Tried hooking up the Auber 1500 for #3 last night to run. I have installed permanent probe, bypass switch. After reviewing posts again and pics, all is installed correctly. (1) I haven't been able to Auto Tune unit yet. I believe it maybe a programming issue?
The program I used was CO1 - 180 t TO1 2.0, CO2 - 235 F FO2 - 195, CO3 - 140 t tO3 - 30.0, CO4 to CO6 - zero. I am trying to smoke Boston Butt. Plugged Auber in and get temp readings on both probes. It was cold last night so I initially started with the stock controller (On 250) to warm the probes, after cabinet temp reached 160 I tried to switch it over to the Auber so I could goto sleep. Before leaving I noticed that the Auber immediately dropped 50 degrees in the cabinet temp. (2) Red smoke generator light was solid, Green Out light was solid then slow blink. I let it go for awhile and found the Auber not controlling the heating element. Cabinet getting cold inside. I switched back over to stock controller (flipped the switch), unit started heating up, smoking and both temp probes are working perfectly. (3) Green Out light stays solid. Red smoke generator light is off. Any suggestions on why the Auber didn't start to control the heating element. Should I reset to factory defaults? (4) Or just try to do Auto tune before trying to use again?
I am smoking off the stock controller but have #3 plugged into the Auber to use temp probes..seems to be reading perfectly. (5) I have dial set at 235 and probes are reading exactly for cabinet and Meat temps going up and steady.
OK, Daryl, let's try to break this down a bit. Gregg touched on an important point about not attempting a smoke until you've autotuned, and tested your bypass switch circuitry - especially an overnight smoke! Let me address what I've highlighted in red, and we'll go from there.
(1) Please do an autotune, per the instructions in the Auber section. The Bradley program is really whacky in these smokers.
(2) Disregard the smoke generator light - means nothing to us. That indicates power to the funny-shaped plug on the back, that the Bradley guys use to power the smoke generator.
(3) When you switched back to the stock controller, you were still running power to the smoker through the Auber. You should have plugged the smoker into the wall outlet at that point. The green light was solid because it was not providing power to the element - which proves it was working. It was solid green because you took the Probe 2 reading out of the equation; it was putting out full-power to try and heat the smoker. The element was now reading from the internal thermocouple, not the one from the Auber.
(4) Absolutely!!
(5) This would be a problem, had you not done a bypass. If you run the Auber on a unit that has not been bypassed, you must have the controller all the way to 250.
The more I look at this, my gut is telling me you may have a problem with your switch wiring. It just doesn't sound like it's performing as it should, with your setup. One of the switch guys might better help with this one - I don't use one. I know the Auber is providing full-power, when needed, because of my comments in (3) above. So, re-check your switch wiring, or maybe even remove the wires to the bypass side of the switch and jump them (removing the stock controller and switch from the equation, completely), and test it with an autotune. If it works right, then you'll confirm it was the switch wiring. If it doesn't, we'll figure out what to do next. Sound fair?
