inkstar Senior Member Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 55 Location: Atlanta Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: My Sweet Girl - Silvia Grinder: KA Proline - modified Vac Pot: Yama Drip: Pour over, Apress Roaster: rk drum, hot air
Posted Fri Apr 27, 2007, 11:16am Subject: Going for the PID kit for Sylvia from Jim Gallt
Please, no ambiguous condescending remarks, that's not what we're about here. Back to your actual question Douglas, yes indeed you and everyone should PID Silvia or whatever machine they have and you will not be throwing your money away. You'll be pleased. Good luck as always and keep us posted.
Tex Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 840 Location: Texas - That's God's country to everyone else! Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Bunn ES-1A (PID'd), Gaggia... Grinder: Rancilio MD50 Vac Pot: Way too many vintage Silex... Drip: Melitta Clarity Roaster: TurboCrazy &...
Posted Fri Apr 27, 2007, 11:25am Subject: Re: Going for the PID kit for Sylvia from Jim Gallt...Please confirm this is wis
Beavis Said:
I need confirmation that this is a good idea and much improves Sylvias performance. The Model SD3 seems to be the one I'm gravitating towards. Please board, tell me this is $240 well spent and that I'm not throwing my $$$ away. I get decent shots from Sylvia and really good ones when I focus and am not in a hurry. I figure stable temp should help me the most as that seems to be the most unstable portion of the equation with Sylvia. Help! Please chime in. Thanks!!
$240 is a lot of money & when you add it to the cost of your Silvia I'm not sure if you're getting enough value for the money. The Silvia is a great espresso machine, and Jim's PID kits seem to outperform similar products. It's just that at some point you need to ask yourself if the PID'd Silvia is where you plan on drawing the line.
If there's even the slightest chance you'll want to upgrade to a prosumer single/double boiler or HX equipped machine at some point in the future, then why bother with a PID now?
On the other hand, if you're dead-certain that the Silvia is the last machine you'll ever own then installing a PID is the best thing you could do. It's the only way I'd ever have a Silvia again & Jim's PID kit is the only one I'd ever consider using.
JGG Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 1,343 Location: Kentucky, US Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: PID Silvia; PID Alexia Grinder: Mazzer Mini E (A), SJ; Rocky... Roaster: Hottop D w/PID; Thermometric...
Posted Fri Apr 27, 2007, 11:31am Subject: Re: Going for the PID kit for Sylvia from Jim Gallt...Please confirm this is wis
CraigA Said:
Jim's tested the Auberin controller throughly, & doesn't recommend them do to having membrane push buttons that crack over time & the temp stability & overshoot, maximum operating environmental temp for the controller isn't as high, etc.
Thanks so much for your support. Every business needs 100 customers like you!
But I'd like to clarify my comments to you about the Auber Instruments controllers. It is true that I evaluated a couple of different Auber models and eventually decided not to offer them with our kits. The (subjective) feel of the membrane buttons, the ambient temp ratings, the programming interface, and control stability were all factors in that decision.
But I may have failed to tell you that the technical support from Suyi at Auber was outstanding, and that after spending some time becoming familiar with the different programming interfaces, I did ultimately get acceptable control performance.
Eventually, though, we decided to go a different route and stick primarily with the controllers in the Watlow line. Our assessment of the market for our kits suggested this would be a better overall fit. The Watlow controllers are built and operate very differently from Auber's controllers, but there is a significant difference in cost that comes along with those differences.
So, my apologies if my comments to Craig seem harsh regarding the Auber controllers. I didn't mean it to sound that way. I know many people (whose opinions I respect) have been successful using Suyi's controllers to PID their machines. We just made a business decision to offer a different controller.
We're also very happy to share information, and war stories, with the many folks who decide they are better off doing the PID thing without using a complete kit. There is more than one path to getting better shots from Silvia.
Yes, I know that Curt., I know "what we're about here".. I've been here since before day one, no offense meant or implied., I have an exemplary record here.
Actually, I did look into this briefly. The slower response time seemed like a problem, so I didn't go too far with it. Plus, with a reasonably well calibrated controller, the SLE t/c gives very accurate temps.
inkstar Senior Member Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 55 Location: Atlanta Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: My Sweet Girl - Silvia Grinder: KA Proline - modified Vac Pot: Yama Drip: Pour over, Apress Roaster: rk drum, hot air
Posted Fri Apr 27, 2007, 11:47am Subject: Going for the PID kit for Sylvia from Jim Gallt...Please confirm this is wise!
Oh, Craig, why why why must you be so condescending. Yes I see you have senority, that's great, I'm glad for you. Now let me ask you, I apologize for getting off subject, but how do you feel about RTD's compared to Thermo's?
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