General Tools General Tools DT61 Manual

HEAVY-DUTY DIGITAL

THERMOCOUPLE
THERMOMETERS

USER’S MANUAL

DT61

Single channel

Please read this manual carefully and thoroughly before using this product.

99 Washington Street
Melrose, MA 02176

Phone [phone]
Toll Free 1-800-517-8431

Visit us at www.TestEquipmentDepot.com

DT62

Two channel

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 –3

What’s in the Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Quick Start Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Product Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 –7

Setup Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 – 11

Install Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Perform Setup Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 – 11

Install Thermocouple(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Operating Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 – 13

Monitoring Temperature(s) in Real Time . 12 – 13

Displaying Min/Max/Avg Temperatures . . . . . 13

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 – 14

Operating & Maintenance Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Warranty Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Return for Repair Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Manuel de L’utilisateur (en Français) . . . . . 17 – 34

Manual del Usuario (en Español) . . . . . . . . 35 – 51

KEY FEATURES

• Min/Max/Avg memory

• Compatible with “K”, “J”, “T” and “E” type

thermocouples

• Displays difference between thermocouple

readings T1-T2 (DT62 only)

• 2.4 in. (61mm) diagonal LCD with dual

temperature readouts + relative time clock readout

• Adjustable relative time clock enables resetting

measurement timeline

2

• Choice of three temperature units: °C, °F and °K

• Data hold button

• Manual temperature compensation (offset) for

thermocouple(s)

• Adjustable Auto Power Off trigger

• Powered by “9V” battery

• 3 year limited warranty

WHAT’S IN THE PACKAGE

Both models come in a white box with this user’s
manual. The DT61 includes one “K” type bead
thermocouple probe with a measurement range of

-40° to 572°F (-40° to 300°C). The DT62 comes with
two “K” type probes with the same range.

A variety of other “K” type thermocouple probes
with different sensor types, form factors and
temperature ranges are available from General.

QUICK START GUIDE

1. Obtain and install a “9V” battery.

2. Plug included “K” type thermocouple probe(s) into

the top jack(s).

3. Press the POWER button.

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Figure 1 shows all of the controls, indicators and
physical features of the DT61 and DT62, including
the differences between their keypads and jack
configurations. Figure 2 shows all possible
indications on the LCD. Familiarize yourself with the
positions and functions of all controls, indicators and
physical features before moving on to the Setup
Instructions and Operating Instructions.

3

T2 ++T1– –

POWER

HOLD

EENNTTEERR

SETUP

MAX

MIN

AVG

T

C TYPE

C°/F°K

POWER

HOLD

EENNTTEERR

SETUP

MAX

MIN

AVG

T

1/T2/T1-T2

C°/F°K

햶

햴

햳

햷

햸

햵

햲

TOP

Fig. 1. The controls,

DT61

display and physical
features of the DT61
and DT62

DT61 Keypad DT62 Keypad

1. Keypad

2. T1 jack for spade lug thermocouple

3. T2 jack for spade lug thermocouple (DT62 only)

4. Ambient temperature sensor

5. LCD

6. Flip-up stand (on back)

7. Battery compartment (on back)

4

POWER button. Powers thermometer on and off.
TC TYPE button (DT61 only). Selects thermocouple

type (“K”, “J”, “T” or “E”)
T1/T2/T1-T2 button (DT62 only). Selects one of four

display options:

a) T1 on primary readout and T2 on secondary

readout

b) T2 on primary readout and T1 on secondary

readout

c) T1-T2 on primary readout and T1 on secondary

readout

d) T1-T2 on primary readout and T2 on secondary

readout

°C/°F/K button. Selects temperature unit of primary
and secondary readouts

MAX/AVG/MIN button. Pressed briefly, selects
whether maximum, minimum or average value of
measurement session (since thermometer was
powered on) is displayed on primary readout.
Pressed and held, exits Max/Min/Avg display mode
and resumes real-time display mode.

HOLD (ENTER) button:

• On DT61, pressing HOLD button briefly “freezes”

T1 value on primary readout.

• On DT62, pressing HOLD briefly freezes T1, T2 or

T1-T2 value on primary readout and T1 or T2
value on secondary readout (values held are
determined by setting of T1/T2/T1-T2 button).

• On DT61 and DT62, ENTER button is only used

to set system time format.

SETUP button. Initiates 7-step setup procedure
(see p. 7)

왖 and 왔 buttons. On DT61 and DT62, used to
enable/disable ambient temperature compensation

5

and change values of temperature compensation,
Auto Power Off triggering time, relative time clock
and local power line frequency. On DT62, also used
to select thermocouple type (during Step 1 of Setup
procedure).

Fig. 2. All possible display indications

1. Auto Power Off enabled indicator

2. Low battery icon

3. OFFSET. Indicates that primary readout is showing

thermocouple temperature compensation value

4. SETUP. Flashes during setup procedure

5. READ. Not used on DT61 or DT62

6. REC. Not used on DT61 or DT62

7. HOLD. Indicates that primary readout is showing

held value

8. K, °F, °C. Primary readout temperature unit

9. Primary readout

10. MAX, MIN, AVG. Indicates which value is shown

on primary readout

11. MEM. Not used on DT61 or DT62

12. K, °F, °C. Secondary readout temperature unit

13. Secondary readout

14. USB. Not used on DT61 or DT62

6

15. Relative time clock readout

16. min:sec. Relative time units

17. CAL. Flashes during calibration

18. INTERVAL. Not used on DT61 or DT62

19. hour:min. Relative time units

20. Type KJTERSN. Indicates selected thermocouple

type

SETUP INSTRUCTIONS

INSTALL BATTERY

To open the battery compartment, turn the
thermometer over and lift the flip-up stand (Fig. 1,
Callout 6) to gain access to the battery compartment
(Callout 7). Remove the single Philips-head screw
securing the battery compartment cover. Set the
cover and screw aside. Obtain a “9V” battery and
install it in the compartment observing the polarity
markings inside. Close the battery compartment by
replacing its cover and securing it with the screw.

PERFORM SETUP PROCEDURE

The setup procedures for the DT61 and DT62 are
identical, with one exception: Step 2—adjusting the
temperature compensation (offset) value—must be
performed twice, for the thermocouples of both
channels.

7. Enter

Calibration

mode

1. Set TC type

6. Enable/
disable

ambient

temperature

compensation

2. Set TC
offset

5. Set power
line

frequency

3. Set APO
trigger

4. Set relative

time clock

7

To enter Setup mode, press the SETUP button once.
Doing so will clear all three readouts and cause the
word SETUP to begin flashing on the top line of the
LCD. SETUP will continue to flash until all steps of
the setup procedure have been completed.

Note: It’s important to understand that you must
complete the entire 7-step Setup procedure
shown above each time you initiate it. If you
power off the thermometer during an interim
step, none of your settings or changes will be
saved.

Step 1 of the procedure enables you to configure the

thermometer for the type of thermocouple to be
used. DT62 users: You cannot plug two different
types of thermocouple into the T1 and T2 jacks on
the top of the unit (Fig. 1, Callouts 2 and 3). You must
use two probes of the same type.

By default, the DT61 and DT62 are configured to
work with “K” type thermocouples. To use a “J”, “T”
or “E” thermocouple, press the 왖 or 왔 button until
the correct letter replaces K at the right of TYPE on
the left side of the LCD.

On the DT61, you can also change the thermocouple
type by pressing the TC TYPE button repeatedly with
the thermometer in real-time measurement mode.

After you complete Step 1, press the SETUP button
again to initiate Step 2. During this step, the word
OFFSET appears on the top line of the LCD, with the
term T1 in the upper left corner.

Step 2 of the procedure enables you to set the
amount of temperature compensation (offset) to be
applied to the Channel 1 (T1) thermocouple. Pressing
the 왖 button applies a positive offset, and pressing
the 왔 button applies a negative offset. Each press of
either button adds 0.1°C of compensation to the
amount shown on the primary readout. The

8

maximum amount of temperature compensation
allowable is ±6°C. You cannot apply temperature
compensation using Fahrenheit or Kelvin units. After
applying the desired amount of temperature
compensation to T1, press the SETUP button again
to save your setting and proceed to the next step.

On the DT62, the next step is Step 2A—setting the
amount of temperature compensation (offset) to be
applied to the Channel 2 (T2) thermocouple. After
using the same procedure as before to apply the
desired amount of temperature compensation to T2,
press the SETUP button again to proceed to Step 3.

Note: Changing thermocouple type automatically
restores offset value(s) to 0.0.

Step 3 enables you to change the triggering time of
the Auto Power Off (APO) function from its default
value of 30 minutes. During Step 3, the primary
readout shows the term P – and the secondary
readout shows the current value of the APO
triggering time (the period of time during which no
front-panel buttons are pressed).

Each press of the 왖 button increases the APO
triggering time by 1 minute, and each press of the
왔 button decreases it by 1 minute. The maximum
APO triggering time is 60 minutes. If the APO
triggering time has been decreased to 5 minutes, the
next press of the 왔 button causes the term oFF to
appear on the secondary readout. Disabling the APO
function in this way also causes the clock icon in the
upper left corner of the LCD (Fig. 2, Callout 1) to
disappear. The missing clock icon is a reminder that
the thermometer will not automatically power itself
off after an extended period of inactivity. With APO
disabled, be aware that leaving the thermometer
unattended for an extended period of time risks
draining the battery.

9

After adjusting the APO triggering time, press the

SETUP button again to proceed to Step 4.
Step 4 enables you to reset the relative time clock to

a time other the default value: how long it has been
since the thermometer was powered on. The usual
reason to change the value is to establish a new
“zero” for the measurement timeline following any
change that does not involve powering the
thermometer off.

At the beginning of Step 4, the term S - t appears on
the primary readout with 00:00 (hours and minutes)
showing on the relative time clock readout (Fig. 2,
Callout 15). To switch the display to show minutes
and seconds, press the HOLD (ENTER) button. The
relative clock setting can be adjusted to any value
between 0 and 24 hours, with 1-second resolution.
Each press of the 왖 button increases the setting
by 1 minute or 1 second, and each press of the
왔 button decreases it by 1 minute or 1 second.
You can press and hold either button to make a large
change quickly.

After adjusting the relative time clock, press the

SETUP button again to proceed to Step 5.
Step 5 enables you to compensate for thermocouple

measurement errors caused by nearby power lines.
By default, the thermometer automatically
compensates for the effects of electric power
transmission and distribution at a frequency of 60Hz.
Upon entering Step 5, the thermometer shows the
term LinE on the primary readout and 60H on the
secondary readout. Press either the 왖 or 왔 button
to change 60H to 50H if your local power grid
operates at 50Hz.

After adjusting the relative time clock, press the
SETUP button again to proceed to Step 6.

10

Step 6 enables you to enable or disable ambient
temperature compensation for the thermometer’s
thermocouple(s).

At the beginning of Step 6, the term ntC (an
abbreviation of normal temperature compensation)
appears on the primary readout, with on displayed
on the secondary readout. Press either the 왖 or 왔
button to change on to oFF. If you disable ambient
temperature compensation, it will be re-enabled
after the thermometer is rebooted.

After enabling or disabling ambient temperature
compensation, press the SETUP button again to
proceed to Step 7.

Step 7 enables professional users with laboratory­grade electrical instruments to calibrate the DT61 or
DT62. Because the calibration procedure requires
applying voltages to the spade-lug thermocouple
jacks, General considers it inappropriate for casual
users who may be unfamiliar with electrical safety
guidelines. Accordingly, the calibration procedure is
not reproduced here.

To complete the Setup procedure (and save all of
settings and any changes you made since entering
Setup mode), press the SETUP button one last time
with CAL displayed on the primary readout and oFF
showing on the secondary readout. Doing so will
cause the thermometer to exit Setup mode and enter
real-time measurement mode.

INSTALL THERMOCOUPLE(S)

Plug one (DT61) or two (DT62) thermocouples of the
selected type into the T1 jack (DT61) or T1 and T2
jacks (DT62) on the top of the thermometer. On
spade-lug thermocouple probes, the narrower lug is
the positive (+) terminal and the wider lug is the
negative (-) terminal.

11

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

MONITORING TEMPERATURE(S)
IN REAL TIME

To measure temperatures sensed by one or more
installed thermocouples, press the POWER button

to activate the thermometer. On the DT61, the
temperature sensed by the T1 thermocouple will
appear on the primary readout. On the DT62, the
temperature sensed by the T1 thermocouple will
appear on the primary readout and the T2
temperature (if a T2 thermocouple is installed) will
appear on the secondary readout. This is the
“normal” display mode for the DT62.

To swap the readouts on the DT62 (so T1 is shown
on the secondary readout and T2 is shown on the
primary readout), press the T1/T2/T1-T2 button.

To show the value of T1-T2 on the primary
readout and the value of T1 on the secondary

readout, press the T1/T2/T1-T2 button again. To
show T1-T2 on the primary readout and T2 on the
secondary readout, press the T1/T2/T1-T2 button
again.

When the DT62 is powered off and then on again, it
will resume operation in “normal” display mode—
with T1 on the primary readout and T2 on the
secondary readout.

To hold the value on the primary readout (DT61) or
the values on both readouts (DT62), press the HOLD
button. Note that while the thermometer is holding a
reading or readings, the relative time clock will
continue ticking. To release the hold and resume
real-time display of T1, T2 or T1-T2 values, press the
HOLD button again.

12

To change the temperature unit used on the primary
readout (DT61) or the primary and secondary
readouts (DT62), press the K, °F, °C button. Both
models will “remember” the last selection and
resume using that unit following a reboot.

DISPLAYING MIN/MAX/AVG
TEMPERATURES

To display the minimum, maximum or average
values of T1 (DT61) or T2 or T1-T2 (DT62) sensed
during a measurement session (the period of time
since the thermometer was last powered on), begin
by briefly pressing the MAX/AVG/MIN button once.
One press of the button causes the maximum value
to be displayed on the secondary readout while the
primary readout continues to track real-time
temperature(s).

Briefly press the MAX/AVG/MIN button a second
time to switch to showing the minimum temperature
on the secondary readout. Briefly press the button a
third time to show the average temperature over the
duration of the measurement session on the
secondary readout.

To exit Min/Max/Avg display mode and resume
real-time display mode, press and hold the
MAX/AVG/MIN button for at least 3 seconds.

SPECIFICATIONS

Measurement Ranges: -328° to 2501°F (-200° to

1372°C) with “K” type thermocouple(s)

-346° to 2192°F (-210° to 1200°C) with
“J” type thermocouple(s)

-418° to 752°F (-250° to 400°C) with
“T” type thermocouple(s)

-238° to 1832°F (-150° to 1000°C) with
“E” type thermocouple(s)

13

Measurement Accuracy: ±(0.5% of reading

+ 0.9°F/0.5°C)

Measurement Resolution: 0.1° (F or C) below 1000°;

1° (F or C) above 1000°

Measurement Range of Included Thermocouple(s):

-40° to 572°F (-40° to 300°C)

Auto Power Off Trigger: Adjustable from 5 minutes to

1 hour; can be disabled

Operating Temperature:

32° to 122°F (0° to 50°C) @<80% RH
Dimensions: 7.5 x 3.5 x 1.6 in. (191 x 89 x 41mm)
Weight: 14.1 oz. (400g)
Power Source: One “9V” battery (not included)
Note: The accuracy specification above is valid for

an operating temperature between 64° and 82°F
(18° and 28°C), with RH less than 80%. It does not
include thermocouple error.

OPERATING &
MAINTENANCE TIPS

When the low battery icon appears at the upper left
of the LCD, it’s time to replace the “9V” battery that
powers the thermometer (although measurements
will remain valid for several hours after the icon first
appears). To replace the battery, follow the
instructions on p. 7.

After subjecting the thermometer to a large change
in ambient temperature, wait at least 30 minutes
before making measurements to guarantee the
accuracy of readings.

Remove the battery when storing the unit or when
you do not expect to use it for an extended period of
time (months rather than weeks).

Do not disassemble the thermometer or immerse it
in water. Doing so voids the 1-year limited warranty.

14

WARRANTY INFORMATION

General Tools & Instruments’ (General’s) DT61 or
DT62 Heavy-duty Digital Thermocouple
Thermometer is warranted to the original purchaser
to be free from defects in material and workmanship
for a period of three years. Subject to certain
restrictions, General will repair or replace this
instrument if, after examination, the company
determines it to be defective in material or
workmanship. The warranty period begins on the
date of purchase. You are encouraged to register
your product online. General will extend your
warranty an additional 60 days if you register at
www.generaltools.com/ProductRegistry.

This warranty does not apply to damages that
General determines to be from an attempted repair
by nonauthorized personnel or misuse, alterations,
normal wear and tear, or accidental damage. The
defective unit must be returned to General Tools &
Instruments or to a General-authorized service
center, freight prepaid and insured.

Acceptance of the exclusive repair and replacement
remedies described herein is a condition of the
contract for purchase of this product. In no event
shall General be liable for any incidental, special,
consequential or punitive damages, or for any cost,
attorneys’ fees, expenses, or losses alleged to be a
consequence of damage due to failure of, or defect
in any product including, but not limited to, any
claims for loss of profits.

Register now at
www.generaltools.com/ProductRegistry to receive a
60-day extension to your warranty.

15

RETURN FOR REPAIR POLICY

Every effort has been made to provide you with a
reliable product of superior quality. However, in the
event your instrument requires repair, please contact
our Customer Service to obtain an RGA (Return
Goods Authorization) number before forwarding the
unit via prepaid freight to the attention of our Service
Center at this address:

General Tools & Instruments

80 White Street New York, NY 10013 212-431-6100

Remember to include a copy of your proof of
purchase, your return address, and your phone
number and/or e-mail address.

16

General Tools & Instruments

GeneralToolsNYC

99 Washington Street
Melrose, MA 02176

Phone [phone]
Toll Free 1-800-517-8431

Visit us at www.TestEquipmentDepot.com

Specifications subject to change without notice

©2014 GENERAL TOOLS & INSTRUMENTS

NOTICE - WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE

FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS.

MAN# DT61 & DT62

11/10/14