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I don't know if anyone here would be interested. But I am posting this because I had a devil of a time making sense of the little bit of info I could find on how to add an extra heat element to the OBS. So, maybe this will help if someone is looking to do the same.
The customer service at Bradley is great as is the CS at Auber Insterments (the place I bought my PID http://auberins.com). But, because I wanted to add an extra heat element to the smoker, no one would 'officially' tell me what I could or couldn't do. They would only say," it will void my warranty", and "I know people do it"....so...I did it.
The heating element in a OBS is only 500 watts. I read that you can add an extra heating element, and it gives the smoker enough power to smoke in colder weather and it enables you to get temps up to consistant 250F. It also has a really quick recovery with the extra element.
The PID (I don't know what that is an acronym for) controls the temp in the smoker to 'within 1 degree' (they claim). More info here http://www.auberins.com/index.php?ma...233b40a3802eaf
The PID is rated at 1800 watts so we wired both heating elements into the PID, like thus;
THe new element fit right on top of the original element and below the drip try. I didn't loose any shelf space.
Here is the PID unit
If you look at the picture below, on the right upper side you can see an insulator with a probe (can't really see the probe, but it's there). That is the probe for the PID unit. They said to put it in the middle but I thought it would get in the way so I put it to one side.
In 30 minutes the unit was at 250F, I didn't have my instant read in yet I was just testing. But, I know the door thermometer is pretty acurate. The PID had the same reading. I'll test it with my thermometer and a wood block tomorrow.
I opened the door a few time and the temps recovered with in minutes. I also programed the PID at 200F for 1/2 hour, then 230, for 1/2 hour then 250..and it did what it was suppose to do.
I'm smoking a butt tonight so we'll see how it does.
Thanks for looking.
Mo
The customer service at Bradley is great as is the CS at Auber Insterments (the place I bought my PID http://auberins.com). But, because I wanted to add an extra heat element to the smoker, no one would 'officially' tell me what I could or couldn't do. They would only say," it will void my warranty", and "I know people do it"....so...I did it.
The heating element in a OBS is only 500 watts. I read that you can add an extra heating element, and it gives the smoker enough power to smoke in colder weather and it enables you to get temps up to consistant 250F. It also has a really quick recovery with the extra element.
The PID (I don't know what that is an acronym for) controls the temp in the smoker to 'within 1 degree' (they claim). More info here http://www.auberins.com/index.php?ma...233b40a3802eaf
The PID is rated at 1800 watts so we wired both heating elements into the PID, like thus;
THe new element fit right on top of the original element and below the drip try. I didn't loose any shelf space.
Here is the PID unit
If you look at the picture below, on the right upper side you can see an insulator with a probe (can't really see the probe, but it's there). That is the probe for the PID unit. They said to put it in the middle but I thought it would get in the way so I put it to one side.
In 30 minutes the unit was at 250F, I didn't have my instant read in yet I was just testing. But, I know the door thermometer is pretty acurate. The PID had the same reading. I'll test it with my thermometer and a wood block tomorrow.
I opened the door a few time and the temps recovered with in minutes. I also programed the PID at 200F for 1/2 hour, then 230, for 1/2 hour then 250..and it did what it was suppose to do.
I'm smoking a butt tonight so we'll see how it does.
Thanks for looking.
Mo
How about now, if I turn around
Not that I mind curves BTW.
That looks like a great mod and controller for you there.
Kind of like watching paint dry . . . only more boring. 
" -- 
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