Getting Started with HeaterMeter

Long time user of the WSM but hate messing around with the vents. I have been thinking about an Auber PID but it's a good chunk of change and I like the idea of open sourceness. So here I am.

Before I get started, I have a couple of questions of what's actually needed. Obviously, a raspberry pi 3, the HeaterMeter v4.3 Kit with the thermocoupler parts and blower, a case, and a damper (?). And once everything is soldered, I'm guessing that's when you hook the fan into the damper and the damper onto the WSM? This is the part that's a bit of a gray area.

With the HeaterMeter rpi image, does that also include the web server that you can get the nice graphs? Or do you need to build a linkmeter from that?

Thanks!

Damper is nice to have, but not necessary. The recently designed dampers here all incorporate a blower into them, so when we say damper these days, it almost always means blower + damper.

The rpi image includes the web server and graphs, that's pretty much what the rpi is there for. The rpi isn't required to control the HM, so if something does happen to it mid-cook, you'll lose the ability to monitor it remotely, but the heatermeter will keep controlling the pit.

Steve_M said:

Damper is nice to have, but not necessary. The recently designed dampers here all incorporate a blower into them, so when we say damper these days, it almost always means blower + damper.

The rpi image includes the web server and graphs, that's pretty much what the rpi is there for. The rpi isn't required to control the HM, so if something does happen to it mid-cook, you'll lose the ability to monitor it remotely, but the heatermeter will keep controlling the pit.

Click to expand...

Thank You!

If the damper isn't necessary, how does one hook the blower up to the vent? Do you have to rig something up, or does it fit on like the Auber?

to the guy in the "windy city" you NEED the damper, I live in Germany right now, this place is windy (where I live), without the damper, my temps would be all over the place. Thanks to the damper, I run a consistent 225 for 18 hours, no issues, EVER!

I run a WSM 18 and I bought the Weber adapter from BBQ Guru (https://www.bbqguru.com/storenav?CategoryId=2&ProductId=6) and use a RD3 (RotoDamper3). I am planning on doing my first brisket tomorrow and can take a picture of the connections is you want.

A dog bowl, a gasket, and a wing nut costs about 6 bux