Sestos PID Temperature Controllers (D1S-VR-220)

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bbognerks

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Hey all. So I'm working on a parts list for my first brew system. I decided to go electric. I have been figuring out the temperature controller part today and I think I have it mostly figured out. I just wanted to run this PID by you guys and make sure it would work.

http://sestos-hk.com/english/product_show.asp?productid=495

They can be found pretty cheap on ebay. I don't see why it wouldn't work as long as you got the D1S-VR-220 version, which has the SSR output. I may still go with Auber, but I'm trying to be budget conscious ya know? Are there any other alternative PID's I should look for. Should I just stick with Auber?

Thanks!
 
There is a lot of experience with Aubers here on HBT. SO that translates to lots of folks that can answer questions if you have em.

I went a bit of a different route... I went with a BCS-460 by Control Concepts. It is basically 4 PID's + a bunch more stuff in one package.

Welcome to HBT by the way.
 
Well that kinda makes sense as the way to go, since I would have a minimum of 2 controllers and probably 4 by the time I'm all done. I saw something referencing that system, but didn't realize it was hardware. I just thought it was software to interface with something else so I didn't research it too much. Thanks for the heads up. I'll look at it too.
 
bbognerks said:
They can be found pretty cheap on ebay. I don't see why it wouldn't work as long as you got the D1S-VR-220 version, which has the SSR output.
Click to expand...

Had a quick look at the product catalogue and as I read it the SSR model seems to be for controlling an SSR rather than having an SSR to control an element (not sure whether the Auber ones are the same though - just checked and it does seem like the norm, so you would still need a low voltage supply and external SSR with this one).
http://sestos-hk.com/english/download/D1S-EN.pdf

How much is pretty cheap as the Auber ones seemed like they were only about $40-50 (without the ramp/soak function) from http://www.auberins.com?
 
mattd2 said:
Had a quick look at the product catalogue and as I read it the SSR model seems to be for controlling an SSR rather than having an SSR to control an element (not sure whether the Auber ones are the same though - just checked and it does seem like the norm, so you would still need a low voltage supply and external SSR with this one).
http://sestos-hk.com/english/download/D1S-EN.pdf
Click to expand...

All pids have simple low-current drivers for either driving a SSR or the coil of a mechanical relay. None of them can be connected directly to the heating element.

PID looks fine. It has a manual mode, which many lack. I second the comment above: if you have any problems with it you are not going to find much help at this forum. Almost everyone here uses the Auber PIDs.
 
passedpawn said:
All pids have simple low-current drivers for either driving a SSR or the coil of a mechanical relay. None of them can be connected directly to the heating element.
Click to expand...

Thanks for confirming that, but are you saying that the PID can directly drive the external SSR, i.e. no external low voltage supply is required?
 
bbognerks said:
Yeah the Auber ones control an SSR, so you have to buy an SSR and heatsink still.

The sestos I found on Ebay for $30 shipped.
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-PID-Digital...640?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item336227c140

Auber is $41 - $45 + shipping...

Not a huge difference, but it is like getting 3 for the price of 2 Aubers...
Click to expand...

Depending on shipping that could actually be like getting 2 for the price of 1! And you better hurry up, that auction only has 17 min left ;) ! might look at his store and see what else he has.

EDIT: It seems like the $30 one was the 2R model with 2 realy outputs, this is the VR http://cgi.ebay.com/Digital-PID-Tem...550?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33621ec806 = $40
 
Well one drawback I just discovered. The Sestos model only shows the temp in Celsius. But a nice neat little conversion chart next to the panel might be a good thing. Help me switch over to what the rest of the world uses, lol.

Also, the way I understand it, yes the PID has a 12VDC output to drive the SSR. The Auber is 8VDC I think.
 
Being an Auber owner, I'd spring for the extra 10-15 bucks and go with the sure thing. Not worth blazing a new trail when there's a perfectly good, well established path already.

IMHO
 
klyph said:
Being an Auber owner, I'd spring for the extra 10-15 bucks and go with the sure thing. Not worth blazing a new trail when there's a perfectly good, well established path already.

IMHO
Click to expand...
I can appreciate that. I was just looking for alternatives. Change isn't always a bad thing. Who said Auber is the end all be all of PID's? For all we know they could be the Bose of Industrial Automation equipment, making it look good and then bumping up the price. Please understand I'm not saying that's what they do. I'm just saying it doesn't hurt to look around and compare.

Thanks for all the help so far. Not sure I want to get the BCS-460 after looking at it, but I'll do some more forum searching and see. What an awesome community. Fast responses and great feedback.
 
bbognerks said:
I can appreciate that. I was just looking for alternatives. Change isn't always a bad thing. Who said Auber is the end all be all of PID's? For all we know they could be the Bose of Industrial Automation equipment, making it look good and then bumping up the price. Please understand I'm not saying that's what they do. I'm just saying it doesn't hurt to look around and compare.

Thanks for all the help so far. Not sure I want to get the BCS-460 after looking at it, but I'll do some more forum searching and see. What an awesome community. Fast responses and great feedback.
Click to expand...

The BCS is not for everyone... in your first post you asked about alternatives... the BCS is an alternative.

I started with an Auber PID, I also have a Fuji PID and a couple other Temp Controllers.

I'd go Auber if I were adding additional PID's.
 
I appreciate your BCS suggestion. The thing is, I tried the demo on their site and just couldn't figure it out. I didn't have a lot of time to spend on it, so maybe I can find a user manual or something to help me out. I really like the idea, but I don't want an automated system. I enjoy getting my hands dirty at least a little bit. Heh. Cheers! :mug:
 
bbognerks said:
Well that kinda makes sense as the way to go, since I would have a minimum of 2 controllers and probably 4 by the time I'm all done. I saw something referencing that system, but didn't realize it was hardware. I just thought it was software to interface with something else so I didn't research it too much. Thanks for the heads up. I'll look at it too.
Click to expand...

Why would you need 4 PID controllers?
 
I don't know why I'd need 4. I must have been thinking of something else when I said 4, but for the life of me I don't know where I came up with that now. But I do know I'll need 3, lol. BK, HLT, RIMS.

As for the BCS, I figured it out last night when I had more time. I'm really not sure that I want to go that route. Just seems to automate it too much. Much thinking to do. I just started brewing this year, so I still like to control everything. Maybe I'll get the BCS and just run it like I would if all I had was separate PIDs. That way, if a year from now I want to automate it more, I have that ability.
 
bbognerks said:
Yes but he states in his listing, if you want the VR, just let him know :)
Click to expand...
As I read it he say if you want the other model that you should contact him - I read this as he will put up an auction for the VR, not that he would sell you the VR at 2R price. If you do go this way I would check with the seller before hitting the buy now button ;)
 
bbognerks said:
Ah yes, I suppose it could be meant that way. I didn't think about that. Good lookin' out!
Click to expand...

Probably at least 50 people here have bought Auber PIDs and could tell you what each model does (or does not do). Also, the folks at Auber have dealt with enough Home Brewers that they can answer question one the phone.
 
I own 3 Auber PID controlers

a SYL 4352 which controls A SSR
a SYL 4342 which is a direct 110vac relay switch for use with low amp
and a SYL 1512A which is smaller and cheaper which is capable of both.

and the customer service with Auber is great send then an e-mail and almost immediately there is a response to your questions. some times with a pdf or attachment to help solve any problems you may have.
 
Auber Instruments said:
Common applications of this controller include controlling the temperature of industrial equipment, laboratory equipments, espresso machine, beer brewing system, BBQ grill and smoker, heat treatment oven, glass kiln, and aquarium.
Click to expand...

I love the fact that we are right there in the description of the product.
 
I just bought one of these for controlling temp on my espresso machine. The ebay seller was happy to send the VR model and even include a thermocouple at no extra cost when I realised I'd bid on one that didn't include it. Only problem was that the item shipped was the incorrect 2R model and no thermocouple. He says that the correct one is now on it's way, but time will tell.

I've also been through the manual for this and the auber one I found online. Both controllers have identical control parameters and default settings, so it is highly likely they share the same internals.
 
ebay seller was as good as their word - correct item with thermocouple arrived yesterday. Seems to work fine, could well be a suitable alternative to an Auber or Wicklow PID.
 
Has anyone else tried these PID's? I was wondering what everyone else thought of them. I have a Auber but need 2 more. If these were any good I would purchase 3 and use the Auber in another project.
 
Hi
Reading a couple of thread related to SESTOS PID controllers I was not able to understand if the model D1S-VR-220 has or not the manual mode control ?
I need a manual control in order to reduce the power of the heating element via SSR on the boiling phase in order to avoid over boiling

Could anyone who bought the temperature controller clarify me that point providing the exact model with manual control if any?

Regards
Davide
 
I have been wondering this aswell.
From the SESTOS manual I have seen (ebay listing) it seems like a, very, poor translation. I am almost sure (we'll enough for me to pull the trigger when I get some money together) that the SESTOS are basically an "asian" knockoff of the Auber.
Just try understand the alarm setting for the SESTOS, all it says is this can be set from 0-31, but no real info on what that actually means. The auber manual says the same but also tells you how to determine what number to use.

The SESTOS seems to have a manual mode by pressing the run button to cycle from manual/auto, but I couldn't tell you for sure until I actually bought one.

Hopefully someone with a Auber confirm that this is how you change between manual/auto on the Aubers.
 
I have my SESTOS up and running.
It is a knockoff of the Auber (or the Auber is a knockoff of the Sestos).
I was able to get it + thermocouple + SSR for about $40; Auber would have cost me $90+
I used the Auber manual since all the parameters nearly identical and it is written in English. The most obvious difference being that you have to learn to deal with Celsius since there is no way to change it.

The manual control works fine, it uses a control period measured in seconds that you can set and you manually put in what percentage of the control period that you want the element to stay on. Kind of like a PWM controller but with a long period. For example, if my control period is 120 seconds, if I set it to 50% then it will switch on for 60s then off for 60s, repeat.

The alarms are set up identical to the Auber as is everything else.

other notes:
The SSR works perfectly as does the K sensor that came with the unit. It didn't come with a heat sink but I think it will be fine since I am only using it for my RIMS tube. I installed it in a sealed waterproof J-box, I am worried about heat buildup so I am rethinking the design.

other thoughts:
I don't completely understand how to do the auto program function, neither manual really explains it well. I ran it with about 3 gal of water with a set point of 40C, took a few minutes to get up to temp but took 1.5H to complete the auto program. Should I have done this like a simulated brew day? 3-6 gal set up at 68C?
 
mredge73 said:
I have my SESTOS up and running.
It is a knockoff of the Auber (or the Auber is a knockoff of the Sestos).
I was able to get it + thermocouple + SSR for about $40; Auber would have cost me $90+
I used the Auber manual since all the parameters nearly identical and it is written in English. The most obvious difference being that you have to learn to deal with Celsius since there is no way to change it.

The manual control works fine, it uses a control period measured in seconds that you can set and you manually put in what percentage of the control period that you want the element to stay on. Kind of like a PWM controller but with a long period. For example, if my control period is 120 seconds, if I set it to 50% then it will switch on for 60s then off for 60s, repeat.

The alarms are set up identical to the Auber as is everything else.

other notes:
The SSR works perfectly as does the K sensor that came with the unit. It didn't come with a heat sink but I think it will be fine since I am only using it for my RIMS tube. I installed it in a sealed waterproof J-box, I am worried about heat buildup so I am rethinking the design.

other thoughts:
I don't completely understand how to do the auto program function, neither manual really explains it well. I ran it with about 3 gal of water with a set point of 40C, took a few minutes to get up to temp but took 1.5H to complete the auto program. Should I have done this like a simulated brew day? 3-6 gal set up at 68C?
Click to expand...

Great to hear that, thanks for taking the plunge for us :mug:
Since I have never auto tuned a PID in my life this is just speculation but, I would auto tune it to parameters that you would use on brew day. So raise the amount you usually have in your HLT to you strike temperature. From what I read it does something like heat to the set temp - let cool - heat - let cool a few times to get things things tuned. I think the Sestos "manual" says it could take a few hours to complete.

Cheers again :mug:
 
Hi
At the end of the day (after one month ) I received the parcel from Hong Kong with the bundle of Sestos PID controller+ K sensor + SSR 25A
The package was perfect, everything as listed on ebay and I have paid around 39USD including shipping (no custom duty !) :)

So I was very happy and I have tested the devices in order to understand the different behavior and features

I can confirm that the manual mode works fine…generally speaking you can combine
Control Output-> ON/OFF or PID (plus auto adjustment)
with
Run Mode -> Manual , Automatic, Inhibit manual

I have set the PID Output and tested different Run Mode

In manual mode you can set the percentage of power of the device regardless the temperature set value and present value…the SSR switch on and off with the percentage of the control period (that you can set from 0,5 to 120 s)
In Automatic Mode you can chose between the PID temperature control and manual control just pressing the AT key
In Inhibit manual you have just the temperature control

It’s interesting that if you are controlling the temperature you can alternatively display or the set value temperature or the percentage of power that is currently applied…this value is dynamic according to PID algorithm

Some picture shows better the different possibilities than my poor English!

Single%252520Vessel9.jpg


Now I have to install and connect everything in my single vessel – braumeister colne application ..but I’m quite happy with the Sestos business :)

Regards
Davide
 
Has anyone tried changing the CF parameter to 10 (factory setting of the Auber) to see if the Sestos will display in degrees F.
If it works, it might make things a bit easier for you guys still stuck using old old units of measure :D
 
Davide,

I'm trying to use a Sestos PID to do sous vide, but can't figure out the device at all. The instructions are basically worthless. Can you walk me through the setup process? I need it to turn my crock pot on when the temp is below the set value and off when above. Thanks.
 
The Auber unit is nearly identical with the exception of the unit conversion (SETOS does not have Fahrenheit option). Try downloading their instructions.

The setup is confusing at first. I recommend you start by mocking up your setup and setting the the control mode to 2 (autotune). Let the device auto tune itself to your process, it can take up to 2 hours but sometimes it is quicker. After the test it defaults back to PID operation (3).

I would also recommend you calibrate your temperature sensor, mine was 6C too high.
It has an offset function to fix this.

Other than that, you will need to provide more information on what problems you are facing.
 
mattd2 said:
Has anyone tried changing the CF parameter to 10 (factory setting of the Auber) to see if the Sestos will display in degrees F.
If it works, it might make things a bit easier for you guys still stuck using old old units of measure :D
Click to expand...

mredge73 said:
The Auber unit is nearly identical with the exception of the unit conversion (SETOS does not have Fahrenheit option). Try downloading their instructions...
Click to expand...
Has the no degrees F been confirmed? No one replied to my earlier question :confused:
 
Thanks mredge. The problem I am facing is that I am utterly clueless as to how to set the damn thing. I will take a look at the Auber instructions tonight and see if they help.
 
mattd2 said:
Has the no degrees F been confirmed? No one replied to my earlier question :confused:
Click to expand...

I just got one of these in the mail and checked it out. Just a note, I ordered the packaged PID+40A SSR+Thermocouple 24VAC option from the ebay seller and they shipped me the 120V option. Didn't matter to me, I can make it work either way and I saved a whole dollar!

The 'CF' setting only allows the number 0-3 so it looks like it will allow alarm on/off and heat/cool selection only. Auber must have upgraded their firmware to add the F/C conversion option.
 
They are water resistant, not water proof or water tight.
You will need a thermowell that can be mounted inside a kettle with a o-ring and nut similar to the weldless valves:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/THERMOWELL-...ltDomain_0&hash=item51812d1e6e#ht_2088wt_1064
+
http://www.bargainfittings.com/inde...duct&keyword=less&category_id=0&product_id=98

OR just buy it as a kit:
http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=183

This will allow you to slide the sensor into the thermowell where the sensor is protected.



The alternative is to buy one of these liquid tight sensors:
http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=20_3



FYI

I recommend you get a heat sink for ssr.
And the PT-100 sensor that they sell is super accurate, but the leads are very short.
Recommend you buy them from Mixtea, you can email her what you want and she will reply quickly with a custom kit with a huge discount. I now own three units and they work great.
http://stores.ebay.ca/MixTea
 

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