TrickyDick

Thanks. I have four pins on the sensor. From left to right connections are: 5 vdc, pin 8 plus 5vdc with 10kohm series resistor pull-up, nothing, ground.

Still not working right with new sensor. I've triple checked my wiring. Cold be a bad breadboard, bad interconnect wires, or who knows what. The sketch is uploaded. Sometimes when I turn it on, I'll get a message BAD SENSOR DATA, other times It'll just display: CURRENT TEMP 0ºC RH0% No averages ready yet or something similar to that. Strange. I might take the 20 hour online arduino course for $50 and see if I'm just being boneheaded... TD

Ok thanks! I'll be sure to wire that into my setup. New sensor here on Thursday. I'll post an update when I can. By the way, thanks for the code sharing. I'd not have been able to do it otherwise.

Thanks Chris! Well, I think a big issue I was having was inappropriately wiring the LCD. Now that I've got that corrected, I am getting information on my test setup. I've wired my breadboard with LEDs acting as surrogates for the 4 controlled devices. I think in my testing, that I've fried the Sensor however. I have been getting sensor data error. I am thinking to replace it, as I think I now have my wiring all correct. It's giving me 0ºC, 0%RH on the readout, and there is no change when I fiddle. I think I might have inadvertently fried the sensor somehow. At least the LCD working is forward progress on my part and proof that I've got the code successfully uploaded. By the way, I had asked Chris about pull down resistors and he said that he wasn't using these. For the sensor input, I saw this website (https://learn.adafruit.com/dht/connecting-to-a-dhtxx-sensor) where they use a pull UP resistor. Are you using this wiring pattern Chris? As far as the coding, I am really not much of a programmer. I tried to decipher the code, but for me, without significant amount of time and energy to learn the stuff, I'm like a level 1 programmer trying to interpret something beyond my capabilities. I did go through the library files and the code over at Github, but I still don't see the initilization for the input pin. I think that the DEFINE_DHT PIN (or something like that) passes the value of the input pin number to the library (DHT) wherein, the pin is initialized as an input. Anyways, I'm plugging away. When I get a new sensor, I'll be back! TD

Ok thanks! I think I have a ceiling fan speed control. Would that work? Seems that aquarium pump idea might make the pellets burn faster?? Was reading on another forum that you want only a small amount of air to permit combustion but not too much?? I like the charcoal idea too. Thanks!

And my second soldering iron is dead... Why? One was relatively new, the other 30 years old

So I bought a aquarium pump, and tubing, and have a small hose barb to install on the soup can. Really want to see the setup Willie has going on when he replaces the can(s).

Struggling getting the LCD connected to the arduino. Looking at the code, and been reading the Simon Monk book beginning with sketches. I don't think I have the knowledge to convert to using i2c for the LCD, so I picked up a plain one. But it didn't have header pins. So a got a header pin rail, but the spacing was off! GRR! Working on getting it fired up. I found a diagram of how to connect the LCD to the arduino with a Google search here: http://vanceance.blogspot.com/2013/04/hd44780-16-x-2-lcd-with-arduino.html I'm going to try that out as soon as I can get either a header pin rail that fits or just get a LCD with those already included. By the way, in your code, I never see pin 8 specified as input. Do you need to specify using pinmode command that the pin 8 is an input pin, or does that happen in one of the libraries and I can't see it in the main sketch? Thanks for the help. By the way, have you tasted any cured meat from your chamber yet?? TD

Ahh, I think that you had previously mentioned that now that I recall. By the way, are you using any of the internal pull-down resistors on any pins, or using any external pull-down resistors? Should have the last few components I need by the weekend to do some more testing. TD

Ok so the last set of pics, let me get this straight.... Tin can drilled with soldering iron poked through. hose barb drilled and fixed into Bottom of tin can? filter or lid from cocktail shaker between bottom of can hose input and pellets/chips/wood/sawdust where the soldering iron rests? Aquarium pump blows air in from below and through the screen/filter and then through the output up top (stove pipe) and into smoking chamber? Looks like a valve on the air pump output? how well does it regulate output? Thanks!! Had an idea today for a quick way to use my pellet grill as a cold smoker... I have a pellet grill at home. I am thinking about taking a steel or aluminum frame the size of a grill grate which slides into various side rails at different heights above the primary grill grate. I would use the upper most rails. Then I would fabricate on the two sides of the frame, such that when it is inside the grill in the top position, that there are short ledges on right and left edges within the empty frame. Then I would find an appropriate 3/16" thick angle steel stock about 1/4" - 3/16" wide on each side (solid) to serve as metal smokesticks. Then I would tack weld some "c" shaped metal pieces onto the ledges at regular intervals along each of the side ledges to keep the smokesticks from sliding back and forth. On those "smokesticks" I would hang the sausage links I wanted to smoke. Once in position, I would take a piece of perforated or expanded metal cut to fit and lay down on top. On this I could place some dry ice perhaps to chill down the chamber (I live in FL and it is usually 80-90 degrees. This might not be a strict requirement however, but might necessitate curing the meat first. Next, through a side hole in the grill meant for a meat probe, I could place a small caliber copper or stainless rigid pipe mated to the output of a tin-can cold smoker. I'd probably So this is my next project... TD

Another question for Chris H, the top mounted exhaust/dehumidification fan.... Is this powered by the Arduino directly from its output pin or via another power source? Thanks TD

That's pretty crazy stuff DARCH! I am not quite sure how you can do this indoors though. Seems it must recirculate the smoke? Hard to get a grip on how everything is plumbed. I have too many projects going at the moment, but if I ever decide I need to to this I'll know who to ask. What kinds of food do you make in that, and do you have any photos you'd care to share? TD

Can I just clean the tip really well?? I am not sure if it's been used with lead solder is a real concern as lead doesn't vaporize to my knowledge. Maybe removing the tip would work just as well however.

That looks similar to the Bradley system. Does the ducting get hot (notices the hot pad)? I'm curing a steelhead fillet and will be using my cold smoker later this week. Found my older cheaper soldering iron in the garage too so I won't need to buy another for soldering jobs, or borrow from the smoker.

Looking forward to seeing more photos of BOTH those smokers! Thanks for sharing!