Pit Boss 1600 controller update

[beergut]

I have been having issues with my 1600 reaching 300 and holding Temps. I just contacted Danson support and they are sending me a new temp probe for the inside of my chamber and.......................here's the part im excited about. They are sending me a shipping label to send my controller in to be flashed with an update. This should fix my temp problems I hope. It is also going to add the 10 degree increments to my 1600. He said that its 2 days travel each way to ship it and 1 day to flash it, so 5 days total. Just wanted to share the news about the controller update with 1600 owners.

i just bought a new pb1000pl laredo 2 days ago- even after 45 minutes on high (500) i cant get the kettle above 398 even if i keep my finger on the prime button- was 65* yesterday this will be my 2nd call to pit boss in 2 days (first call was for a damaged grate out of the box) ... i only bought the new pb because my pb8200 was on its 4th igniter in under 2 years- sold that yesterday for $50. I'm NOT a happy griller!

 

[Hausofkrause]

I have been having issues with my 1600 reaching 300 and holding Temps. I just contacted Danson support and they are sending me a new temp probe for the inside of my chamber and.......................here's the part im excited about. They are sending me a shipping label to send my controller in to be flashed with an update. This should fix my temp problems I hope. It is also going to add the 10 degree increments to my 1600. He said that its 2 days travel each way to ship it and 1 day to flash it, so 5 days total. Just wanted to share the news about the controller update with 1600 owners.

Yep did the same thing and now works like a charm

 

[RapidRoy]

Just picked up the Pro 1600 and did the burn-in last night. It took about 38 minutes to get to 300 (45 deg. outside) and about an 1:10 to get to 400. I cranked it up to 500, but I'm not sure it could get anywhere near that given how slowly it heats beyond 350. I'm hoping I can improve this somehow. I'll use it for now and see if it gets better or if I need to get an update of the controller. Some have said it gets better.

 

[Fireteam6]

Just picked up the Pro 1600 and did the burn-in last night. It took about 38 minutes to get to 300 (45 deg. outside) and about an 1:10 to get to 400. I cranked it up to 500, but I'm not sure it could get anywhere near that given how slowly it heats beyond 350. I'm hoping I can improve this somehow. I'll use it for now and see if it gets better or if I need to get an update of the controller. Some have said it gets better.

It does get much faster with the update, last night I did some chicken and the one thing I noticed was my Fireboard ambient probe registered 400 way faster than the grill, I actually now wished I had tested that out before sending for the update.

The PID is a learning PID so it does get better with use, but for me I would rather have the update then have it learn from their, the update also gives you the 10 degrees up to 300

 

[Mr.coon]

I bought the 1600 despite the warnings due to the price being right. I hoped I would get lucky and it would have the updated control programming. I was wrong. It gets up to 300 just fine but is slow as molasses after that. I haven't had the patience to let it get past 450. To go from 300 to 400 it takes an hour then another 30-40 min to hit 430 ish. 452 is the highest I have seen it get. I have 10 cooks on it and have seen no noticable improvement. The outside temps down here have been from 85-92 so being too cold out is not the problem. My replacement controller is on back order for a 2-4 weeks. The tech told me to turn the grill to high every time I start it until the new controller comes in. He said that will help it learn. We shall see.

On the plus side, all the food I have cooked has come out great.

 

[Fireteam6]

Another little trick is open the slide it will heat up super fast

 

[beergut]

I bought the 1600 despite the warnings due to the price being right. I hoped I would get lucky and it would have the updated control programming. I was wrong. It gets up to 300 just fine but is slow as molasses after that. I haven't had the patience to let it get past 450. To go from 300 to 400 it takes an hour then another 30-40 min to hit 430 ish. 452 is the highest I have seen it get. I have 10 cooks on it and have seen no noticable improvement. The outside temps down here have been from 85-92 so being too cold out is not the problem. My replacement controller is on back order for a 2-4 weeks. The tech told me to turn the grill to high every time I start it until the new controller comes in. He said that will help it learn. We shall see.

On the plus side, all the food I have cooked has come out great.

they're fos! it doesn't "learn" anything. it's all based on a timing program. it simply feeds so many pellets per time unit. if i put my temp to 500- it only gets to 390 - 420 tops and that's with tinfoil blocking the stack and my finger constantly on the prime button. the R&D on these new pb smokers is miserable and untested.

 

[Fireteam6]

Well the one thing I think is their internal probe is not that accurate, I know I get a much better temp using a fireboard and a Cuisinart.

 

[MKinHB]

they're fos! it doesn't "learn" anything. it's all based on a timing program. it simply feeds so many pellets per time unit. if i put my temp to 500- it only gets to 390 - 420 tops and that's with tinfoil blocking the stack and my finger constantly on the prime button. the R&D on these new pb smokers is miserable and untested.

The old controllers are on a timing program but the new PID controllers are based on algorithms.
They create algorithms based on input from your temperature settings and the feedback from the temp. probe inside the grill.
So auger feed and fan speed are not based on a timer.
Supposedly the new PID's learn every 9 seconds. (or you could say they check and adjust) every 9 seconds.
As far as learning, I don't they are smart enough to learn anything.

 

[Mr.coon]

My new controller came in yesterday. I will report back after I get it setup. Also, as MKinHB said, these grills have PID controllers. They are not simple timer based units.

"A PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) controller works by controlling an output to bring a process value to a desired set point."


"The basic explanation of a PID controller. The PID controller is continuously monitoring the error value, and using this value, calculates the proportional, the integral and the derivative values. The controller then adds these three values together to create the output.

Below we will dive into the proportional, integral and derivative as three separate equations, then add them together to create the output, but first, we need to talk about the user input values in the PID controller… the gain settings (P-Gain, I-Gain and D-Gain)."

PID Explained

 

[Mr.coon]

So I got the new controller installed. The swap is super easy and took about 10 minutes tops.

Temps go in 10's up to 300, then 25's up to 400, then 450 and H. I really wish I could set it at 425 or 475.

Starting from 180 degrees the results were as follows: 13min to 400, 16 min to 450, 19 min to 480, 22 min to 490.

That is blistering compared to before! Highest it got was 493 but didn't hold it. Looks like 490 is max temp on mine. I was using Kingsford pellets.