Howdy, from Montana

I've been watching the Videos, and especially like the ones about building your own "On The Cheap" heaters and controls. I think I've finally found the K-Mart kettle (now $15 AUD), so with shipping that would probably be cost prohibitive. I'd like to know if, in your opinion, the 220v Power Controller Chip will also run a 120v heater if it can be ordered and sent outside of Australia. I tried your link for the schematic/diagram of the control box, but I got a 404 error. Is it possible that the link is broken and you have it displayed in another place on your site?
Once I get my brew pots 'electrified', I'll start looking into the recipes. I only brew IPAs, Stouts, and Porters.
I'm going to contact Keg King to see about shipping parts to the U.S. I'm interested in the Power Controller Chip and in the 2200 Watt Stainless Steel Heating Element they sell. I've looked at the Grainfather and am not too thrilled - I don't like the idea of proprietary heating elements that I can't replace myself, as well as the controls.
I'd like to know your opinion of whether starting out with something like the Power Controller Chip with a potentiometer would be a good idea versus starting out with the STC1000 and contactors. I know the STC would be more expensive in the long run, but would it give me better control over the whole rig?
My plan is a Single vessel setup (8 gal) for mashing and boiling, and a 5 gal pot for Sparge water and maybe eventually a HERMS setup. So I believe I will need two separate controllers, one for each pot. Well, I guess I've run off at the mouth enuff for now, I'll wait to see what you guys 'down under' have to say.
Thanks again for the videos.
Jim

Hi Gash;
Got the Power controller you linked to, and the STC-100 from ebay. I haven't been able to find a kettle for the heaters like you linked to on ebay. The only kettles I can get here that are 220v are anywheres from $80-$150, so that's out of the question! Of course, If I could find a kettle with 120v elements that were a high enough wattage, I could always split my 240v into 2 legs of 120v and run them, but i'd just as soon stick to 240v for economy's sake ;>) So, I guess I'll either be using a single 240v 4500w element, or two 1650w 120v SS elements.Those are the only two that will fit in my boil pot - barely 12" (304.8mm for you guys) and the elements are about 11 1/2" .... I guess that 1/2" is enough separation between the element and the wall of the kettle. I'm hoping to look at your wiring diagrams so I can hook up the 240v 4500w, rather than the two 120v elements. I'll see if I can locate the video and the link - Well sorry, I must have been dreaming or something .... I can't even find the video I thought I had seen! Too much Pig's Ass Porter! Maybe they are somewhere here on the forum ...... one can always hope!
I'll be looking at as many vids as possible to get an idea of how to hook up both together as you have said. I assume you hook up the STC, then the Controller, then the heater. Somewhere in there I'd like to put a power switch before the STC, and maybe even in the future, I'd like to put a (DIN?) breaker to protect the electronics. Am I going to need some sort of contactors or relays in there too?
I'm a retired Appliance guy,so I know how to deal with electricity, but I never got along too well with electronics, so I'm trying to figure this stuff out in my head so I don't blow up the electronics which will run my heaters. Just as you said in one of your videos, you used to just plug in and unplug your heaters to maintain the boil, now I'm trying to get away from having to do everything manually like that and let the electronics work for me.

I checked with K-Mart (Australia) and their shipping/delivery is 'outta sight' - even if I was living in Australia!! Before I actually buy the 4500w element, I'll keep looking for those ones you got in your kettle, I found some on Ebay from the UK, but they were 39.95 Euros, (whatever that is in U.S. Dollars) which is a lot more than I want to spend, for sure. (I think it's about a buck and a half to one Euro.) Thanks for your advice/input, I'll keep working on this - I'm not brewing again until I 'electrify' my Mash/Boil kettle, so that means that I've got to get things going soon!
Oh, just thought of something .... when you turn down the pot on the controller, does it turn off one of the elements and only run the other, or does it turn down both of them where they are using less wattage? I think I know the answer to that, but I thought I'd ask.
THX
Jim