Smokin-It User Forum!
Auber PID Controllers => Auber Instructions => Topic started by: DivotMaker on June 29, 2014, 12:21:43 PM
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These instructions are for bypassing the stock controller, but does not include a switch. This bypass uses blade connections on a short "splicing bridge" wire, so it can be easily reversed, should you choose to do so. Wear latex or nitrile gloves - the insulation is very itchy! This procedure only takes 10-15 minutes.
I started with a 2" length of #12 wire, and 2 blade connectors. These were crimped in place, completing the splicer. 14-guage wire will also be fine for the bridge.
Next, remove the back of the smoker. There are 3 layers of insulation, so you'll remove the first layer only. Notice, in the photo, that all the wires are beneath the first (outer) layer of insulation. Make sure they are all in this layer during reassembly!
I removed the middle layer, for photo purposes, so you can see the controller better. It is not necessary to remove this layer; just unplug the two wires from the controller.
Simply connect the two wires from the controller together, using your splicing bridge. Then, use heat shrink tubing or electrical tape to cover the splice. (The piece of tubing I had was a little large, but it was all I had on hand). It doesn't have to be water-tight, just covered. To test your bypass, plug the smoker in directly. The light on top should light, and the element should start to heat. If it doesn't, something is wrong.
Once you're sure it works, keep the splice up high, and replace the outer layer of insulation. Replace the back panel.
You have now bypassed your controller, so the Auber will be in complete control of your element!
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Great job Tony ! :) :) :)
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Thanks Gary! It's crazy easy - nothing to be scared of. I haven't tried the switch method, like Steve (PolishQ), but wouldn't think it's much harder. This is an easy solution for anyone with an Auber.
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Great post! Makes it easy!
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Thanks! It's easier than you would think.
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Nice effort into great instructions. 8)
Better than my rambling... And I tend to leave out some details too. :-\
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DM
Where did your purchase the connectors? i tried HD and they only had the females not the males.
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Nice effort into great instructions. 8)
Better than my rambling... And I tend to leave out some details too. :-\
Thanks Steve! I learned it from you - just added a few more pics! ;D
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DM
Where did your purchase the connectors? i tried HD and they only had the females not the males.
I bought those at Lowe's. The box includes male/female connectors.
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DM
I have successfully bypassed the controller. Actually went to Lowe's that did not have the connectors went back to HD and found one package of males connectors behind all the females connectors.
Currently running another auto tune. The bypass was very easy. Thank you for the detailed instructions.
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One package of males behind a row of females? How ironic is that?? lol! ;D Glad you found the poor little guys and got it done!
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Hey Ed, I just did mine today also. My permanent probe came in the mail so thought I would do both while I had it open. One thing I would like to add, along with gloves, wear long sleeves! Very itchy stuff. I ran a test to make sure it was working correctly and will do another autotune this weekend when I cook. Thanks for the detailed posts and pics, made it a lot easier.
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Yep, the sleeves do help, Mike! Glad you got it done - you'll love the permanent probe!
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Tony, is there a way to calibrate the Auber and the Maverick? They were reading way different. Auber was reading 270 and holding pretty steady considering it was empty and Maverick was showing 315.
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Mike, if you're attempting an autotune with an empty smoker, it won't work. Probe placement, between the Auber and Maverick could also be the problem. When I've tried to run both, a put the probes exactly side-by-side, so they're getting the same dose of heat. I've never had them read more than a degree or two different.
That being said, I would trust the Auber probe and reading over the Maverick. The probe is better quality, and the Auber is a more "precision" instrument.
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I wasn't doing an autotune, just wanted to get it up to temp to make sure I did everything right. The Maverick probe I just dropped in the hole so probable was a few inches from the permanent one. Still seems like when the Auber had the temp running steady at 270 it should have been close on the Maverick. I am waiting to do the autotune when I cook this weekend so will try it again then and see how it acts. I agree the Auber probes seem more reliable.
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Ok, Mike. Just an "ops" check. Just like for seasoning, I always recommend against any kind of temp readings with a truly empty box - they fluctuate incredibly. I bet if you put the probes close to each other during the autotue, with meat/foil/water pan in place, you'll see very different results. I'll be curious to see how that goes!
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I will post the results of that. I was surprised each unit was staying really steady just off from each other. Seems like the Maverick was about 8 degrees off on previous cooks, not a huge thing but nice to know. I have a 10 lb pork loin in the fridge and gonna try making some baked beans.
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Found it Tony, Lol. Now where is that picture of the placement of the permanent probe? ;-)
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Found that too. Hole size (drill bit) for the probe?
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5/16 drill bit size for the probe. I drilled a hole beside where the power cord goes out the bottom to route the wire, couldn't figure out how to get it to go out the same hole as the power cord. Tony, after opening the smoker I figured out why I had such a variance on temps, my maverick probe I just stuck down the hole and it went down and was resting on the smoke box, lol.
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Sometimes the simple solutions evade us, Mike! Just like not thinking of running the permanent probe wire out the power cord hole!! :o
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I wasn't sure how to get the grommet out and didn't want to break it so just made a second hole, its on the bottom so its not visible.
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You need(ed) to squeeze the cord holder a bit, turn it @180 degrees, then slide it up into the box. It then pulls apart and you can slide the probe around the back and squeeze it back together. I'm still auto tuning mine and it is taking some time. The directions need to be rewritten.
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You need(ed) to squeeze the cord holder a bit, turn it @180 degrees, then slide it up into the box. It then pulls apart and you can slide the probe around the back and squeeze it back together. I'm still auto tuning mine and it is taking some time. The directions need to be rewritten.
I suggest reading the directions again. The only correction that needs to be made is that it will read box temp when it starts, not 140. Other than that, the instructions are correct. I've performed autotunes several times.
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I had 3 people read it, one is a writter. Sorry, it didn't do what the instructions said. Someone else here had the issue with it.
e. Press SET again 4 more times, until the initial set temperature displays in the
left window (should be 140).
Nope, it said 80, so did someone else's here.
Once the autotune is complete, we recommend writing down the P, I and D settings. To
retrieve these settings, go back into the PID setting menu the same way you did in step
3a above.
If you go back to 3a, you begin the tuning process all over again.
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For those that follow, auto parts store and ACE Hardware carry a male X male splice connector that has a plastic sleeve over the spades. It makes the bridge in one piece vs. multiple parts.
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Good tip, Dave - thanks!
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What is the highest temp sustained cooks you've done after bypassing the controller?
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I've gone to 325 with no problems. According to Steve, as SI, the box is rated good up to 350.
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275 for me... But that's all I felt comfortable with when I was feeling the bottom.
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I installed the permanent probe and the controller bypass this past weekend. I included my process and some photos on the probe installation under the appropriate category "How to install a permanent Auber temperature probe". Below is information on bypassing the controller.
I chose to install a switch so that I could go back to the stock analog controller should I have an issue with the Auber or one of its probes.
First, I purchased a common DPDT panel mount 2-position toggle switch with screw terminals, rated for 15A, from Amazon. Below is the link to the switch that I bought. I like the screw terminals because it allowed me to use crimp-on terminals on the various wires so that I could easily remove them later if needed. Also, as you can see in the photo below, I found that by removing the screws in the center terminals, the spade terminal that came on the smoker would slip on the switch terminal without having to re-terminate it. Be sure and check the switch terminals (I did this with a common volt-ohm meter) before installing the wiring to make sure which terminals are "closed" and which are "open" when the switch is thrown in each position. On the switch I bought, I found that when the switch was thrown in one direction, the terminals on the opposite end of the switch were the ones that were actually "closed". (As you can see from the wiring diagram below, the terminals in the center of the switch connect to the heating element of the smoker. When the switch is thrown one way, the heating element is connected to the stock SI controller. When the switch is thrown the other way, the heating element is connected to the jumper and is controlled by the Auber.)
http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K858QG2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Like others have posted, I decided to mount the switch in the top of the smoker near the right rear corner at the right edge of the label. I like the location now (sorry I didn't take a picture), but drilling in that location was a bear. The sheet metal and label together are every bit of 1/8" thick or more. The diameter of the switch is 1/2", so I drilled a small pilot hole, then a little larger hole and then finally the 1/2" hole. Let the drill turn slowly and be patient because the stainless is very hard. I used cutting oil to help cool the bits. Regular motor oil will work almost as well.
I made up all of the jumpers and terminated all of the wiring before installing the switch so that it would be easier to access the terminal screws on the switch. Make sure that you use 14 AWG wire or larger for all conductors. I used stranded wire since it is easier to work with. I found that I had to lengthen the wire that goes to the power indicator light due to my switch location (this wire does not need to be 14 AWG). I then installed the switch with the threaded lock nut provided (see photo). I installed my switch so that when thrown to the left (looking at the top of the smoker from the front) the standard SI controller was connected and when thrown to the right, the Auber was in control. I have made up some labels and once I have installed them, I will take a photo and update this post.
I drew up a crude wiring diagram and taped it to the inside of the back panel of the smoker (see photo) so that it would be handy should I have to work on something in the middle of a smoke (which I did on my first smoke, as detailed below).
Before re-installing the back of the smoker, I tested it with and without the Auber to make sure that my wiring was correct.
During my first smoke, I found that the heating element would turn off about 45 minutes into the smoke. After much stress, I found that I could wiggle the power cord and the element would come back on (as evidenced by the light on the top of the smoker). About 45 minutes later, the element would stop working again. Each time this happened, I could wiggle the cord and get it to come back on. Finally, I decided to take the back off the smoker and troubleshoot the problem. As it turned out, the crimp-on connector on the heating element conductor that connects to a spade connector on the power cord (the one that comes from the factory encased in shrink tube) was loose. I cut off the shrink tube from both power conductors and re-terminated all of the conductors with new crimp-on connectors and wrapped well with electrical tape. The rest of the smoke was flawless.
The moral of the story is that if you are doing the mod above and have the back of the smoker off, go ahead and cut off that factory installed shrink tube and re-terminate the conductors and then reinstall more shrink tube. It may save you some headaches down the road.
P.S. - You can buy a fairly inexpensive terminal crimp kit from Lowes or other stores that comes with a selection of crimp-on terminals and the stripper/crimper. This is a handy thing to have around the house because a lot of appliances, etc. use them. Below is a link to one that I found on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Neiko-50413A-Solderless-Connection-Stripping/dp/B000K7GRCI/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1419354945&sr=1-1&keywords=terminal+crimp+kit
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Another fine job, Ravel! I'm sure many will appreciate the switch wiring diagram.
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... And yet we have another master engineer!!!
I love it.
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Just finished. Ravel, Polish, WIK & Divot, thanks for the info. It is a simple fix once all the parts are gathered. The only thing I can add would be a parts list......
1 1/2" titanium drill bit (used for the toggle switch hole)
1 DPDT, 6 prong, on / on, 15A or 20A, toggle switch (link in CUTiger post above)
1 Missile Switch Cover (I ordered it from Electronics123.com item# COM09278)
2 1' long 14awg jumpers (connect from middle of toggle to the temperature dial)
1 6" long 14awg jumper (for one end of the toggle switch, this is the bypass)
1 1' long 16awg jumper (the wire coming from the light indicator must be cut in half &
this extends it so it can reach the location of the toggle switch)
Spade connectors can be used for everything (except the 16awg extension) even on the toggle as long as the shoulders at the tip of the spade are removed.
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Great list, Walt. Thank you!
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I finally got around to posting pictures of the labels that I applied to the by-pass switch on the SI#2 and to the back and top of my Auber.
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Has anyone tried using 135 degree drill bit for drilling the stainless steel? If so, did it seem to work any better?
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CUTiger80 ... I had a cousin who graduated in 88 but passed way to young from an accident. Always pull for the Tigers. 😉
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Thought I'd share an observation. I'm going to do the analog controller bypass and have been reading all the posts about this topic. I noticed in the photos that CUTiger80 posted that it appears that the spade connectors and wiring that were on the stock controller are high temperature wire and connectors. THHN wire is spec at 194 F. Might be a good idea to go to the local appliance parts supply store or somewhere similar and get a couple feet of high temp wire and 4 high temp connectors
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Thanks for the tip, Paul. That would probably be the safest way to do it, for sure. But, the power cord coming into the smoker is not hi-temp wire, and there are a couple of layers of thick insulation between the wiring and box. I've done 2 smokers with standard Romex 12 ga. solid house wire, and haven't had any issues. The wiring stays pretty cool.
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Paul, I agree with Tony.
There is quite a mixture of wire/connector types in the stock unit. I believe that the high-temp wire/connectors is what comes from the manufacturer on the heating element. I left the back off and turned up the heat and then felt the wire, etc. and it was all relatively cool. Really, the only place it gets slightly hot is in the center of the back down at the bottom where the heating element is located.
Good luck with your mod!! Mine works great!! Now I just need to overcome my "VCR programming syndrome" (you know, back when you thought you had your VCR programmed to record a particular show only to find out when you went to watch it you had actually set it for something else) with my Auber. I had cooked some butts when I first got the Auber and saved the program under "P1". Later I cooked some ribs and re-programmed the Auber. This past weekend I cooked some more butts for a group. I thought that I recalled program (or the Auber folks call it a recipe) "P1" only to wake up at 5:30 AM to find the smoker off, 6 hours into the smoke. Turns out, the Auber was still set to my rib recipe. I'm not sure that I am going to try and save and recall programs any more. It is so easy to just punch it in for each smoke.
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Ravel / Tony,
Thanks for sharing that info.
Ravel, I'm somewhat apprehensive myself about programming and using the Auber. But there appears to be plenty of helpful info here.
I haven't seen any comprehensive posts on "ramp up" times / temperatures, cooking temps, finishing temps / times and recommended holding times / temps for use with the Aubers. Do either of you know of any? Have seen bits of info on these.
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Paul,
I got my Auber in early December and have only used it for 4-5 smokes. It is fairly easy to program, but I would suggest writing everything down first. All of my "recipes" so far have only 3 steps. I have done a smoked salmon recipe before my Auber which would require 4 steps.
I have an SI#2 and I have a bunch of the cheap Weber wood chunks and I have found that I get the infamous "belch" if I don't ramp up the temp on all of my smokes (that is always my first step in the program). There are many on here that will tell you that it is not necessary, but I think you have to figure some things out for yourself and go with what you are the most comfortable with. (I also foil boat my wood chunks to try and reduce the risk of belch and extend the smoke, but many on here will tell you that is unnecessary as well.)
I am not sure how many regular contributors to this board are Auber users, but I suspect that it is only a few, so most smoking recipes are not specific to the Auber user.
I will say that for me, there is no difference in how you smoke with and without the Auber, it is just that you can program your steps into the Auber and let it do it's thing rather than you having to tend to it or watch it as carefully.
Just keep smoking and asking questions. The folks on this forum are awesome and patient and seem to really like coaching us newbies along.
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I will say that for me, there is no difference in how you smoke with and without the Auber, it is just that you can program your steps into the Auber and let it do it's thing rather than you having to tend to it or watch it as carefully.
I think this is a very key point. The Auber basically automates a lot of the things that require non-Auber users to monitor and then make manual adjustments.
I think there are a fair amount of Auber users, with more and more getting on board as we move along here. I think a big thing is that once they are setup and auto-tuned, they are pretty easy to use and don't prompt a lot of questions.
I am finally tentatively planning on taking the plunge this spring when it will be nicer outside to do the bypass and permanent probe install. I have resisted the urge thus far, because there were other accessories that I wanted first. But, the Auber is pretty much all I have left to get.
Regarding the belch, "usually" only one of the two methods (Ramp or Foil) is needed. But, if you have really dry wood, you may have to use a combination of both. The one downfall of foiling is that it doesn't work as well for low temperature smokes.
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I agree with Ravel that saving programs is not worth the effort. The Auber is so easy to program and programming each smoke forces you to think through each time what you are really trying to accomplish.
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Ravel / Tony,
Thanks for sharing that info.
Ravel, I'm somewhat apprehensive myself about programming and using the Auber. But there appears to be plenty of helpful info here.
I haven't seen any comprehensive posts on "ramp up" times / temperatures, cooking temps, finishing temps / times and recommended holding times / temps for use with the Aubers. Do either of you know of any? Have seen bits of info on these.
Paul - the guys are absolutely right about use of the Auber not being any different from any other smoke. It's just a controller, so it's only as good as the temps you put in!
Don't be nervous about programming the Auber. I was, too, but once I got it in my hands, I realized how easy it was! Once you grasp that it's 3 things - temperature for the step, what triggers the next step (time or internal temp), and what that trigger is (again, internal temp or time), it's easy. Don't let there being 6 steps worry you, either. It just allows you to set more complex programs, but it's still just the same 3 parameters.
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Just wanted to add my thanks for all the great advice and pics on this thread. I bit the bullet and did a switched bypass over the weekend, something I have been historically opposed to since it does potentially pose a danger. However with the rocket launcher cover it seems safe enough. Pics attached. Incidentally the plug for the blow hole is a synthetic wine cork-they fit perfectly and the price is right.
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Nice job, Roger! I assume the wine cork in the blow hole is just for storage, and to keep the bugs/mice out? ???
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That's affirmative, Tony.
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Roger that, Roger! Great idea!
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I know this is a very old thread but I thought I would see if anybody is still around to answer a few questions.
I assume if you don't do the bypass the max temp will stay at 250 even with the Auber, now let's say the switch is installed everything hooked up and I want to use the analog controller for some stupid reason, what are the steps, do you need to unplug from the Auber? or do you stay plugged in flip a switch and does the Auber have to be on? Just trying to get an idea of the process switching from one controller to the other after everything is hooked up. Thank you.
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Read the info from 3 sons at this link. According to the OP, with the Auber on, the switch allows bypassing the original controller thus choosing either analog or digital. There are 9 pages but this link has some of the verbage. I suggest reading all pages. Also, you may just decide that you don't need the auber after a few smokes under your belt.
https://www.smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=1287.45