Operating instructions
31
Kilowatts 8, 23
The controller can figure the cost to fire your kiln if you supply your
kiln’s wattage. (See the data plate on the switch box.) Divide watt
-
age by 1000 to get kilowatts. Enter that amount: 10,800 watts ÷
1000 = 10.8.
Missing Pin 27
When Lid appears, a two-pin connector on the back of the board is
missing.
Program Lock 24
With this option activated, a stored program cannot be altered or
removed from memory.
Low Temperature Deviation 24, 26
This message appears when the kiln is below the Temperature De
-
viation setting in the TEdE option.
Cone Offset 20
Adjust a Cone-Fire program to bend the matching witness cone on
the kiln shelf.
Power Failure 27, 28
The power failed during a controlled cooling segment. The kiln
temperature was below the last active cooling segment tempera
-
ture when the power came back on.
Power Failure 27, 28
The power failed. When power came back on, the temperature was
below 212°F / 100°C.
Power Failure 27, 28
The power failed and the temperature dropped 72°F/ 40°C.
Power Failure 26
There was a power failure during firing. The kiln continued firing af-
ter the power came back on.
Pre-Heat 10, 11, 12
In a Cone-Fire program, Pre-Heat heats the ware slowly to 200°F /
93°C for the length of time you specify. Pre-Heat is designed to re
-
move moisture safely from greenware.
Rate 15
RA 1, RA 2, RA 3, etc., appear in Ramp-Hold programming, Pro
-
gram Review, and Present Status. When RA 1, 2, 3, etc. appear
during programming, the controller is asking you for firing rate for
each segment. Rate means how fast the firing progresses, in de
-
grees of temperature per hour. Every segment must have a firing
rate. The number after RA is the segment number. Each segment in
a Ramp-Hold firing is numbered. Program Review shows firing rate
afterRA1,2,3,etc.InPresentStatus,RA1,2,3,etc.meansthe
segmentthatthefiringisinatthatmoment.
Reset 25
The RST option erases cone and thermocouple offsets, selects °F
operation, erases stored programs in Ramp-Hold, and selects
Type-S thermocouple. Note that if you use Reset, and your kiln is
equipped with a Type-K thermocouple, you must use the TC option
to select Type-K. (Reset selects Type-S as a safety precaution. If
you had a Type-S thermocouple and Reset selected Type-K, your
kiln would overfire. On the other hand, if you had a Type-K thermo
-
couple, Type-S selected would underfire your kiln, which is better
than overfiring it. The K-Type thermocouple is standard on most
kilns.)
Slow Speed 7, 19
Cone-Fire slow speed shows in Program Review as S 20. This is
also how slow speed is listed in the SPd Speed option.
Safety 24
This is the maximum temperature the Sentry is programmed for
your kiln. It can be altered only at the factory.
Message Definition Page Reference
Skip Segment 8, 12
If you press the Skip Segment key during a firing, SKIP will appear.
If you press the key again, the firing will skip to the next segment. In
Cone-Fire, Skip Segment takes you only out of Pre-Heat or Hold.
Slow Speed 11
In Cone-Fire programming, if you press ENTER when SLOW ap
-
pears, the kiln will program to fire at slow speed.
Software Version 25
This option gives the version of software loaded into your Sentry.
Speed 11, 19
The SPd message appears during Cone-Fire programming and in
Options.
In the SPd option, accessed through the option key,
change the speed of a Cone-Fire program beyond the standard
fast, medium or slow.
While programming a firing for Cone-Fire,
choose slow, medium or fast speed at the SPd prompt.
Standard Speed 11
Cone-Fire medium speed appears in the Sentry as STd, or Stan
-
dard. This is because medium speed is the standard firing pro
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gram used in Cone-Fire. Fast and Slow speeds alter the standard
firing program.
Firing Started 11, 15
This appears when firing begins. Do not be concerned if it takes a
moment for the relays to turn on. The Sentry is processing data.
Zone Temperatures 25
This option shows temperatures in each zone.
Thermocouple Type 22, 26, 27
Choose between types K, S, or R thermocouple. It is important to
select the correct type, or the controller will not read temperature
accurately.
Uneven Temperature 27, 28
This is an error message for multiple-zone kilns. It means the tem-
peratures of the zones are out of balance by 180°F / 100°C. This is
usually caused by a miswired kiln or by a defective relay.
Thermocouple Lag 28
The heating rate is slower than 9°F / 5°C per hour and the kiln tem
-
perature is more than 100°F / 56°C away from the programmed
temperature.
Thermocouple Offset 21
Adjust the controller’s temperature to compensate for temperature
drift, or aging, of a thermocouple.
Thermocouple Reversed 28
Thethermocouplewiresarereversed.
Temperature Deviation 24
The Sentry includes error messages to warn you that the kiln is not
maintaining the programmed temperature. The sensitivity of the er
-
ror messages is based on a temperature entered in the TEdE op
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tion.
Element Test 25
This option is for testing the elements and thermocouples. If you
test a thermocouple with a lighter, the temperature display re
-
sponds faster during Test than during IdLE display.
User Program 14
In Ramp-Hold programming, the USER prompt is asking you
where you want to place the program in memory. The Sentry has 9
spaces in memory. Keep a written record of the programs 1 - 9 in
memory.
Message Definition Page Reference