STC-1000 Temp Controller Build

[SnakefetusBrewing]

So after about 2 months of slowly collecting the materials needed to build my own temp controller, I finally have everything I need!
http://www.onemansbeer.com/keezer-build ... ontroller/ <--- This is where I got my instructions from.
So now, over the next week, with what little time I have these days I am going to work on getting everything assembled. I will take some pictures and include them when I update this with the finished product.

Just wondering how many out there in the borg use these things and any thoughts and feelings you may have regarding the device

[Brewbirds]

Well if anyone wants to come over and install a new compressor on my beer fridge first I'm all in for trying it.

[philm00x]

I use one on my brew fridge, and the probe was a lot more accurate than any kitchen thermometer I've used. The only thing I dislike is that it only reads in Celsius. Not to fret, I know how to convert between Celsius and Farenheit, but if you can't (or won't) it would be a good idea to keep a cheat sheet. Overall, I love the thing. Works great for homebrewing.

[FrozenInTime]

That's whats turned me off on the build so far. Reading Celsius, I wonder if there is an STC-1000 equivalent that would read Fahrenheit? I know you can get conversion charts to paste up, but I'm going to admit I'm too.... lazy.. to do that. I would be interested if it was in F.

[russki]

Here's a chart you can print out and tape on top of your controller:

[RickBeer]

You expect people to print it out and apply it with tape to the box to actually have to look at it each time you want to convert the reading? Hey, this is America! We expect things to be the way we want them, all "F'd" up (fahrenheited up...). We don't want to have to look at no stoopid chart. How can we sit on the sofa and get fat if we have to always spend energy figuring stuff out?

[Brewbirds]

You expect people to print it out and apply it with tape to the box to actually have to look at it each time you want to convert the reading? Hey, this is America! We expect things to be the way we want them, all "F'd" up (fahrenheited up...). We don't want to have to look at no stoopid chart. How can we sit on the sofa and get fat if we have to always spend energy figuring stuff out?

You weren't just fired by jpsherman were you?

[Inkleg]

Here's another chart.

celsiustofahrenheitchar.jpg (61.3 KiB) Viewed 2427 times

[DaYooper]

I think the controller is quite awesome I must say. Planning on picking up a third in the near future. To save a few bucks, rather than use a project box I simply bought a 3-gang outlet box and used a 3-switch cover. Where the controller fits it needs minor trimming but worked like a champ. I probably should have taken a picture after I flushed everything up tho.

stc1000_cr.jpg (162.42 KiB) Viewed 2426 times

[SnakefetusBrewing]

I use one on my brew fridge, and the probe was a lot more accurate than any kitchen thermometer I've used. The only thing I dislike is that it only reads in Celsius. Not to fret, I know how to convert between Celsius and Farenheit, but if you can't (or won't) it would be a good idea to keep a cheat sheet. Overall, I love the thing. Works great for homebrewing.

Well, being Canadian the reading being in Celcius don't really bother me.

[philm00x]

Well, being Canadian the reading being in Celcius don't really bother me.

Yeah yeah lol.

[nighthawk]

As far as there being a controller that reads in Fahrenheit, I found one on Amazon. It's listed as the Docooler 10A 110V Temperature Controlled Thermocouple. It ran about $13 and looks like it has a similar wiring schematic.

[DaYooper]

As far as there being a controller that reads in Fahrenheit, I found one on Amazon. It's listed as the Docooler 10A 110V Temperature Controlled Thermocouple. It ran about $13 and looks like it has a similar wiring schematic.

Had to take a look at it since reading in fahrenheit seemed like a good idea, although I quickly realized it would confuse the heck out of me having some units in C and others in F. Looks like it would be a fine gadget for a keezer where you only want to use the cooling function, but it seems one of the downsides is it will only do one or the other and not both at the same time. Cons:

1. It can act as a heater controller or cooler controller but not at the same time. There is only one relay connection, so you can either hook up a cooler or a heater and program it to switch on the heater or cooler by temp. Other products have two relays so you can switch on a cooler if the temp gets too high or a heater if it gets too low.
2. Programming is too tedious. It requires a separate button press for each 0.1 degree of change in the temperature setting. The other one would quickly scroll up or down the temp settings as long as the programming button was held down.
3. Instructions are incomprehensible Chineseglish. Thank goodness there were some drawings. Even the marlins for the connections on the unit were in Chinese characters.