys, Star, Shotmaster and casting pots.

For project boxs I simply recycled "old" RC car battery, metal charger box's (Arista-Craft) that were on the shelf for years. Now I know why these boxs/cases were saved and why they were given to me years ago. I just realized I might have another over in that box there.

Ken
Ken