# Smokin-It Model 4 and DIN300A Controller



## bill scott (Mar 25, 2018)

I have had my Smokin-It Model 4 for several years. I absolutely love it. Hands down, the best smoker I have ever had. It has a standard analog temp setting potentiator and it's a real pain to set to the right temperature much less keep within certain parameters while cooking. They are selling them with digital temp controllers now, but I had two of those with a Masterbuilt cooker and both of those are in the land fill. Anyway, I love the smoker, just hated the analog temp controller.

To make a long story even longer, the analog controller on my Smokin-It died recently, no matter what setting you turn it to the 1500 watt heating element would not turn off. I tried one of those controllers you buy over the Internet, wired it up, and it worked great; but, the max temp setting was 210F degrees.Most of those things are maximum 10Amps so I had to put a relay with it to make it work at all.

Then I found the DIN300A controller. They have a max temperature setting of 572F degrees and come with its own relay. It's rated for 30A instead of 10A. I still had my doubts it would work with the 1500 watt heating element in the Smokin-It, but these things are so cheap I decided to try it anyway. I ran it for an hour at 230F degrees with no meat in it to test it out.

I was thrilled with the results. The controller kept the temperature in the smoker at +/- 0.75F degrees, from a high of 230.7F to a low of 229.2F. (Graph attached). I did check the wiring throughout the test and they were barely warm to the touch. I can say that if you are looking for an excellent controller for an electric smoker, give this one a try.


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## sm0kin (Mar 25, 2018)

That is for sure the cheapest I have seen!


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## SonnyE (Mar 25, 2018)

Here you go for your future calculating needs. https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/electric/Watt_to_Amp_Calculator.html
In a word, 1500 watts + 12.5 Amps. (AC-120 volts-1500 watts-PF=1)

That said, using a 30 amp rated control is fine. It gives you a built in toughness for your load.

Is there a reason you didn't contact SmokinIt to see if you could have just gotten their updated controller?
Although, I probably would have done similar to the way you did it.

I got an Inkbird controller (1000 watts) to use for my Sous Vide crock-pot. And also to use with my MES 30 w/my own bypass for the control relay.
Making my MES 30 (800 watts) work normal, or via cord connected (Inkbird) controller.
My reasoning is for cold smoking heat control below MES's 100° lowest temperature. (Not to point out accuracy issues.)
Allowing me to select 70-80° cold smoking temperature ranges.


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## sm0kin (Mar 25, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> Here you go for your future calculating needs. https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/electric/Watt_to_Amp_Calculator.html
> In a word, 1500 watts + 12.5 Amps. (AC-120 volts-1500 watts-PF=1)
> 
> That said, using a 30 amp rated control is fine. It gives you a built in toughness for your load.
> ...


Sonny that is great! I had been searching for an alternative to the rewire mod that member TALLBM documented. I’m curious now to find if this DIN300A could be wired similarly to what you have done. I saw the wiring schematic was in the manual provided at the bottom in the link posted here by Bill. Unfortunately I’m more mechanical and less electrical savvy :/


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## SonnyE (Mar 25, 2018)

sm0kin said:


> Sonny that is great! I had been searching for an alternative to the rewire mod that member TALLBM documented. I’m curious now to find if this DIN300A could be wired similarly to what you have done. I saw the wiring schematic was in the manual provided at the bottom in the link posted here by Bill. Unfortunately I’m more mechanical and less electrical savvy :/



Hi Sm0kin,
It's pretty straight forward. The switch simply bypasses the normal MES board control relay, so the element is on at all times. Then the external device can control the MES heating element through the MES cord.
This way the over temperature device is still actively in the control. If we forgot to put the switch back to off, returning control to the MES controller, the heating would be shut off by the over temperature snap disk. This Bypass mod keeps the safety built in unchanged.
I'll be using my modification tonight for a cold smoke of some Flounder.

I have my MES doing a sterilizing run*** at 275° for 2 hours right now. (and drying some pellets while it's hot anyway)
Probably the easiest way for most would be to use the piggyback connectors on your switch wires, and put the connectors normally on the relay, onto the piggybacks.

If you need any questions answered, Please feel free to send me a message and we can work through them. Glad to help.

*** = daveomak got me doing that. I do a 2 hour after I have the racks cleaned up before putting the MES to bed, and before I have a use planned. Hopefully I'll never have a problem with molds or bacteria.


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## sm0kin (Mar 25, 2018)

I think I’ll go ahead and get one, thanks in advance for the help Sonny!


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## bill scott (Mar 26, 2018)

Thanks for the table, Sonny E, It will come in handy. Yes, I did talk to Steve at Smokin-It. He told me the model I have could not be upgraded to his digital controller. I have had a lot of trouble with built-in temp controllers in the past, so I think having a separate controller is more convenient for me. If it breaks, I'll just get another. I love the smoker. 

Sm0kin, the wiring is easy. At lot easier than wiring up one with a separate relay. A couple of words on safety: Solder your 'spliced' wires and cover them up with shrink wrap, and observe the polarity (Hot/Neutral). The small side of the receptacle (Socket) should be wired to the wire the  diagram shows as 'L' It did not come with a fuse but I will put one in later. The neutral side is labeled 'N', and of course the 'G' wire should be connected to the ground screw on the bottom of the receptacle.

If you are like me, I can read a schematic diagram pretty well, but when I  try to translate to wires and components, sometimes it just doesn't compute. 

It helped me to break it up into four separate steps:
1. From the male plug that plugs into the wall receptacle (the power source), run the HOT wire (the smaller blade) to the controller Pin 1 & Pin 3. 

2. From the male plug that comes from the wall receptacle, run the NEUTRAL (the larger blade) to the controller Pin 4 and to the larger NEUTRAL blade on the wall socket you will use to supply power to the smoker. 

3. Run a wire from the controller Pin 2 to the HOT (small blade) of the wall socket you will use to supply power to the smoker. 

4. From the plug that comes from the wall receptacle, run the GROUND wire to the ground screw on wall socket you will use to supply power to the smoker.

The sensor has no polarity. Recheck your work several times before you plug the male plug into your power source. 

If anyone sees an error in my description, please respond.


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## sm0kin (Mar 26, 2018)

Thanks Bill, I’m sure that will make sense once I receive the unit. For the record, I have the 1200w element and I ordered the 10a unit. According to Sonny’s link I believe I chose the correct one


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## bill scott (Mar 26, 2018)

I hope so too.


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## bill scott (Mar 26, 2018)

I would like to clarify the model number of this device. It is a DIN300A-30Amp, and not the 10Amp DIN300A


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## SonnyE (Mar 26, 2018)

sm0kin said:


> Thanks Bill, I’m sure that will make sense once I receive the unit. For the record, I have the 1200w element and I ordered the 10a unit. According to Sonny’s link I believe I chose the correct one



That should work. 1200w at 120 VAC is 10 amps.
Personally, I prefer to err to the heavy side.
_"That said, using a 30 amp rated control is fine. It gives you a built in toughness for your load."_
You're probably fine, Sm0kin.


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## SonnyE (Mar 26, 2018)

bill scott said:


> I would like to clarify the model number of this device. It is a DIN300A-30Amp, and not the 10Amp DIN300A



Bill, 
Could you give a link to your specific controller for us, Please.

If I could justify a smokinit to my needs, I would go to any measures to continue using it.
They look like amazing smokers. :D


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## bill scott (Mar 26, 2018)

I can do better than that. Attached is the PDF of the specific product (if it uploaded it). Or you can go to www.thermomart.com and try to find it. Here is the link on Amazon 
 I have had the Smokin-It for four or five years. It is an amazing smoker. Also, another thing I like about this company. If you have a question, Steve Lamier answers the phone himself.


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## sm0kin (Mar 26, 2018)

I ordered the 10 amp not knowing any better. If Thermomart can't cancel it, I will have to ship it back and order the 30 amp. Its only 5 bucks more :(


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## bill scott (Mar 26, 2018)

I would, I have both because I made the same mistake, but I decided to keep it for emergencies. I have a relay I can use if I need it. Now I have three. LOL!


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## SonnyE (Mar 26, 2018)

You could use the 10 amp for Sous Vide with an analog crock pot. ;)
Just be aware of the wattage ratings.

I use my Inkbird for both. But my MES 30 is only 800w.


bill scott said:


> I can do better than that. Attached is the PDF of the specific product (if it uploaded it). Or you can go to www.thermomart.com and try to find it. Here is the link on Amazon
> I have had the Smokin-It for four or five years. It is an amazing smoker. Also, another thing I like about this company. If you have a question, Steve Lamier answers the phone himself.



Steve also answers his email before the next day. :cool: ;)


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## sm0kin (Mar 26, 2018)

Bill did you mount the controller in a project enclosure?


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## bill scott (Mar 27, 2018)

Yes, Sm0kin. I chose a larger box for stability and because I had a relay in it before. Pics attached.


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## sm0kin (Mar 27, 2018)

Looks like that suits your needs. I’m going with a much smaller enclosure, and I want to keep the factory plug on my smoker. I guess I need to run a female receptacle out the back. I’ll post up my project when everything arrives. Thanks for the info ;)


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## bill scott (Mar 27, 2018)

Great, sm0kin, let me know how you progress. I would like to see a smoker with a temperature sensor port on the back so you could plug in with the sensor of your choosing.


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## SonnyE (Mar 27, 2018)

bill scott said:


> Great, sm0kin, let me know how you progress. I would like to see a smoker with a temperature sensor port on the back so you could plug in with the sensor of your choosing.



Bill,
Have you found that running a longer time, your graph gets even closer and more finite as everything stabilizes on a temperature?
You have a very tight span as it is, but it appeared to be stabilizing even more. 

After getting my MES 30, and virtually gutting it down to make it work for my style, I could have just bought some parts and done just as well. :(


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## sm0kin (Mar 31, 2018)

I received the correct controller (30A) and the project box. I was hoping to mount an A/C outlet on the back of the box to plug my smoker in directly. I’m unsure exactly what I need. I found several surface mount 110v outlets that are 15A, but none in 30A. Do I need it to be 30A??


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## SonnyE (Mar 31, 2018)

sm0kin said:


> I received the correct controller (30A) and the project box. I was hoping to mount an A/C outlet on the back of the box to plug my smoker in directly. I’m unsure exactly what I need. I found several surface mount 110v outlets that are 15A, but none in 30A. Do I need it to be 30A??



No. You aren't running 30A through it.
I like using 20A outlets. Just for the over size of them (load wise).
In fact, you may even be supplying it with a 15A house circuit.


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## sm0kin (Mar 31, 2018)

I will find a nice 15 or 20amp then, thanks Sonny. Regarding the rocker switch you used, where did you find that? What kind of specs does it need to be?


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## Steve H (Apr 1, 2018)

sm0kin said:


> Thanks Bill, I’m sure that will make sense once I receive the unit. For the record, I have the 1200w element and I ordered the 10a unit. According to Sonny’s link I believe I chose the correct one



1200 Watts equals 10 Amps. So, yeah,


bill scott said:


> Thanks for the table, Sonny E, It will come in handy. Yes, I did talk to Steve at Smokin-It. He told me the model I have could not be upgraded to his digital controller. I have had a lot of trouble with built-in temp controllers in the past, so I think having a separate controller is more convenient for me. If it breaks, I'll just get another. I love the smoker.
> 
> Sm0kin, the wiring is easy. At lot easier than wiring up one with a separate relay. A couple of words on safety: Solder your 'spliced' wires and cover them up with shrink wrap, and observe the polarity (Hot/Neutral). The small side of the receptacle (Socket) should be wired to the wire the  diagram shows as 'L' It did not come with a fuse but I will put one in later. The neutral side is labeled 'N', and of course the 'G' wire should be connected to the ground screw on the bottom of the receptacle.
> 
> ...



RTDs and thermo couplings are polarity sensitive. I'm guessing that this is a plug of some sort. And not two loose wires you terminate?


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## Steve H (Apr 1, 2018)

Ah, nevermind. After looking at the PDFs. I see that the sensor is a thermistor. Which is not polarity sensitive.


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## Steve H (Apr 1, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> No. You aren't running 30A through it.
> I like using 20A outlets. Just for the over size of them (load wise).
> In fact, you may even be supplying it with a 15A house circuit.



I HATE 15amp breakers!!!! I hope yours is a 20 amp. If it is a 15 amp breaker. Do not switch it to a 20 amp breaker until you verify the wire size. 15 amp breakers only require 14 ga. wire. 20 amps require 12 ga, If you put a 20 amp breaker on a under sized wire. And your appliance starts to draw an excessive load for whatever reason. You are in danger of a fire. I had a call not long ago where this enterprising fellow had a minor garage fire. It seems he wanted to run an air compressor and a dust collector system on the same outlet. Those two items when running together was tripping the breaker. So, this home owner hero takes out the 20 amp breaker and dumps in a 30 amp. He was lucky he was in the garage when the romex heated up and caught fire. After I cleaned everything up and ran two separate circuits for him. I looked at the data plates from the compressor and dust collector. Together they required just over thirty amps. He walked away with a lesson learned.


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## SonnyE (Apr 1, 2018)

Steve H said:


> I HATE 15amp breakers!!!! I hope yours is a 20 amp. If it is a 15 amp breaker. Do not switch it to a 20 amp breaker until you verify the wire size. 15 amp breakers only require 14 ga. wire. 20 amps require 12 ga, If you put a 20 amp breaker on a under sized wire. And your appliance starts to draw an excessive load for whatever reason. You are in danger of a fire. I had a call not long ago where this enterprising fellow had a minor garage fire. It seems he wanted to run an air compressor and a dust collector system on the same outlet. Those two items when running together was tripping the breaker. So, this home owner hero takes out the 20 amp breaker and dumps in a 30 amp. He was lucky he was in the garage when the romex heated up and caught fire. After I cleaned everything up and ran two separate circuits for him. I looked at the data plates from the compressor and dust collector. Together they required just over thirty amps. He walked away with a lesson learned.



Yeah, but in existing construction, he may be faced with what he's got.
Still, if his supply is 15 amps, and his smoker pulls 10 amps, (120V - 1200w), with a controller rated for 30 amps, everything is cool.
Your friend and his genius move in the garage will likely pull other boneheaded moves. o_O
We can't save them all. :(


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## Steve H (Apr 1, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> Yeah, but in existing construction, he may be faced with what he's got.
> Still, if his supply is 15 amps, and his smoker pulls 10 amps, (120V - 1200w), with a controller rated for 30 amps, everything is cool.
> Your friend and his genius move in the garage will likely pull other boneheaded moves. o_O
> We can't save them all. :(



That's true on both statements!


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## sm0kin (Apr 7, 2018)

Well I got the box cut and fit the controller, now I need more time to actually wire it up.
My dremel didn’t fully cooperate, but it is what it is.


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## Steve H (Apr 7, 2018)

I'm watching this closely. I may do the same thing in the future. Nice work so far!


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## sm0kin (Apr 7, 2018)

Thanks! I think this may get attached to the smoker semi permanently with the rocker switch also installed in the project box. I found some 15amp panel mount outlets on digi-key, but I need one for a 3mm thick panel. Beyond that I only need the aforementioned rocker switch, power cable, and wire.


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## Shootr (May 6, 2020)

Reviving an old thread...hope that's OK.

I backed into this whole thread after googling the DIN300A controller.  (My primary issue was with a water heater, but that's another story.)  Question #1: Have the specs changed?  The website shows only going up to 110C (230F)?

My question is, can I possibly use one of these to control a Camp Chef DLX pellet smoker?  My current stock setup can vary 20-40F when set to "high smoke 220".  I know this situation is MUCH different than a pure electric smoker, but still am willing to throw $50 at it to try if might bring the fluctuations down a little.






If so, would it be as simple as splicing in at the RTD sensor and using the DIN300 sensor instead?

If that is the case, then I don't need the relay, correct?  And if that's correct, would a unit like this be more along the lines of what I would need (if it can control higher than 110C)?

Thanks in advance for any and all ideas and help.


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