talk me out of it

[P-J]

Take a look at this one from Auber Instruments:

25A Solid State Voltage Regulator, High power SCR, SSVR

 

[BadWolfBrewing]

A 25 amp phase controlled ssr would require a huge heat sink with cooling fan for a 5500w element. I run a 25a ssr with a 2000w element with an oversized heat sink and it gets too hot to touch.

You can search ebay for a cheaper 40a controlled ssr, but after heat sink, potentiometer, and enclosure it might be easier to just get the still Dragon kit

 

[BlackJaqueJanaviac]

So for $31 I can get the StillDragon controller kit that would come with everything I need to wire up a controller to control the heat input on my boil kettle?

 

[theichthus]

Just caught up on this thread. Still dragon is the way to go. Wish I would have found that before I bought everything for my build. Everything you need for $31 is a great deal. Everything else will easily be purchased from Home Depot.

 

[BadWolfBrewing]

Looks like it needs wire. I'd get a big 30a switch as well. Even if the knob is all the way off I bet it still lets a little current through, and you want to be able to shut the hole thing off completely. A switch like this is easiest.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-30-Amp-Industrial-Double-Pole-Switch-White-R62-03032-2WS/100356941

 

[mcangeli]

That said, I'm totally happy with my Kal build, and sourcing all the parts myself over the past year was a lot of fun and saved me a few bucks.

Curious to know how much you saved sourcing it yourself vs. buying their pre packed kit (not assembled, just the parts)

 

[srice]

Perhaps this is the simplest solution
http://www.stilldragon.com/diy-controller.html

Has anybody actually ordered from these guys?

This is a very elegant and simple solutions. I would definitely add the double pole switch and an outlet so that I could plug my keggle into the control box on brew day.

 

[srice]

Has anybody actually ordered from these guys?

This is a very elegant and simple solutions. I would definitely add the double pole switch and an outlet so that I could plug my keggle into the control box on brew day.

Searching ebay, I found that I couldn't beat the prices for the kit by the time I included shipping. The Paypal shopping cart for indicates no shipping charge in the US. I guess I'll pull the trigger on this and report back when the parts show up. (I did bump up to the medium box to give me a little more room to add the switch and the outlet.

 

[OMJ]

Has anybody actually ordered from these guys?

I ordered their Triclover element guard and some other TC fittings from them awhile ago. Communication was bad and something was on back order so it took awhile but when I received everything the quality was good.

 

[SookeBrewing]

Curious to know how much you saved sourcing it yourself vs. buying their pre packed kit (not assembled, just the parts)

Well - a couple of factors play into my decision to source it myself - so your mileage may vary.

I am in Canada. But my mom lives close to the border of Point Roberts, WA, so I was able to take advantage of free/cheap on Amazon, BargainFittings, etc and have stuff shipped to a mail depot in Point Roberts.

Some of the smaller components (relays, lights, switches, etc) were way cheaper by ordering on Ebay or Amazon.

I used the same PIDs, but opted for the Auber timer instead of the Omega (huge price difference).

So my build is not an exact "clone" but it's pretty close.

The one thing I would totally recommend you buy from Kal even if you're sourcing your own parts would be the wiring kit. I definitely spent more than what he charges for my wire, connectors, etc.

It was a bit of a logistical challenge tracking all the packages and remembering exactly what parts I needed. You also have to have the time to shop around for deals.

I estimate (having given up on keeping exact track) that my control panel, all in, cost me about $700-800 to build.

Oh, and if you don't mind the panel not being exactly like Kal's, go for one of these meters:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/180920422127?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

It does both amps and volts, still looks good, and is WAY easier to install. It also does not require a voltage converter and transformer, and you only need one, so you'll save ~$50 in parts.

I had a lot of trouble with the recommended ammeter (fried a couple of them, and one of the voltage converters). I now have a standalone volt meter and this combo meter in my panel since the holes were already cut.

 

[srice]

Searching ebay, I found that I couldn't beat the prices for the kit by the time I included shipping. The Paypal shopping cart for indicates no shipping charge in the US. I guess I'll pull the trigger on this and report back when the parts show up. (I did bump up to the medium box to give me a little more room to add the switch and the outlet.

Well, it turns out that StillDragon does charge shipping - I received a $12 Paypal invoice this morning - that just bumped their cost up by 30%.

 

[kal]

So my build is not an exact "clone" but it's pretty close.

Got any pictures? I'm curious to see it!

Kal