Operating instructions

Present Status
Press during a firing to display the
segment that is firing. One of the follow
-
ing messages will appear:
I
, the segment number, and rate: The Sentry is in
the ramp part of a segment. (See charts, page 6.)
I
and segment number: The Sentry is in the hold
part of a segment.
The controller returns to normal display after 5 sec
-
onds.
Note: Present Status shows the actual firing rate of
the current segment instead of the rate you pro
-
grammed. If you think your kiln is heating or cooling
too slowly, compare the rate shown in Present Status
with the rate you programmed for that segment. This is
another reason you should always keep a written re
-
cord of your firing programs.
Note: Pre-18D software versions show the pro
-
grammed rate in Present Status. Software version 18D
and later controllers show the rateactually achieved in
-
stead of the rate you programmed. (See page 18, SOFT
option, to look up software version.)
Present Status is useful when firing a program that con-
tains heating and cooling segments. Without Present Sta-
tus, it might be easy tolosetrackof which segment is firing.
The Temperature Alarm
The alarm sounds and flashes
when the kiln reaches the alarm tempera-
ture that you enter. Use the alarm to alert
youtocheckthefusingorslumpingof
glass or to remove a knife blade from the
furnace at the end of heat treating.
You can enter only one alarm temperature at a time.
However, after the alarm beeps, you can set the alarm for
another temperature, as many times as you want, during
the firing. Entering an alarm temperature automatically
erases the previous alarm
temperature.
Note: The alarm tem
-
perature that you set dur
-
ing a firing must behigher
than the current display
temperature. The alarm
is designed only for higher
temperatures and not for
cooling temperatures.
After the alarm beeps,
the alarm temperature will
stay in memory for future
firings until you replace it with a new temperature.
Monitoring the Alarm from a Distance
Place an inexpensive baby monitor near the kiln. From
another location in your building, you will be able to hear
the temperature alarm beepingand the the relaysclicking.
Setting the Alarm From Idle
From , press . will appear alternat
-
ing with the last alarm temperature entered.
Enter alarm temperature. Press . will
appear.(If you do not wantto use the alarm,setthe
alarm temperature to
. This setting will disable
the alarm.)
Note: Your controller’s maximum temperature is
shown in the option (page 17). If you enter an
alarm temperature that is higher than the maximum
temperature, the alarm temperature will automatically
change to the controller’s maximum temperature.
When the alarm sounds, shut it off by pressing any key
except
. (Pressing while an alarm sounds will
shut off the kiln.)
Note: If the alarm sounds as soon as firing begins, it
is because thealarm was set to a temperature below the
current temperature.
Setting the Alarm During Firing
The alarm beeps while the kiln is firing. Press .
Enter the new temperature.
Press . The kiln will continue firing.
If you touch
, enter a new temperature, and forget to
press
, the controller will merely continue firing
without resetting the alarm.
Estimating the
Firing Cost
Note: This feature is included with software version
18D and newer controllers. To look up your software
version, see page 18.
The Sentry controller can figure the electrical cost of a
firing. Set up the controller as follows:
In the option, enter the cost of a kilowatt-hour
of electricity. See page 16.
In the option, enter the wattage for your kiln. See
page 16.
After the kiln firesto completion, will flash. Press
the
key. The cost of electricity to fire the last load will ap
-
pear. To return to temperature display, press
.
Note: If youenterthe kiln wattage in the option
but you do not enter cost per kilowatt-hour in the
option, the controller will display kilo
-
watt-hours instead of firing cost.
12 Ramp-Hold
Use the alarm to
remind yourself
that the kiln is
getting close to
the shut-off tem
-
perature. Always
check the kiln
before it shuts
off.