Like I said..maybe I am overly picky or critical..but I find that me temp flucuations during a smoke from 225 on up to 270 is just unacceptable. I am hoping the PID will solve this problem. In essence, I will turn the smokers temperature up as high as it goes, and then plug in the PID and have that control the temp, so I'll get more accurate smoking temps through the PID with alot less flucuation.
ALso, for $63.00 for a DIY temp controller that will improve the MES is pretty easy for me to undertake.
Dan
Yeah, if I put my Maverick on the right side, I might get a 270˚ reading on it, and a 225˚ reading on my MES, unless I put the baffle in the bottom right. Then once it has been at a fixed temp for awhile, the readings come together.
Try putting your other remote sensor right in front of the MES sensor in the back wall, and see what the difference is then. I believe the difference is due to "Where" the sensors are. A PID will not change that. The other thing is, the MES reading changes more slowly due to the fact that it is not exposed to the air at 360˚ X 360˚----It is built into the back wall. When my heat is running up fast, my Maverick is way above the MES temp, but after it gets to the targeted heat, and settles into the set temp, the MES reading goes up & the Maverick comes down, and they end up almost identical (if the baffle is in the bottom right)----This is even with the Maverick probe on the right & the MES sensor on the left.
In the summer, if I have it set at 150˚, it starts up at about 149˚ and runs up to 150˚. then it shuts off. The heat might coast up to as high as 156˚. Then it will slowly come down until it hits 149˚ again.
In the winter, If I have it set at 150˚, it starts up when it hits 149˚, but it might fall to 142˚ before the heat starts rising, because it doesn't have the balls to get it hot faster than that in the Winter. Then it will run it up to 150˚, and shut off. The heat might coast up in the Winter too, but maybe only to 152˚. Then just like in the Summer (only quicker), it will fall back to 149˚, and restart.
I don't see how a PID is gonna change much of this, but I'm done. I just thought I could get someone to not waste his money, but in the end, it is HIS money, not mine.
$63 isn't much to invest, to improve the MES, but it's a lot of money if it doesn't do diddly.
Just my unwanted 2 1/2 cents.
Bear