Digital PID Temperature Control

[Lonetree]

Here is a link to some on Ebay?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dual-Digital-F-...in_0?hash=item518b852ff6&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

I see where most use the wafer type thermostat. This with the "CU50" thermo resistor should maintain a half degree even with room temp variations.

Any one have any thoughts about this?

 

[Triggerjay]

I have used them in parrot prooders they work well ONCE CALIBRATED. These also require you to buy a seperate thermocouple. Make sure you get the appropriate one too.. if you don't it will not scale correctly. Common types are type J and K.... Some PID controllers are also capable of using RTD temperature sensors. More toys than you really need on a chicken bator though.. Look at my thread where I used an old aquarium heaters thermostat.. It holds temp very well and very accurate.. heres a link to it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=222189

Jason

 

[Grillo]

Don't get the one you specified, get one with 250 VAC output, that way you can wire it straight into the heat element.

Get this one (it has the 250 VAC output and has a link to the manual):

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dual-Digital-F-...&itu=US-BWR%2BUCI%2BUCC%2BIT%2BUA&otn=8&ps=33

These temp controllers work beatifully, mine keeps temperature dead on 100F with variations of +- 0.2 F every now and then when the temperature outside varies too badly. They do need to be setup. They are not that hard though just read through the manual. The one I specified comes with a K type thermocouple (heat sensor) and that will do just fine. You will have to configure the input as K type thermocouple when setting up the controller. Use the self-tune feature and see if that will work for you. If that doesn't work start playing with the Proportional band, Integral time and derivative time. My advice start with low values and work your way up till you find something that works for your bator. The beauty of these controllers is that even if the temperature strays from the set temp, they will always return to the set temperature. So once they are calibrated that's pretty much it. And of course, no more knob turning and see to what temp it goes up/down. You will most likely never have to fiddle with the temperature again. And the digital display is such a peace of mind when you just take a look from a few yards away and see 100/100 in the digital display. I highly recommend them if you care enough to learn to use them. I'm not sure how they'd work for LG's or Hovabator types but for incubators from 100 eggs and up they are SOLID.

 

[SpunkyTheMonkey]

my water heat t-stat also holds temp to +- 0.2 and for a lot less money.

by all means get one of these things if you want to play with something cool, nothing wrong with that...but don't think for a minute that you need to spend this much money or go to this much trouble.

 

[Lonetree]

I like cool new and neat

I plan to use a SSR (Solid State Relay) off of the PID. This is a insurance measure. If something in heating element should short out or something the SSR will protect the PID.

When I get it done I would like to have something that is every bit or more accurate then some of the commercial units costing many times more money. To give you a heads up I am planning on a oak cabinet. Yes I do wood working also.

Looking for ideas on the heating element for the inside and where or what to get. I don't really want to use a light bulb.

With 2 PID's and the wet bulb approach I think one could even control the humidity to the letter.

 

[Triggerjay]

do a search of strip heating element... Thats what you are looking for. Oh, and grillos post regarding the 250v output,... not needed in the US.. Just get one with a 110v output, and buy a 110v element...

Heres a couple examples of strip elements:
http://www.hotwatt.com/stripmfgf.htm

http://www.hotwatt.com/stripmc.htm

I have used both styles, and they work well..

I also used solid state relays with the parrot brooders I built. they were equipped with PID controllers. I need to see if I can dig some pics of them up...

Jason

 

[Triggerjay]

Found the pics

:

This one was a two sided model. (I know, pic is fuzzy). With parrots, during brooding, different age birds had to be kept at different temps, so I designed this model... (Saved a hobby breeder from keeping more than one brooder on hand) :

And this one was the first one I built. It measured 3' x 2', and 1' tall. It is still in use today by the parrot breeder I sold it to.. I don't know if I mentioned it or not, but these were oak cabinets too.. I built the brooders start to finish. I had to use a salad bowl food grade finish for the wood though. Parrots can injest wood easily with sharp beaks, and I didn't want to use a toxic substance such as poly in case a baby parrot decided to eat the brooder:

Jason

 

[Lonetree]

Jason,

Them look great. Job well done for sure. Them look like they may sit right in the living room and fit right in. I want my bator to do the same.

How long ago did you build them?

 

[Triggerjay]

about 3 years ago I would guess... I used to TRY to sell them on a website called exoticbirds.us ... I couldn't even get the forum going.. let alone sell any brooders.. I did however, sell both the brooders pictured locally.. Broke even,... but thats about it.

Jason

 

[Grillo]

Spunky,

I would love to hear the exact brand of water heater t-stat you are using. You see I bought a handcrafted incubator that has this thermostat:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-ELECTRONIC-...lies?hash=item4cea0a2582&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

And I see a lot of people using it. But when I tested it it took me a lot of turning the knob to get it close to working temp and then when I placed my tried and trusted dial thermometer in I saw that it cycles from 97-102F The digital thermometer doesn't see it (the ones I have at least) becuase they seem to catch up to temperature swings rather slowly, but the dial reflected it very clearly. That put me off this particular stat. Since I had a PID controller my dad had brought from work a couple of years ago (without me knowing what it was) my dad told me use the controller, I read the manual online and in an hour I had it working and holding exact temperature just like my sportsman does.



Lonetree,

You and I think a lot alike. I will be using another pid to implement a real auto-humidity system. It's just like the heating system in the bator except the temp sensor will be wrapped in a wick to calculate the wet bulb temperature and the heat element will be in the water container to raise the temp of the water to a point where it will produce the desired humidity. Does that seem like it would work? I'd love to hear easier/better/cheaper ways to do it. I will be using this system in a Fridge-Hatcher I will be making soon. I'm also looking into humidistats, would these work better than what I described? What is a better way to produce the humidity (other than heating a water container).


Finally, about the comment of the controller having 250 VAC output, I mentioned it like that because that's what you will see listed in just about any controller you will see. But the 250VAC is just a limit, of course if you use 110V then that's what it will relay, the top is 250VAC Just don't get one with DC output, unless you want to use an SSR. Good luck.