My Johnson temp controller bit the dust and was thinking about one of the inkbird controllers.
I use an Inkbird dual relay controller (separate heat and cool relays; not sure if that’s what you mean by “dual temp”); not the one pictured in the OP with prewired connections, but a panel-mount model that’s presumably similar internally:
Fits neatly enough into a cheap 3-gang box with two duplex outlets (Live/Live, Heat/Cool) all powered by a direct-wired 14x3 extension cord. It seems to work fine for warming (only) my hastily jury-rigged box-in-keezer lager fermentation chamber.
While my model resolves current temperature and setpoint to 0.1 F or C, the firmware supports 0.1C but only 1F hysteresis resolution. That’s OK by me, but if you care check the user manual.
One advantage of the panel-mount model is that the voltage switched by each relay and powering the controller can all be independent. When I actually build my exeternal chamber, I’ll use the same controller for cooling (switching 12VDC fans to exchange keezer air) and for heating (switching 110VAC heater) on the very rare days it gets cold enough here in Houston. To get the same effect from the pre-wired controller switching 110VAC would require separate 12VDC supplies for controlled cooling-exchange and always-on circulation fans. The panel-mount controller is easy to mount as prettily as you desire into a neat box or panel to gather all the connections.
An advantage of the pre-wired controller, of course, is that it’s pre-wired neatly and compactly to switch the 110VAC that’s all you need for single-mode or common-voltage control. An extra transformer brick will handle dual-voltage control (that’s how I wired mine). Judging from your picture it’s almost doomed to a dangling existence, but that’s only a problem if you care.
I’m ordering it tonight kinda shut down at the moment with out one. I thought a bout one of the others and a junction box. But I kinda like convince of plug in work and done.
I have the Stc-1000 and just ordered the inkbird for another fermentation chamber one for lagers one for ales. I think they are the same although my stc only reads Celsius
So, are they tricky to wire up? I do know some about electricity, just seem to git stumped with set point stuff. What about the probe, I would like to put one for wet conditions on my Johnson controller… Sneezles61
Simple to wire. I have the probe taped to the bucket.
OK so here is my review of temp controller. So far I’m very happy with it. Easy to set up. Has compressor delay so you don’t burn it up. Alarm for high and low temps. Is dual stage heating and cooling with temp setting with in .5 of a a degree.
