PID Temperature Controller Games

[Griff]

Ok, I admit it, I'm woefully under educated when it comes to electronics. I got a PID Temp Controller for one of new lead pots I bought when my old Lyman Mag20 quit heating. If the thing is working, I can't tell. Let me rephrase, it IS working, but I don't know if it's working correctly!

I bought a Lee Pro4 20lb pot. It's intended use is for pure Pb. So, I melted a bunch of lead in it, stuck in the prob for the electronic controller and set up the controller to run the temp at 680ºF. Nothing, the lead slowly cooled all the way back to room temperature. Hmmm... no idiot lights, just the electronic display... which documented this feat of thermodynamics very well. While the set temp showed 680º as solid as a rock... the actual temp display slowed migrated from about 650º down to 72.3º, where it fluctuated a few tenths... This is not what I though it was supposed to do.

Just to be clear, I bought the PID Controller assembled and from what the feller said, fully tested and functional. When questioned, I got the cold shoulder treatment. No response whatsoever. Guy must've died. Hopefully, that's the case, saves me the trouble.

Anyway, no I'm looking to salvage what I can from this deal from hello, can we say "...gotcha!" Anyway, opened up the nice case, and found five components inside: a receptacle for power in, w/integral on/off switch; a fuse block w/15A fuse; a receptacle for power out; a SSR-25 DA; and the PID. Bunch of wires running hither 'n yon!

So, being the idiot what got took in the first place, and not being able to tell whether ANY electricity was coming out the output side of the thing, I had two choices, stick my finger in there, or plug in some kinda "test" thingy. I opted for the test thingy. I selected the LED light on my press, since it's designed to light up on 110V power just like the Lee Pro4 is supposed to head lead from the same power source.

Plugged everything in and turned on the Controller. Led lights came on... about ¼ power, then a few seconds later momentarily flashed to full bright... and continued this ever minute or so... I wasn't timing, but seemed pretty regular.

So, is that what's supposed to happen? Cause that full power "flash" sure doesn't seem enough current to heat lead! And would get pretty annoying for running lights.

2ndly, there's no indication which way the little two prong plug from the temp probe is supposed to go... it'll plug in both ways. And the unit works the same, either way.

No, there were no instructions with this well built, but poorly functioning home-made device.

I sure hate to thing I wasted $35 and my non-working Lyman Mag20 in trade for this...

[Mainehunter]

What brand of PID controller your using

Mainehunter

[Mainehunter]

Just making sure that Lee Pot isn't 220V? Also how did you hook up the pot to the controller? If your using the rheostat on the Lee pot you need to try dialing to max, let the PID do the work or disconnect it from the circuit and hook it directly to the SSR.

Mainehunter

[Griff]

Just making sure that Lee Pot isn't 220V? Also how did you hook up the pot to the controller? If your using the rheostat on the Lee pot you need to try dialing to max, let the PID do the work or disconnect it from the circuit and hook it directly to the SSR.
Mainehunter

No the Lee pot is 110V, works fine alone. Have the pot rheostat set at it's highest settings.

What brand of PID controller your using
Mainehunter

It's called a MYPIN, a made in China knockoff of a Japanese controller. It could be a bad PID controller, I've read where they sometimes are miss wired or have bad programming inside. But, looking at the internals of the box that it's mounted in, I can't tell if the guy I got it from wired the plugs or Solid State Resistor wrong.

Listen, it took me awhile to figure out how to wire 3-way switches to control the lights in the living room... This seems much more complicated.

[Tycer]

Read the reviews of the relay on Amazon and they are mixed. If the "made in Taiwan" is marked out it's a fake. If not, it could still b a bad relay. What's up he pid model and which output leads go to the ssr. FWIW, I prefer mechanical relays for this type of work.

[Tycer]

3 ways are a bitch if you don't wire them regularly.

[Tycer]

That should read pelosi

[Griff]

Read the reviews of the relay on Amazon and they are mixed. If the "made in Taiwan" is marked out it's a fake. If not, it could still b a bad relay. What's up he pid model and which output leads go to the ssr. FWIW, I prefer mechanical relays for this type of work.

It's a MYPIN TA-4 SSR pid. The relay is a FOTEK SSR-25 DA. The relay sez "made in Taiwan", but the PID doesn't have any stating where it's made. What bothers me, is that the output plug (where the pot would plug in), has one black leg coming from the power-in side of the incoming power. And the same leg going to the PID where it's marked "in". Photos aren't any help... as to get close enough it washes out in the flash, and close wires look gigantic and cover up what needs to be seen. I'll try to draw a schematic...

Pretend the gray lines are white wires....

[Griff]

btt, with diagram.

[Mainehunter]

I think this is the manual for the PID:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B5ffKm ... EZzdUF5LTQ

Many of the PID's that I've seen when you first use them need to be setup to do "auto tune". That's what I had to do with mine. Also, there are different TC (thermal couple wire K,J, and others) that are polarity sensitive.

Mainehunter

[Rusty]

There's a lot about them over on castboolts.

[Mainehunter]

Curious if you got it going?

Mainehunter

[Griff]

Curious if you got it going?

Mainehunter

Took off this am for a run to Las Vegas, printed out that manual and brought it with me to study. Be home late next week and see if I learned anything! Supposedly, this unit was fully "tested."

There's a lot about them over on castboolts.

Yep, been readin' up on 'em.

[Blaine]

I think it's broke.....

[Griff]

I think it's broke.....

Or...
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It's like a 1911, and the operator doesn't know stuff about it!!!

[M. M. Wright]

Pose this question over on cast boolits, they'll solve it for you post haste.

[Griff]

Curious if you got it going?
Mainehunter

No.

Many of the PID's that I've seen when you first use them need to be setup to do "auto tune". That's what I had to do with mine. Also, there are different TC (thermal couple wire K,J, and others) that are polarity sensitive.
Mainehunter

I've been trying to "interpret" that instructions and set it up for the "autotune", but my Chinese is velly, velly bad...

Pose this question over on cast boolits, they'll solve it for you post haste.

The guy that I got it from in a trade is there. He's not responded to my last two PMs... After that and givin' hime a couple more days, it's fair game.

[Griff]

WOOHOO!!!! Finally fingered it out! When all fails, look at the details. I kept checking the wiring, but... it all appeared as though it was wired according to the wiring diagrams I had. This morning, after breakfast and the 1st non-caffeinated drink of the day, I took another crack at this. Opened the box, looked at the wiring again. Checked against the schematic and found it all according to the drawing.

Then I saw, "...(If any changed, please refer to the product showing.)" What does that mean? So I looked at the drawing on the side of the PID, and while the number of the connections showed to be correct, I noted that the #3 connection on the schematic showed it to be "+", while #3 on the drawing on the actual PID showed a "-" symbol. So, with some trepidation and expectations of sparks and rampant fire in the living room... blown circuit breakers and general mayhem and a huge insurance claim... I switched the wires. Turn the unit on, and viola!!! the indicator light I had hooked up the output side lit up... A FIRST! So, I set the temp to 96ºF and stuck the temp prop under my armpit. Watched as the actual temp reading came up to the set temp, went a few degrees above, (10ºF), and the indicator light shut off. Took the probe out from the heat source and as the temp fell to be 96ºF the indicator light came on! I'm calling it good!

Bye for now, I'm headin' out to the shop for some casting! Maybe... I'll report back later!

[Griff]

Maybe it'll get better... they say that it'll get closer to keeping the temp right at +/- 1º as it "learns" how long to put the current "on" for. Warming up:

The flash washed out the readout...