Indicator Lights for PID - Which To Get and Connect? Female Plug?

[psychbiker]

Got my Mypin TA4-SSR today and my Amic 4" spade connector K type sensor probe. The 25a SSR relay with heatsink comes monday.

I want to add 3 indicator lights, a female K type plug and a female power plug. Dont know how to wire any of it....yet :veryconfu Really, the important one is to tell me the Lee Pot is on. Other two are bells and whistles. Knowing pot is up to temp is nice.

I like EL34's PID. It's clean and made of wood. I want to add a light to tell me the pot is on, add a light to alarm indicating temp is at set point, and add light to alarm indicating temp has gone over.

Any drawings on that wiring? I read on EL34's PID, he used two 120v indicator lights, and a 12v light. Why the 12v light?

EL's PID (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?211825-And-another-PID-4-20-project)

I also plan to add the mounted female K thermocouple. Mine came with spade connectors. I can just hook it up to this below? Obviously wire it correctly in the box I make.

Lastly, I'd like to plug my pot INTO the PID box so they are separate and allows me to move things around, maybe used the PID for a hot plate, the female plug below would work right?

Thanks guys! Wiring it not my forte. I'll figure it out but have a few of these treads to comb through to learn.


http://www.auberins.com/images/TCCON3.jpg


http://www.auberins.com/images/MFG_738W-X2%5E03.jpg

[mongoose33]

I have indicator lights on mine--red for too hot, blue for too cool, green for OK (within degrees).

Know what? I never look at them; I look at the temp display.

YMMV.

[psychbiker]

Hahah! I was afraid of that. It's not like we walk away from the pot at all.

Maybe be just a light to tell me that power is going to the pot.

[Yodogsandman]

I used a lighted switch on mine that lights up when the PID's power is on. I also installed an indicator light to do the same thing and one to show when the power in on to the pot. I don't look at any of the lights except the power on light, I watch the display numbers only, too.

Use the spade connectors on the TC probe to hook up between the SSR and female TC box mount by cutting them off about 6" long from the TC wire. Then hook the cut ends to the male TC plug. Reverse the wires on the male plug if you don't get a reading (I had to).

The 12V light used by EL34 was probably hooked up to the DC side of his SSR. He sure knows his way around those PID boxes!

Your photos show the same components that I used. Yes, the female 120V outlet for plugging the pot into the PID works fine. I kinda wish I had used two, one to connect the pot into and one for just a straight, 120V outlet, on all the time the PID is on, for auxiliary stuff like the hot plate or an extra desk light.

When wiring, be sure to follow the sticker on the MYPIN and use it to compare it with your wiring diagram.

[Handloader109]

Why? I'd forget adding lights, your mypin tells you enough, and unless you have the radio up loud, you can hear the Lee pot heat. Btw, the ssr usually has an indicator led that will display when sending power to the pot. Put it where you can see it. I have a pierced portion of my box that faces me an I can see if it is working, but I am busy casting now watching lights...... Btw, I need to add that outlet to my box as mine is hardwired.

[Mike W1]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?181319-Pid-Controller-Schematic/page2
I don't have a drawing of a Mypin so don't know what, if any, voltage the alarm contacts put out. But a 120V neon like El34 used will give you a power on indication if hooked to say #6 in my drawing. One hooked to #1 will show when power is going to the pot. Other end of neon's to neutral of course. Thought his 12v was for a cooling fan in there, didn't spot the light.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Is'nt there is LED's on the mypin PID display that tell you those conditions ?
There are on my JLD612...but once you get everything figured out with it, you won't need to look at 'em...at least I don't.

[bhn22]

The display on my PID tells me the set temp, and the current temp. The only indicator lamp I have is on the pot as an easy way to determine that the pot is receiving current from the PID. If the PID says it's working, but the power light isn't lit on the pot, I know the issue is between the PID controller, and the pot somewhere. This is all theoretical anyway, my setup hasn't missed a beat since I built it. Too many lights are confusing at times. I have a total of four TCs, one button type in the bottom of my pot, one longer style for anticipated future needs, as well as backups for each. My next PID will control a heat-treating oven, and a baking oven for Duracoat and Cerakote.

142594

[psychbiker]

^^^ That sounds like exactly what I want to do. A standard 120v indicator light will work right? I'm kind of lost on the wiring but don't have my SSR or box made yet so I have time to figure it out.

[dragon813gt]

I have indicator lights on mine and like them. They're not necessary but at a quick glance you know where the pot stands.

[hpdrifter]

I'm in the crowd that lets the PID tell me what I want to know. When the display lights up, I have power.

When the pot is heating, I can hear it. When it is up to temp the display tells me so.

When it is applying power, the display tells me.

Why?? Unless you just want to be "techy".

[psychbiker]

Would 1 light that indicates the pot is on be a 120v light AND would that get in the way if I decide to use the PID for powder coating toaster oven or hot plate?

[bhn22]

Here's what my pot looks like. It did originally have a light on it, and I used the original hole. I did remove my original thermostat and wire the light and element direct, using a new cord as well. No sense going this far and reusing an $8.00 cord on a 20 year old pot. The new indicator light is a simple $5.00 Radio Shack item.
142619

[Mike W1]

Would 1 light that indicates the pot is on be a 120v light AND would that get in the way if I decide to use the PID for powder coating toaster oven or hot plate?

The 120v neon's at Radio Shack come in pairs and cost me $3.99 for the package. One to indicate power is on and one to indicate power is on to the lead pot or whatever. I didn't bother to put alarm lights in my second PID. But the power lights are nice to have and catch your eye better than the ones on the PID do. My Auber unit's lights are considerably brighter than the Rex unit is. Dunno about how bright the Mypin's are.

[popper]

No lights other than the one on the controller for mine - no problems is several years. Do NOT hook a light to the thermocouple terminals!

[dpoe001]

You guys way over think.Your pid will tell you everything you need to know at a glance.i use them all the time the only thing we use is an over temp alarm for when no one is around and a temp goes to high.(from the mercury relay sticking)i am replacing them we had all analog temperature controllers,and switched to these they are so much more reliable and hold the temps much more stable.

[bhn22]

Using an indicator light on a pot controlled by a PID to keep track of heating is "overthinking"? My pot originally had one with the original thermostat.

[dpoe001]

yes your pid should have something telling you the output is on for the ssr ,you should be able to set it for under temp alarm ,over temp alarm all giving different lights on the pid itself. your pid should do more than you will ever need to do. I like to make things simple, the more things added means more to go wrong.And your ssr should have a light on it telling you that it has power to it.

[dikman]

Fitting extra lights might look spoofy, but they're basically a waste of time from a functional perspective. I was going to fit some (being a bit of a nerd), until I realised, as has already been pointed out, that by watching the PID and listening to the pot's heating cycle I get all the info I need. Keep it simple....

[bhn22]

I can't hear my Lyman pot cycle. I do have an old *** LEE 20 pounder that sounds like a cheap sheep shears, but my Lyman is quiet, and since the original temp control has been removed, it doesn't even click.

[dikman]

Interesting. My Lee doesn't click 'cos the temp control is always at max, but the heating element just sort of buzzes every time it is switched on. Makes it easy to tell that it's actually working :lol:.

[el34]

Hey psych, I hope you got your controller the way you wanted! I disappeared over a year ago but thought I'd drop in.

The 12v light was only because I had one, and I already had a 12v power supply to run the little fan so power was already there.

I agree with others about not really needing those lights. That's mostly my style but certainly not necessary. However I've always been glad I had the amber neon attached to the 110V output going to the pot. It's one notch better than showing the PID is intending to flip on the SSR and it's interesting to me to see how the pot power cycles off and on.

Thanks psych, that was a fun blast-from-the-past!

[edctexas]

My SSRs have an LED that shows when they are "supposed" to be active. I drilled a hole in the case to be able to see them. It is helpful to have an indicator on the controlled power output. If the SSR fails it will either never come on or stay on and not ever go off. In one of the other threads, a chap used a switch to bypass the PID. I have that switch on my hot plate control. An word of advice, if you are controlling a convection oven, you might break in to the oven wiring. Shutting all power off stops the fan. DUH! So I cut into my oven wires an brought out the element wires to run to the PID. So I need to have an outlet to power the fans etc and the PID output to run the heat.
Ed C

[Yodogsandman]

el34, Glad to see you're back! Hope you stick around!

[RP]

I added a indicator light that shows me power is at the plug so any problems with the pot not heating is from the plug on, The PID tells me its sending the signal to the SSR but that is it. I also added a volt/amp meter another way I know the pot is on since its showing how many amps its drawing. Something that is helpful is how much your current may drop depending on what else is pulling power. For example just the pot not running I have 122 volts when I have the pot and hotplate is on along with exhaust fan and lights voltage drops to 110. Which the lower the voltage goes the less what you have plug in performs.
I have just got mine going and it seems to be learning the hot plate and pot temp swings are getting less and less. The interesting thing to me is how often the PID goes on and off when its holding temp about every two seconds is that normal?