Can anyone point me to a variac (on Ebay or elsewhere) that would be suitable for controlling voltage to my Hottop B? I know absolutely nothing about variacs, so I have no idea what I'm looking for (amperage, etc.).

Thanks!

i have this one, works great (though mine's a much older model)



check ebay, that's where i got this pic

I would advise staying away from the Chinese-made units (Philmore brand is one of the most common of these). I found a 18-amp General Radio Variac on Ebay for $10 (shipping was more than the cost of the variac, as those babies are heavy). Try to find an old Staco, Powerstat, or General Radio. If you're not so much into taking chances on used stuff that's 'as-is' sales, one of the best source for reconditioned and guaranteed older variacs is the David Riddle Company in Van Nuys, CA. He has an Ebay store and sells quality stuff.

maxwellh wrote:Can anyone point me to a variac (on Ebay or elsewhere) that would be suitable for controlling voltage to my Hottop B?

Check with Randy Glass. I thought there was some circuitry on the main board of the newer Hottops that was designed to compensate for voltage variations. In which case, unless your house voltage is way low and you just want to boost it, the variac won't do you any good.

Best,
David

I just noticed that yesterday in a "Related Topics" post at the bottom of the page. Kind of hesitant now to get one...need to do a bit more research.

Thanks for the help so far, folks.

http://hottopusa.com/compare.html

scroll down: both the B and P are not sensitive to voltage, so NO variac is needed, unless input voltage is low to begin with (like in my case).

They are not ~as sensitive to voltage. I've watch differences in the roasts between a warm day and evening, when the voltage drooped during the day. On a dedicated 20A circuit, I could see a difference of 50W of power being pulled by the unit.