Any electrical guys use thermocouples and computer?

[projectsho89]

I use one of these
http://www.tiptemp.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=681

and just buy wire. Much better quality control over premade tc's and much cheaper too. You can also twist the wires together with a pair of safety wire pliers, though it may not be as long term as a weld.

Can't think of a single reason to spend $750 for a TS welder when I can buy TCs for under $15 bucks a piece. It's not like I go through hundreds of them... But if I did, then that's a great idea.

All I'm doing is working on interfacing my OWB and the rest of the system to my network as a hobby project. That means stuff that is cheap and good enough for the intended application.


Steve

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Great responses! What about using O2 sensors?

Great responses! Keep them coming. This is fun!

I was looking through all of the great links that have been posted and a thought crossed my mind. Why not use an O2 sensor for autos? I believe that they should be able to take the heat. I would even go out to a auto junk yard and pull used ones. Hay....when you're doing projects on a budget....just about anything goes.

I put a used O2 sensor in my van and it the Check Engine Light (CEL) went off.


Thoughts?

Dan

 

[RuralCruiser007]

Great responses! Keep them coming. This is fun!

I was looking through all of the great links that have been posted and a thought crossed my mind. Why not use an O2 sensor for autos? I believe that they should be able to take the heat. I would even go out to a auto junk yard and pull used ones. Hay....when you're doing projects on a budget....just about anything goes.

I put a used O2 sensor in my van and it the Check Engine Light (CEL) went off.


Thoughts?

Dan

O2 sensors are for measuring the oxygen level in the exhaust. They don"t measure temperature. Generally O2 sensors don't start working till they are at 400 F.

Good thought though.

HTH
Glenn

 

[chowdozer]

This had been batted around over at hearth.com for a while and someone posted this link:

http://www.weedtech.com/

It's a 4 channel thermocouple to USB adapter that works with their software (which I think you can download from the site for free) and a small external power source anywhere between 8 and 30 VDC. It will work with J, K, T, and E thermocouples (J and K are good past 2000 degrees F) too. I'm planning on locating the unit in the basement near the stove and running thermocouples for flue temperature, plenum (I have an add-on furnace) temperature, outdoor temperature, and indoor temperature. I could probably adapt a CD player or Ipod type AC adapter to power it. Right now I plan to run a USB cord from the basement up to my office where my desk is so that I can simply plug in and read the temps, but what would make it really slick is to integrate it into my wireless network-anybody know how to make that work?

Neat little unit. Why not just use a pc without a monitor and a wireless card? Remote login to it and you're set.

 

[chowdozer]

Can't think of a single reason to spend $750 for a TS welder when I can buy TCs for under $15 bucks a piece. It's not like I go through hundreds of them... But if I did, then that's a great idea.

All I'm doing is working on interfacing my OWB and the rest of the system to my network as a hobby project. That means stuff that is cheap and good enough for the intended application.


Steve

I build about 1,000 tc's a year so it's a must have. Since it's a capacitive welder I was thinking you might get an idea about a power supply, capacitor and a chunk of carbon. If you have tc's failing, you have the wire that you would otherwise throw away. Might take some experimenting. Wear welding goggles.