Pit Controller - Are they weather proof?

HostileHarry · January 2015

Hey all -
So, I'm looking at getting either the CyberQ or Stoker wifi (I want to be able to view things remotely from the comfort of my bed) and one of my current concerns is how the heck do you keep these things safe from the elements? I live in the Chicago burbs and Egg during all 4 seasons.

I also wish someone could just choose one for me and ship it to my door. Haha!

stompbox · January 2015

No. Ziplock bag it.

NervousDad · January 2015

Agree, ziplock bag over it and were you connect the extension cord too, so you don't trip a GFCI.

NPHuskerFL · January 2015

No. Build a cheap enclosure to protect your investment.

bettysnephew · January 2015

If not the ziplock, put it in a plastic box as someone else on the site has done. This has worked for my Flame Box.

henapple · January 2015

Could you use a small Tupperware dish?

stlcharcoal · January 2015

None are weather "proof". Most are weather "resistant" though.

On the Pitmaster, just cur the bottom off of a 2-liter bottle. Put the rope through the bottle neck and suspend. Or the Tupperware method works on any of them.

Jeepster47 · January 2015

NPHuskerFL's storage box solution ... great idea. Finished one last night and will try it out today. Since my controller is a DigiQ, having a clear lid to see the display was an important consideration.

NPHuskerFL · January 2015

Thanks @Jeepster47‌ it's kept it dry during a couple different Tropical Storms and Nor'Easters. Cost maybe $8-$15 depending on if you already have the fittings, silicone etc. Well worth it for weather protection. And when I'm done that's the container I store it in.

RedSkip · January 2015

+1 @NPHuskerFL Found my Saturday project for sure!

TheShaytoon · January 2015

@Jeepster47 I bought a Pelican Case from Amazon ($12), drilled 4 holes and got this...

TheShaytoon · January 2015

westernbbq · January 2015

my biggest issue on longer-term cooks in the Sonoran Desert is keeping the electronics from frying in the sun. I usually have an all-night cook that starts in mid afternoon (shoulders and briskets, eg) and i'll keep the DigiQ controller in the shade. Never had an issue with overheating. We did have rain during Thanksgiving week in 2013 and I smoked birds for my office party so I inverted a shoebox-sized clear plastic storage bin and ran the lines through the slats in the little aluminum table I was using so that setup worked really well.

Not weatherproof but definitely pretty sturdy. I have two DigiQ controllers,, two pit vipers and two metal door attachments and each is bent to configure to the XL and the L so each one is dedicated. And, if I need both the XL and L fired up for a large cook (I could do 12 shoulders or five briskets or as I needed for last Thanksgiving, five birds easily. It took a little advance planning but one at a time on the L and two at a time on the XL with pre-arranged schedules for pick up and drop off worked out better than I imagined for Egged Turkeys. I was surprised that in cooking starting at 6 AM running all the way to about 3:30 PM, there was no need to stoke fires with more fuel. I cooked all the birds at 325 and with the controllers, it was like having an oven with a predictable, steady temperature on.

Jeepster47 · January 2015

@TheShaytoon ... the Pelican case looks good ... real good ... I like that! What are you going to do to prevent rain from entering through the holes you've drilled?

NPHuskerFL's pictures using a cheap Starlite container. You'll notice I've got the transformer inside the box also ... that way the only exposed 120 volt junction is at the wall outlet. My Maverick is in the box to help me monitor the grill temp from inside the house. The wooden board and bracket is a "just in case" feature until I'm comfortable that no moister will get inside.

Blake mentioned something about cooling the electronics inside the box ... thus, ventilation is a secondary purpose of the large PVC fittings. I used two fittings - 1-1/2" PVC Male Trap Adapter and a 1-1/2" 45 Degree Street Elbow - at a total cost of $2.02. Need to come up with a large o-ring or seal because the trap adapter has a quarter inch or so space when tightened down. Used some window sealing foam as a temp solution ... then wrapped with blue tape to keep in place.

What have others come up with for protecting the blower unit? A tin foil cap works, but there's got to be a better solution.

Has anyone measured the power consumption of one of the units during a cook? A battery pack inside the case would provide even more rain protection.

stlcharcoal can ship one to your door ... just provide him with a credit card number and all is good. Seriously, he stocks most of the brands, so give him a call and he'll walk you through the plus and minuses of the various units.

TheShaytoon · January 2015

WOW! @Jeepster47 WOW! I like that!

I have a coverd porch, so no monsoons where the CyberQ Lives. Also wanted it for drop protection as the dogs have a way to pull things down. And when I say dogs, I mean that's who I blame when I pull something off the table!

Jeepster47 · January 2015

westernbbq ... you could build the Arizona Box ... drill a few holes and it'd be both rain and sun proof. Start with one of these:

westernbbq · January 2015

Oh man, I've wanted one of those for a looooonngg time!

Sookie · January 2015

We just use a large glass bowl over out DigiQ. That way we can prop it up and see it from the kitchen window still if it is raining.

TheShaytoon · January 2015

@Westernbbq bro, save your money. I've got one and it is freaking awesome...but I feel like a total yahoo tool yuppie wanker when I walk to the dock with it. Who the F needs a $250 cooler to keep 12 beers and a couple of water bottles cold for 6 hours.

And I don't want to put it on the boat cuz it weighs a ton (we race so weight is an issue) and I don't want to leave it on the docks, fearing someone will borrow it permanently...so I stick it in the back of the car... I do have cold ass beer when I get back to the car! YAY!

I don't know what I was thinking when I bought it...I must have been drunk. I regret this purchase.

westernbbq · January 2015

I've thought about the cost but one thing I'd use it for is to strap onto the trailer hitch storage platform on the back of my truck and trek across the desert in summertime with fresh fish that we just caught in California, up in the mountains in AZ or from Mexico. it would be outside the car and that's my biggest concern. I've been reluctant to risk destroying a catch with a regular cooler. Keep in mind, it's 115 as I'm blazing across the desert.

TheShaytoon · January 2015

@westernbbq If I was you, I would get the 35 or 45...they are so much more useful.

DaveRichardson · January 2015

@westernbbq The yeti would keep thru those temps without blinking. A Full ice bag would last about 2-3 days in that time.

DaveRichardson · January 2015

@Jeepster47 - I love the snorkel rig for the storage box...... Weekend project time!!!!

Jeepster47 · January 2015

NPHuskerFL deserves the credit for the snorkel rig idea. If you come up with a good seal to take up the slack in the trap fitting, please share it. Also, Blake is under a roof (I think) so isn't as concerned about a deluge. The boxes with swing handles have an entry point for some leakage ... watch for that.

Also, does anyone have an easy solution for waterproofing the Pit Viper?

NPHuskerFL · January 2015

@Jeepster47‌ Thanks man. No not under a roof. My box is an elcheapo sterilite w/ no handle from HD. I use a pop-up or umbrella occasionally. But, even without the these in place the Stoker stays dry. I use velcro strips to secure cables etc (got those from a IT guy from an industrial job we did for a server & ups room-- they are about 1/4" wide & I cut to length). This seems to help keep it nice & neat and out of the way. I did not glue in the 45° PVC fitting and this helps for fishing in the wiring etc.

Pit Controller - Are they weather proof?

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