How does an SC-200 work?

The Southern Pride Model SC-200 Smoker is a purely electrical unit that requires a 120/208 or 120/240 volt 4-wire single-phase 30-amp circuit. The unit consists of a 208 or 240-volt main heater, a 110/120-volt smoke element, a high temperature thermostat, a contactor and a 110/120-volt convection fan motor. There is also an option for a second smoke box and a second element. The SC-200 has a digital control system. The digital control panel consists of a six-button touchpad for setting a menu, selecting the desired cooking temperature, cooking time, hold time, and Smoke (ON or OFF).

DIGITAL CONTROL SYSTEM (on all current models) The digital system consists of a digital controller, a 110/120 volt to 24-volt step-down transformer, two 10 amps and a 40-amp solid state relay. A menu can be programmed with a cooking time, a cooking temperature, a hold time and a hold temperature, or the hold function can be turned off and the smoker can also be turned off or on. As the smoker approaches the set temperature, the controller pulses the current to the heater to maintain the set temperature. Once the temperature and hold function have been selected, press Start / Stop. The controller asks for wood chips – press the button for the smoke evacuation button to avoid smoke. A 5-volt DC power is sent to the 40-amp relay, the smoker alarm relay (if selected) and to the fan relay. The fan relay sends 110/120 volts to the fan motor and through the upper limit to the coil terminal of the contactor. As the smoker heats up to the set temperature, the controller will pulse the heater current. The smoke element stays on for four hours and turns off when the cooking cycle ends in less than four hours. When the cooking cycle is complete, the smoker will turn off and sound an audible alarm or enter a hold cycle, depending on how the menu was programmed at the start of the cooking cycle. With digital control technology, the smoker will keep the set point temperature to a few degrees.