Free PID - Capabilities? What to do with it?

[adrock430]

Hi all,
Not an electrical engineer, so it'd be great to hear from you guys on this. There was a piece of lab research equipment being thrown away that I noticed had a controller on it, so I grabbed it. The controller is a MTW-11 by LAE with 2 outputs:

http://www.hvacrinfo.com/Controllers/lae mtw.pdf

It seems like this thing goes for a bunch of money for some reason (I assume better). Why are some PIDs better than others? What is a controller like this good for?

I intend to use this as a temp controller on a sausage curing box for now, then eventually for some sort of brew set up.
Thanks, Adam

 

[kal]

More expensive PIDs will generally be more industrial which means have higher NEMA/IP ratings (ie: more water or weatherproof), more shock resistant, have greater support by the manufacturer, better warranty, may have gone through more testing/burning (or any testing at all), etc.

When they work, a $20-40 PID would work as well as a $500 one - it's all the other things that are different.

Kal

 

[adrock430]

Thanks for the response. This should make a fine temp controller, no?

 

[kal]

Having never used it, I have no idea.

Kal

 

[alien]

Look at the serial number on it and try to find out what temperature probes it takes.

Keep the power supply from the original equipment so that you can source the 12VAC that the PID uses.