Inkbird ITC-1000 Temperature Controller Thermostat 220V Temperature with Sensor

So the STC-1000 is a great little thing that I use to control a fridge for homebrewing beer (and with the addition of an SSR, controlling heating elements), though they are also popular for fish-tank temperature controls and I've even seen them used for curing meats, making cheese and making a pseudo-sous vide controller for a slow cooker. If any of those things are of interest to you, I highly recommend it. For less than £20, you would be hard pushed to find a more useful temp controller.The real joy with this one however is (as of Mid August '14 when I purchased it) it contains the v1.0 circuit board inside it which has accessible headers to reprogram the firmware with a custom version that massively enhances its capabilities. The firmware I flashed (google for STC-1000+) increases the level of functionality by leaps and bounds. It does require an Arduino (just for the flash, borrow one off someone if you only need it for this) and some soldering skill but now it not only controls temperature but supports pre-programmed profiles, adds a temperature ramping feature, fine control of temperature hysteresis, selectable temperature units (Fahrenheit or Celsius) and the ability to correct for errors in your temperature probe. Most of this stuff is usually only found in £100+ controllers! Obviously these aren't' marketed for this upgrade and there is no guarantees that you will get the right board as all units look identical on the outside, its only the stamp on the actual board that tells the version.Stll, on its own, the STC-1000 is great for controlling temperature, whatever purpose you need it for. The ability to add the 1000+ firmware makes this one a solid choice for brewers. Why pay more for less?

It works - 'though it was a puzzle getting there! The instructions are not particularly clear (Chinese translation!) and the wiring diagram very easy to misinterepret - or I got it wrong first time round, anyway. I got the heater on permanently! Once I'd sorted that, the unit worked OK. It was giving slightly different readings to some stick-on thermometers, but they are not expected to be super accurate anyway. I only need it accurate to within a couple of degrees so it looks like this will do the job.The back end where the wires go in needs taping to keep it safe and you need to be really careful that the power wires are neat with no stray strands - probably best to solder them before sticking them in the joint boxes.

purchased 5 of these for a project.Instructions are a little bit strange, basically just a poor translation I guess... OK when you read them two or three times.If you don't understand electricity and electrical safety then these are not for you.System module, not a finished consumer product.Must be mounted in a properly insulated electrical box, or behind a control panel.Retaining clips are a bit flimsy.. I mounted my controllers in 2mm sheet steel, with a close fitting aperture and mounting was firm enough.Internal 240 volt transformer should give longer life than the usual switch-mode PSU.PCB mounted terminal blocks need to be loosened off before you insert your cable. Do not over tighten terminals, you will rip the PCB track.No Hysteresis setting/adjustment availableN/O "Heating" relay stays energised until set point reached.N/O "Cooling" relay cuts in at another set point.Maximum difference between set points 15 deg Csmall plastic sensor about the size of a rabbit poo.Sensor is NTC (10k i think) type, not compatible with PT1000 sensors.Sensors had a silicon like feel to the cable, but they my not be durable at high temperatures... I would not risk using them if regularly above 60 degC. Waterproof ?Calibration adjustment available in software. I used a std Ice bath for calibration, units were within 0.1 Deg C out of the box.All 5 units tracked each other within 0.1 deg from 0-60CLEDs clear and easy to read, always on, no dimmer.

Great product, you will need a plug and two sockets to set this up (2x 1 gang power extensions is enough with a plug to spare). I am a novice to wiring but a great step by step guide on youtube by a very helpful dutch bloke at homebeerbrewery for a similar product made the set up easy. The accurate thermometer with flexible set temperatures and tolerances make it easy to maintain a tight control with different heat and cooling sources making this highly versitile as needs change throughout the year. Used to keep my demijohns snug this winter with a heater tray, not needed to use the cooling socket yet. 3 weeks of use and very happy.

Great product that gives good control and accurate readings, though frustratingly the relays can only deal with 10 amps so its not a perfect device for me. I have looked at adding an SSR to the device but its not an easy modification as you need to cut traces and I can see it being unreliable. However for what it is sold as, it is a great temperature controller and does offer quite a lot of features (with even more available by upgrading the firmware if you really needed them).It is almost certainly worth buying this over a dodgy cheap chinese clone as when dealing with high current I can easily imagine the tracks burning out or something. You can feel a significant weight difference between the products and Im very glad I decided to use these ones instead.

product fine, I think, just wasn't right for what I needed it for

It's a good product but it's fiddly to set up, so pay a little more and get a lot more...