Sentry Xpress 5.0 Instructions For Use Manual

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Sentry Xpress 5.0

Digital Temperature Controller

Cone-Fire and Ramp-Hold Instructions

°C Display Dot

Temperature Display

No Display Dot: Tempera ture display is in °F.

Right-Hand Display Dot:

Temperature display is in °C. Seepage19forinstructions

on selecting °F and °C.

Time Display

Center Display Dot:

Separates hours from minutes. Example: Display shown above is 1 hour and 30 minutes.

To stop a firing, press Start/Stop key at any time. ABRT will appear, and the heating ele ments will turn off. Press Start/Stop again to re turn to IDLE.

IM-222/3-19

°F

°C

Start/Stop Key

1) On/Off: Starts and stops a firing.

2) Enter Data: Press after each pro-

gramming step. It works like the Enter key on a computer.

Up Arrow Key

1) Raise Numbers

2) Select a Firing Mode: From

[IDLE] press Start/Stop.PressUp

Arrow to select Cone-Fire or

Ramp-Hold.

3) Edit a Program While the Kiln is Firing p16:

[SKIP ]Skip a segment [HLDT] Change hold time [CHGT] Change end temperature

4) All Other Options: [DELA]Select how Delay works.17

[TC ]Select thermocouple type.

p18

[ALAR] Set temperature alarm. p18 [DIAG ] Check amps. p19 [F/C ]Select °F or °C display p19 [LIM ]Set max temperature. p19 [COST] Look up cost of a firing. 19 [EXIT ]Press Start/Stop to return

to IDLE. [OPT2 ] Press Start/Stop to see

level 2 options.

[OFST ] Adj. cone temperature. p16 [TCOS] Adjust thermocouple. p20

[TEDE ] Change sensitivity of

the FTH, FTC and LTDE warning alarms. p20

[HTDE] Change sensitivity of the HTDE shut down alarm. p21

[LOCK] Lock programs. p21 [AOP1] For kilns with the optional

AOP switch box electrical outlet.p22 [ELEC ] Check circuit board tem

perature, useful in hot weather. p22

[EXIT ]Press Start/Stop to return to IDLE.

[OPT3 ] Press Start/Stop to see level 3 options.

[COOL] Select Slow Cooling so it appears during Cone-Fire program ming. p17

[RATE ] Select your preferred type of rate. p22

[CENT] Enter cost of electricity. 23 [KW ]Enter kiln’s wattage. p23 [SFTY] See kiln’s max tempera

ture. p24

[SOFT ] See software version. p24 [CFG ]Shows controller model.24 [RST ]Reset the controller to its

factory default settings. p24

Indicator Lights

Top: Light is on dur ing programming.

Middle: Light is on dur ing program review.

Bottom: Light turns on only when the elements are on during a firing.

Down Arrow Key

1) Lower Numbers

2) Repeat the Last Fir ing: From Down Arrow.Thepro-

gram you have selected will appear one step at a time. When pears, press Start/Stop. Page 5

4) Review a Program: During firing, press Down Arrow. The program you

entered will appear one step at a time. Page 5

[IDLE] press

[STRT] ap-

Quick Cone-Fire programming . . . page 10

Ramp-Hold programming for the power user . . . page 13

Error messages . . . pages 25 - 27

Confused about display messages? ... pages28-29

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

Before You Begin

Thank you for purchasing the Sentry Xpress temperature controller. As you read the manual, pull up a chair and sit in front of your kiln so you can try out the keys.

Thecontrollerdisplaymessagesarelimitedtofourcharac ters. If at any time you are confused by these messages, turn to Display Messages on pages 28 - 29.

The back cover is a shorthand guide to programming, to be used after you have read the programming instructions on pages 10 and 13.

You can customize the programming (pages 10 and 13) by adding or removing these steps:

Delay: Schedule a firing for later. This works in all firings. Page 17 Fan: If your kiln is set up with a vent and switch box outlet, or, socket, you can turn the fan on or

off for Ramp-Hold segments. Page 22.

Lock: Passcode-protect individual Ramp-Hold programs. Page 21 Slow Cooling: Enhance certain glazes in Cone-Fire mode. Page 17.

If you don’t need these features, streamline programming by removing their display prompts. Turn to the pages shown above for instructions.

Do not worry if you hear a clicking noise during operation. Mechanical relays click as they turn the heating elements on and off. This is normal. It is also normal for the temperature to fluctuate up and down as the kiln heats up. Please don’t be concerned.

The warranty on your Sentry controller does not cover damage from overfiring, regardless of the circumstances. It is the operator’s responsibility to make sure the kiln turns off at the end of the firing.

We are constantly trying to find better ways to make kilns, and your kiln is extremely reliable. Nevertheless, it containsmechanical partsthat eventuallywear out.In some cases, a parts failure can lead to akiln overfire. Thereforeit isimportant that youoccasionally check onthe kilnduring operation. Although the kiln does not require constant attention, it should never be left unat tended. Please check the kiln especially during the later stages of firing.

Write notes on the controller features that you use. Then if you are away from your kiln for a period, you can review your notes to refresh your memory. The cover shows the controller op tions at a glance. Use the cover as a quick index.

Use Program Review (page 5) every time you fire the kiln. This is your assurance that you are firing the correct program. Check the program in the display against a written copy.

2 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

Contents

Before You Begin .............2

Safety Rules .................4

Safety first. Quick habits for trou ble-free firing.

Chapter 1 Basic Pointers .......5

A quick read of this chapter will save you time later.

Time and Temperature Displays ....5

Operation Begins from

the IDLE Display ................5

Thermocouple Inspection .........5

How to Scroll Numbers Rapidly ....5

Program Review & Repeat Firing . . . 5

Delay .........................6

The LID Message................6

Power Failures ..................6

CPLT Message: Firing Completed . . 6 Hot and Cold Weather;

Storage Sheds..................6

Thunder Storms and Power Surges . 7

Canceling a New Program ........7

Two Firing Modes:

Cone-Fire and Ramp-Hold ........7

Preventing an Overfire............7

How to Disable the Audible Alarm . . 7

Chapter 2 Cone-Fire ...........8

Learn quick ceramic firing.

Pyrometric Cones ...............8

Firing Schedules ................9

How to Interpret the Bending

of a Pyrometric Cone.............9

How to Correct for

Under- or Over-Fired Cones .......9

Cone-Fire Programming

Instructions ..................10

Firing Speed [SPD] .............10

Hold at Cone Temperature [HOLD] 10

Slow Cooling [COOL] ...........11

How to Customize Cone-Fire .....11

For Kilns with the AOP Outlet .....11

Chapter 3 Ramp-Hold .........12

Read this section for non-ceramic firings and customized ceramic firings.

Theory of Ramp-Hold Operation. . . 12

How to Store Programs..........12

Ramp-Hold Rate: 3 Types

Rate as Degrees Per Hour . . . . . . 13

Rate as Degrees Per Minute. . . . . 14

Rate as Time Needed to Reach

the Target Temperature . . . . . . . . 14

Ramp-Hold Programming

Instructions ..................13

Hold (HD ) ....................14

Temperature Overshoot .........14

AOP: Turn on a Fan or Alarm .....14

Programming a Cooling Segment . 14

A Ramp-Hold Practice Program . . . 15

Chapter 4 Customize Your

Controller with Options .......15

Become a power user. The infor mation is here if you ever need it.

How to Edit a Program

During a Firing .................15

Skip to the Next Segment . . . . . . 16

Change Hold Time . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Change Target Temperature . . . . 16

Cone-Fire Options

OFST / Cone Offset ............16

Interpreting Cone Bending to

Set a Cone Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

When Cone Temperature

Is Off More Than 20°F/11°C . . . . . 17

COOL / Slow Cooling for Glazes . . 17 General Options DELA / Delay the Firing for Later . . 17 TC / Choose Thermocouple Type . 18

ALAR / Temperature Alarm.......18

Setting the Alarm From IDLE . . . . 18

Setting the Alarm During a Firing. 18

DIAG (Diagnostics) .............19

Check the Amperage Test the Relays and AOP1 Outlet

F/C / Select °F or °C

Temperature Display ............19

°F/°C Temperature Conversion Formulas

LIM / Set a Maximum

Temperature for Your Kiln ........19

COST / View the Electrical

Cost of a Firing ................19

TCOS / Thermocouple Offset .....20

TEDE / Temperature Deviation ....20

HTDE / Adjust High

Temperature Deviation ..........21

LOCK / Program Lock ..........21

How to Activate the Lock Option . 21 How to Lock Individual Programs 22

AOP1 / Auxiliary Output .........22

ELEC / Electronics Temperature . . 22 RATE / Select Preferred

Type of Ramp-Hold Rate.........22

CENT / Enter Cost Per Kilowatt-Hour from Your Electric Bill

(for Firing Cost) ................23

KW / Kilowatts of Your Kiln (Needed to Calculate Firing Cost). . 23

SFTY / Maximum Temperature....24

SOFT / Software Version.........24

CFG / Configuration Code .......24

RST / Reset ...................24

Chapter 5 Error Messages.....25

Error messages are like the heart rate monitor on a digital watch. They let you know when some thing is wrong.

Non-Interrupting Error Messages

FTC / Failed to Cool ............25

FTH / Failed to Heat ............25

LTDE / Low Temperature Deviation 25

PF / Power Failure..............25

Terminating Error Messages

- - - - / No Thermocouple ........25

BADP / Bad Programming .......25

ETH / Electronics Too Hot .......25

FAIL / Thermocouple Failure .....25

FE 1 / Failed to Read/Write

To Memory ...................26

FE 4 / Unstable Analog-to-Digital Con version; Errors Detecting

Thermocouple Signal ...........26

FTL / Firing Too Long ...........26

HTDE / High Temperature

Deviation .....................26

LAG / Thermocouple Lag ........26

LID / Safety Switch .............26

OTL / Over Temperature Limit ....27

PF1 / Power Failure.............27

PF 2 / Power Failure ............27

PF 3 / Power Failure ............27

TC 2 / Thermocouple Failure .....27

TCR / Thermocouple Leads

Reversed .....................27

Basic Power Failure Principles ....27

Using Ceramic Witness Cones After an Extended

Power Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Display Messages............28

Preset Cone-Fire Programs ....30

Orton Cone Temperature Chart . 31

Ramp-Hold Firing Records ....33

Make copies. Keep a log book of your firings. Build a knowledge base.

Glossary ...................34

Ramp-Hold

Shorthand Instructions .......35

Cone-Fire

Shorthand Instructions .......36

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 3

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

Safety Rules

The warranty on your Sentry Xpress controller does not cover damage from overfiring, regardless of the circum stances. It is the operator’s responsibility to make sure the kiln turns off at the end of the firing.

Follow these safety rules in addition to the ones in your kiln manual:

When the kiln is not in use, disconnect the

power and keep the lid or door closed. (For

larger kilns with heavy cordsets, werecommend

a power disconnect box near the kiln.)

Large studio kilns should have a power disconnect box for the kiln. Place the box in the kiln room.

Do not leave the kiln unattended, especially

near the expected shut-off time. Do not leave a

kiln turned on at your studio while you are at

home sleeping.

Wear green #3 firing safety glasses when look

ing into the peephole of a hot kiln.

Do not touch hot sides of kiln. Keep unsuper

vised children away.

Install your kiln at least 12 - 18 inches from any

wall or combustible surface. (See manufac

turer’s recommendation for your model.)

Do not open lid or door until kiln has cooled and

all switches are off.

Fire only in a well-ventilated, covered and pro

tected area away from flammable materials.

Keep cordset away from hot sides of kiln.

DANGEROUS VOLTAGE! Do not touch

heating elements with anything. Disconnect

kiln before servicing.

Do not operate if the controller itself is hotter than 158°F / 70°C. (See instructions on page 22 for checking circuit board temperature.) Never allow the firing room temperature to exceed

110°F / 43°C. (Measure room temperature three feet from the kiln.)

Stop a firing by pressing the Start/Stop button, not by only disconnecting the power. In certain conditions, the controller will interpret a power interruption as a power failure and turn the kiln back on when you reconnect the power.

Place the kiln onthe stand recommended by the manufacturer. When a kiln is safety tested, the lab fires the kiln on the stand designed for the kiln. Cinder blocks or brickscan inhibit theflow of air under the kiln. They can also change the kiln’s heating characteristics.

Place the kiln on a non-combustible surface.

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. This keeps dust out of the kiln. Also, should someone turn on the kiln while you are away, the closed lid will keep the heat safely inside the firing chamber.

Never place anything on top of the kiln, even when the kiln is idle. If people become accustomed to placing papers and other objects on the kiln, they may forget and do that while the kiln is firing.

Remove tripping hazards from around the kiln. Keep the kiln’s supply cord out of traffic areas.

Avoid using extension cords.

Never fire tempered glass inside a kiln. It could explode.

Greenware, which is unfired clay, must be bone dry before firing. Moist greenware can explode

inside the kiln, damaging the ware and the kiln. Place a piece of greenware against the inside of your wrist. If it feels cool, it is too wet to fire.

Store kiln shelves in a dry area. Moist shelves can explode inside a kiln.

If you smell burning plastic, turn the kiln off. Examine the wall outlet (socket) and supply cord for signs of burning.

Never place extra insulation around the kiln in an attempt to conserve energy. The extra insu

lation can cause the wiring and the steel case to over-heat.

Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

Chapter 1

Basic Pointers

In This Chapter you will learn to . . .

Choose between Cone-Fire and Ramp-Hold

Use the controller in freezing or hot weather

Understand the display window layout

Easily repeat the last firing

Make a quick visual check of your thermocouple

Avoid overfiring your kiln

Disable the audible alarm

Time and Temperature Displays

Center Dot: Time

A center dot appears during time display. It separates hours from minutes. (Example: 1 hour, 30 minutes displays as 01.30.) During temperature display, the dot disappears.

Right-Hand Dot: °C

When temperature is displayed in °C, a dot appears in the lower right. In °F display, it disappears. You can choose between Fahrenheit and Celsius display. See page 19.

Operation Begins from the IDLE Display

[IDLE] must appear before you

can fire the kiln.

If [CPLT], [PF3], or other message appears instead of

[IDLE] when the kiln is first turned on, press the

Start/Stop key (the key with the circular arrow).

[IDLE] will appear.

If youpress Start/Stopduring afiring, [ABRT]will ap pear. To get back to

If the display shows an error message such as [FAIL] in stead of

[CPLT] (firing completed) appears at the end ofa firing.

To make

[IDLE], see pages 25-27.

[IDLE] appear, press Start/Stop.

[IDLE], press Start/Stop again.

Thermocouple Inspection

The small rod protruding into the firing chamber is the temperature sensor, or thermocouple.

CAUTION: Bumping the thermocouple can push it out of the firing chamber. This could cause an overfire! The controller does not contain an alarm to detect this type of failure. Bumping the thermo couple could also cause inaccurate readings.

Thermocouples come in different widths. The wider the thermocouple, the farther it should extend into the firing

Time

°C

chamber. A ¼” - ½” diameter thermocouple should extend into the kiln about ¾” - 1”. (Do not be concerned if yourthermo couple extends into the firing chamber even farther.)

Note: Keep shelves, posts and ware 1” - 1 ½” away from the thermocouple. Keep an extra thermocou ple on hand, especially if you fire hotter than 2000°F / 1093°C.

If you are using a separate portable controller, you will need to install the thermocouple on the kiln. See the sepa rate TnF 2 installation instructions.

Pointer: Keep shelves, posts and ware1” - 1 ½”away from the thermocouple.

How to Scroll Numbers Rapidly

During programming, hold an arrow key down several seconds, and numbers will begin to scroll rapidly. Ordi narily, you would press the Up Arrow to raise a number and the Down Arrow to lowerit. Butsometimes itis faster to press theopposite key. Thisis because thenumbers scroll below 0000 to the highest number, and vice versa. Examples:

To program a 99.59 hour Hold when the display shows

[00.00], press the Down Arrow once.

To program a FULL rate when the display shows

[0000], press the Down Arrow once.

To program a temperature of 200°F when the display

[1800], press the Up Arrow. That is faster than

shows pressing the Down Arrow and scrolling from 1800 to

200.

Program Review & Repeat Firing

Program Review lets you check that the program in the controller is accurate. Use Program Review before every firing. It takesonly seconds. ProgramReview shows the val ues for the program in active memory. Use Program Re

view from

program in active memory is 1) the program that you fired last, or 2) the program that you entered or selected since

the last firing.

Using Program Review during firing: Press the Down Arrow key. The rate, temperature, hold, etc. will dis

play one after the other. The firing will continue.

To repeat a firing, use Program Review from [IDLE]: Press the Down Arrow key. After rate, temperature, hold, etc.,

[DELA] will appear unless it has been removed in Op

tions. Enter thedelay time, or press theStart/Stopkey.

[-ON-] will appear, and the kiln will begin firing the pro

gram just reviewed.

[IDLE] to repeat the last program you fired. The

[STRT] will appear. Press Start/Stop.

Pointer: When can end the firing before it begins. Do nothing for 60 seconds. The display will return to

[DELA] flashes after [STRT], you

[IDLE].

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 5

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

Note: In Program Review, Cone-Fire speed is dis played as the RA (ramp) part of each segment. Cone-Fire Review shows the segments and ramp rates listed in the charts on pages 30-31.

Delay

Delay is a count-down timer. The kiln begins firing when the timer runs out of time. Use delay to fit a firing into your schedule. See also page 17.

CAUTION: For safety, do not leave the kiln alone during a delay or a firing. We cannot guarantee your kiln against overfiring even though the con troller is automatic.

1 After you have selected aprogram and thecontrol

ler is ready to begin firing,

[STRT] will appear.

2 Press the Start/Stop key once. [DELA] will ap

pear, alternating with

[00.00].

3 Use the arrow keys to enter delay time. (The deci

mal separates hours and minutes. Example: 1 hour and 10 minutes = 01.10) Then press Start/Stop.

[-ON-] will appear, then [DELA] alternating with

time left until the firing begins.

Note: Press Start/Stop during delay to end the delay and begin the firing. The maximum delay is 99 hours and 59 minutes.

[PF 3] The power failed during afiring and the tempera

ture dropped more than 72°F / 40°C by the time the power came back on.

CPLT Message: Firing Completed

When the firing has successfully completed, the Sentry Xpress will beep for 60 seconds and shut off the elements. Then four messages will cycle one after the other:

1 [CPLT] (complete)

2 Firing time in hours and minutes

3 The temperature reached during the last segment

that you programmed

4 The current kiln temperature

Note: After the kiln fires to completion, discon nect the power. It is okay to turn off the power to the controller while the kiln cools to room temperature.

Hot and Cold Weather; Storage Sheds

It is okay to store the Sentry Xpressat sub-zero tempera tures. But before operating, raise the room temperature to at least 32°F / 0°C.

CAUTION: For safety, do not leave the kiln alone during a delay or a firing. We cannot guarantee your kiln against overfiring even though the controller is automatic. The operator assumes full responsibility for shutting the kiln off at the proper time.

The LID Message

This indicates that your kiln is equipped with a lid or door safety switch, and the lid ordoor is open. This will turn off the elements.

If your kiln does not have a safety switch, or the kiln is closed, please see page 26.

Power Failures

After a power failure, the controller will continue firing provided–

The kiln temperature is above 212°F / 100°C when the power comes back on.

The temperature dropped no more than 180°F / 100°C while the power was off.

Power Failure Messages

[PF 1] The power failed during a cooling segment, and

the kiln cooled past the target temperature while the power was off.

[PF 2] The power failed during a firing and thekiln tem

perature was below 212°F / 100°C when the power came back on.

Hot weather pointer: Blow a gentle stream of air through the control panel of the kilnto reduce the temperature of thecontroller circuitboard.

The Sentry Xpress will registersub-zero °F / °C tempera tures. However, 32°F / 0°C is the lowest recommended op erating temperature.

Pointer: Raise the room temperature with a space heater before firing the kiln.Place the spaceheater within a coupleof feet ofthe control paneland let it run for an hour or so. Or even hang a shop light near the kiln to raise the temperature above freezing.

The circuit board is rated for 176°F / 80°C maximum op erating temperature. However, the maximum recom mended temperature is 158°F / 70°C, measured at the con troller inside the kiln switchbox. Tolower the temperature, open windows andblow air across the kiln’s switch box with a fan. Place several fans in the room during hot weather. (See ELEC, page22, to checkcircuit board temperature.)

High humidity will not adversely affect the Sentry Xpress unless water condenses on the circuit board. In this case, do not fire the kiln until the moisture has evaporated from the board.

6 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

Thunder Storms and Power Surges

Unplug the kiln when not in use, especially during thun der storms and in areas that have frequent power surges. If the kiln is part way through a firing when a storm begins, it may be okay to continue the firing. When the kiln shuts off, disconnect the power.

Preventing an Overfire

Even though a digital controller turns off the kiln auto matically, you should monitor the kiln during firing. This is to prevent a possible overfire.

1 Remain nearby while the kiln is firing. Check the

kiln occasionally.

2 Set the temperature

alarm (page 18) to re mind yourself to check the kiln. Ifyou are toofar away to hear the alarm, you might try using a baby monitor.

Try to avoid firing your kiln during thunderstorms. Keep the kiln discon nected from the power when not in use. (Lake Grapevine, Texas. Photoby Jared Davidson.)

CAUTION: When firing the kiln during a storm, do not leave the kiln unattended.

Canceling a New Program

It’s okay if you pause while entering a program. There is no time out. If you change your mind and want to cancel a new program, turn off the power to the controller. Or continue enteringa program.When

[STRT] appears, press the

Down Arrow key. The controller will cancel the firing and go back to

[IDLE].

Cone-Fire and Ramp-Hold

To give you greater flexibility, your controller has two firing modes: Cone-Fire and Ramp-Hold.

Cone-Fire Mode (see pages 8-11)

Cone-Fire mode fires the ware to a pyrometric cone number using the Orton cone tables on page 32. This mode is for ceramics, pottery, stoneware, and glazes. Your sup plier can tell you which cone number to program.

Ramp-Hold Mode (see pages 12-15)

Use Ramp-Hold mode to create custom firings. Select your own firing speed, temperature, and hold time in up to 20 steps, or segments.

The chart shows the recommended firing mode for sev eral types of ware:

Type of Firing Suggested Firing Mode

China Painting Cone-Fire Ceramic Decals Cone-Fire Ceramic Glaze Cone-Fire Ceramic Greenware Cone-Fire Glass Bead Annealing Ramp-Hold Glass Fusing Ramp-Hold Glass Slumping Ramp-Hold Lost Wax Ramp-Hold

3 After the kiln fires to

completion, disconnect the power. It is okay to turn off the power to the controller while the kiln cools to room tempera

Pointer: Set a wristwatch alarm, cell phone, or even an alarm clock to remind youself to check on your kiln.

ture.

How to Disable the Audible Alarm

The Sentry Xpressmakes a beepingnoise when it firesto completion and whenit displays error messages. Some people prefer not to have an audible alarm. You can disable the alarm by removing a jumper on the back of the controller. Replace the jumper when you want the alarm again.

1 Disconnect the kiln

from the power.

2 Remove the four

corner screws that

hold the controller to the switch box. Lift out the con

troller.

3 Find the 2-pin

jumper plug for the alarm on the back of the controller. It is on the connec tion pins labeled BUZZ ENABLE. Remove and save the jumper plug.

4 Reinstall the con

troller being careful not to tug on the wires.

Remove the 2-pin jumper plug from the connectors labeled BUZZ ENABLE to si lence the beeping alarm.You will find the connectors on theback of the controller.

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 7

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

Chapter 2

Cone-Fire

In this chapter you will learn to . . .

See witness cones at high temperatures

Program a Cone-Fire program in minutes

Pre-heat the ware so it doesn’t explode

Bend a cone by adding extra hold time

Cool slowly (called down fire) to alter glazes

Cone-Fire mode is based on Orton pyro metric cones. It is not designed for heat treating, glass fusing and enameling. For these firings, see “Ramp-Hold,” pages 12-15. Use Ramp-Hold to fire ceramic pieces that require a custom firing schedule, such as some types of stone ware sculpture or crystalline glaze.

Note: If the bending of the witness cone does not match the Cone-Fire shut-off, you may want to ad just Cone Offset (page 16) or Thermocouple Off set (page 20). If the witness cones bend inconsis tently from one firing to another, see “Sentry Troubleshooter,” a separate publication.

How to Position Cones on the Shelf (for Ceramic Kilns)

Position the witness cones so you can see them through a peephole during firing. If the kiln takes longer than usual to fire, you may wonder if some thing has gone wrong and the

kiln is over-firing. But by seeing the cones,you will know how the firing is actually progressing.

If you follow these guidelines, you should be able to see the cones even at cone 10:

1 Place the cones 8” - 12”

away from a peephole. Positioning them closer makes them difficult to see.

Use self-supporting witness cones on theshelf. Theystand upright without cone holders.

Before using Cone-Fire mode, read all of this chapter. Have your controller in front of you so you can try out the keys as youread.Formoredetailsonpyrometric cones, please see your kiln manual.

Pyrometric Witness Cones

Question A cone 5 firing was 7°F below the target listed in your manual, and a cone 6 firing was 22°F below the target.Is this typicaland okay? Is the dig ital controller on my kiln operating normally even though it did not achieve the controller tempera tures that were programmed at cone 5 and 6?

Answer This is normalfor Cone-Fire operation. If the kiln fires slower than the normal rate, it will shut off at a lower temperature. If the kiln fires faster than a normal rate, it will shut off at a higher temperature, sometimes by only a few degrees.

The Sentry Xpress controller shuts off automatically without cones. Nevertheless, every ceramic firing should include at least one witness cone (also called the shelf cone). The witness cone is placed inside the kiln. The wit ness cone isthe most accuratemeasurement of heat workin a ceramic firing.

If you fire the same size load and type of ware regularly, the witness cones let you compare one firing tothe next and alert you when something is wrong. For example, if the wit ness cone bends farther and farther with each consecutive firing, this may indicate thermocouple temperature drift.

The heating element in the background should be lined up with the lower part of the witness cones. If the element is too high, the tips of the cones will disappear from view when they bend.

2 Have enough space

around the cones to keep them from touch ing a piece of ware when they bend.

3 Position cones so that

when viewed from the peephole, they are sil houetted by a glowing

heating element on the opposite kiln wall. (Keep cones at least 2” from an element.)

Silhouette the lower part of the cone against an element. Keep the cone 8” - 12” away from the peephole.

4 The element that silhouettes the cones should be

level with the lower partof the cone. If the element is in line with the upper part of the cone, you won’t be able to see the cone when it bends.

8 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

5 If you use the three cone system, always have the

higher temperature cone on the same side in every firing. Otherwise you can lose track of which cone is which.

6 Wear green #3 kiln firing safety glasses when view

ing the cones through the peephole.

See your dealer if in doubt about which cone number to use with each clay and glaze.

1. Correct Bend

When the self-supporting cone bends so that the tip is approxi mately even with the top of the

base, the cone has beenexposed to the correct amount of heat work for that cone number. This is calleda6o’clock bend.

Firing Schedules

Cone-Fire uses three ranges of firing schedules:

Low fire cones 022 - 011

Medium fire cones 010 - 01

High fire cones1-10

The firing schedules programmed into Cone-Fire mode are listed on pages 30-31. Should you ever want to custom ize a Cone-Fire program, make the desired changes to a fir ing schedule and program it in Ramp-Hold (page 11).

CAUTION: Cone numbers beginning with 0 are lower in temperature than those without the 0. When programing a Cone-Fire, be sure you know the difference betweenan 05 and5. See “Temperature Equivalents Chart for Orton Self-Supporting Pyrometric Cones,” page 32.

Low Fire Cones 022 - 011

This range includes decals, over-decorations, lusters, and golds. You can usually fire fast. Good venting is important because of the oils and otherorganics. Donot close the lid from thevented position until all odorhas disappeared.

Middle Fire Cones 010 - 01

Glazes fired on bisque ware (ware that has already been fired) can be fired faster than greenware.

High Fire Cones 1 -10

This is the firing range for porcelain and stoneware. These bodies fire nearly to vitrification andcan shrink up to 16%. Water, carbon and sulfur burn out during the early stages and must be vented. The amount of oxygen in the kiln affects the color of the fired clay. The high fire sched ules programmedinto Cone-Fire slow down during the last 216°F/120°C (two hours) to produce better density in the ware.

How to Interpret the Bending of a Pyrometric Cone

The cones illustrated here are called self-supporting cones. They are the easiest type of witness cone to use.

2. Under-Fired Cone

The cone in this photo has not bent far enough. It indicates that the kiln did not firelong enough or hot enough.

3. Over-Fired Cone

When a cone collapses or pud dles, it indicates that the kiln over-fired the ware rated to that cone number.

Note: Do not be overly concerned with achieving an exact 6 o’clock bend. The difference between a 3 o’clockand a 6 o’clock bend is only a few degrees of temperature.

How to Correct for Under- or Over-Fired Cones

Before changing a firing because of an under- or over-fired cone, make sure the correct cone was in the kiln. For instance, if you fired to cone 05, make sure the cone in the kiln wasnot a cone5 instead. (Seethe cone temperature chart on page 32.) Try the following ideas, one at a time:

Compensating for an Under-Fired Cone

Fire to the same cone number next time, but add hold time. How much to add is a matter of experimentation. A general guideline would be 10-30 minutes.

If the kiln still does not fire hot enough, then fire to the next hotter cone number, without hold time.

Adjust the Thermocouple Offset. See page 20.

Customize the firing in Ramp-Hold. See page 11.

Compensating for an Over-Fired Cone

Fire to the next cooler cone number.

If firing to the next cooler cone number results in un der-firing, add hold time.

Adjust the Thermocouple Offset. See page 20.

Customize the firing in Ramp-Hold. See page 11.

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 9

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

Cone-Fire Programming

Instructions

Lock, Slow Cooling, and Delay can each be turned on or off as programming steps. Ignore the steps below that you have deactivated. See LOCK, page 21; COOL, page 17; and DELA, page 17.

1 From [IDLE], press Start/Stop (left button). 2 Using the Up Arrow key (not the Down Ar

row), skip past Then press Start/Stop.

[USER] and select [CONE].

3 The last pyrometric cone you fired will appear.

Use the arrow keys to change the cone number. Then press Start/Stop.

4 If the program is locked, [UNLO] (Unlock) will

appear alternating with change the program, enter your passcode. Oth erwise press Start/Stop, which will take you to Step 9.

[0000]. If you want to

5 [SPD] alternating with [SLOW], [STD] (stan

dard) or to change speed. Then press Start/Stop.

[FAST] will appear.Use the arrow keys

6 [HOLD] and the hold time from the last firing

will appear. (Example:1 hour and 10 minutes =

01.10) Use the arrow keys to change the hold time. Then press Start/Stop.

7 [COOL] will appear. Enter a slow cooling rate

as degrees per hour. (180°F/82°C is the maximum cooling rate. Enter 0 to turn Slow Cooling off.) Then press Start/Stop.

8 [LOCK] alternating with [0000] will appear.

Enter your passcode to lock the program, or press Start/Stop to leave it unlocked.

9 [STRT] will appear. Press Start/Stop. [DELA]

will appear. Seta delay time.If you don’tneed to delay the firing, leave the time at press Start/Stop. indicator light will begin blinking, and the kiln will begin firing. If Delay was programmed,

[DELA] will appear, then time remaining until

start.

To stop a firing before completion, press Start/Stop.

[ABRT] (abort), the firing time, final firingtemperature,

and current temperature will appear.

When the kiln fires to completion, it will beep for 30 seconds. final firing temperature, and current temperature will appear.

view & Repeat Firing,” page 5.

[CPLT] (fired to completion), the firing time,

To return to

To fire the same program again, see “Program Re

[IDLE], press Start/Stop.

[-ON-] will appear, the Run

[00.00]. Then

Entering a Cone-Fire Program

Firing Speed [SPD]

When you select Medium speed in a Cone-Fire pro gram, the kiln uses the standard firing schedules listed on pages 30-31. When you select Fast, the standard schedules fire 20% faster. On Slow, they fire 20% slower.

Pointer: The Medium speed appears in thedisplay as

[STD] (Standard).

Note: The final segment heating rate will not change. It will always be108°F/60°C perhour. Slow and Fast speeds affect only the earlier ramp seg ments of theCone-Fire schedules onpages 30-31.

Hold at Cone Temperature [HOLD]

Cone-Fire Hold heat-soaks the ware at the conetemper ature. Without Hold, the kiln shuts off after it reaches the cone temperature or Slow Cooling begins. Hold maintains the cone temperature for the length of time you specify.

Hold is not needed in every firing. Experience will help you decide when to use Hold. Some of the reasons you might consider using it:

To even out the temperature throughout the kiln.

To allow heat to penetrate more completely into the clay. (Rapid firing is like cooking: the turkey will be done on the outside but not on the inside.)

To help glaze absorb china paint.

To heal glaze defects such as bubbles.

CAUTION: Too much hold time canoverfire your ware and burn out colors. Be sure to experiment with hold before firing a full load of ware with it.

One wayto add hold time without over-firing is to fire to one cone cooler than needed. Then add enough hold time to bend the nexthotter cone. Holdtime neededto bendthe next cone willvary. As arule of thumb,20 minutes ofhold = one cone of heat work.

Example: to fire to cone 05, program Cone-Fire for 06

and add 20 minutes of hold time.

If your kiln has apeephole, watch thepyrometric witness cones during firing. Press Stop/Startwhen the correct wit ness cone bends. Note how much Hold time was needed. Program that much Hold time the next time you fire the same type of ware.

Note: During Hold, the display temperature will alternate with time left in Hold. To figure hold time for the next firing, subtract time left in Hold

from the total hold time entered.

10 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

When Hold is set to 99.59 hours, the Sentry Xpress will

remain at that temperature indefinitely, until the Start/Stop key is pressed.

Slow Cooling [COOL]

Slow cooling, alsocalled downfiring, enhances the qual ity of some ceramic glazesand may healglaze bubbles. Slow cooling encourages crystal develoment, deeper gloss, and sometimes startling color shifts. Iron red glazes seem to re spond well to slow cooling.

The [COOL] promptdoes not appear in thedisplay dur ing programming until you activate the Slow Cooling Option. See page 17.

The Sentry’s Slow Cooling begins after the cone firing and ends at 800°F / 426°C.

When [COOL] appears in Cone-Fire programming, en ter a cooling rate between 1°F - 180°F / 1°C - 82°C per hour. A good starting point is a rate of 90°F / 50°C.

Enter a rate of 0 to turn Slow Cooling off.

Pointer: If the kiln seems to take forever to shut off, press the Down Arrow for Present Status. Check the Slow Cooling rate. The firing time can extend for many hours if the cooling rate is too slow. This also adds to element wear.

Answer 9 ½ hours is the firing time programmed into the Cone-Fire mode at fast speed. The easiest way to go faster is to use Ramp-Hold mode, where you can program the exact speed you want. Note, however, that the firing speed is limited to the

kiln’s heating capacity.

For Kilns with the AOP Outlet

The AOP(auxiliary output) is an optional receptacle, or socket, mounted on the kiln. Plug a kiln vent into the recep tacle, and use your controller to turn on the vent automati cally. You must select

[VFAN] (Vent Fan) in the [AOP1]

option. See page 22.

How to Customize Cone-Fire

You can customize a Cone-Fire program using Ramp-Hold. (See the next section.) On pages 30-31, tables show the segments used to program each cone number in Cone-Fire. For instance, a cone 016 firing at medium speed

[STD] uses these two segments:

Rate Temp.

Segment °F/°C °F/°C Hold

1 396 / 220 1314 / 712 00.00

2 108 / 60 1422 / 772 00.00

Suppose your 016 witness cone, at a medium speed fir ing, only barely started to bend. To fire 25° hotter, raise the target temperature of segment 2 by 25°:

1422 + 25 = 1447

This is the program you would enter in Ramp-Hold:

Rate Temp.

Segment °F/°C °F/°C Hold

1 396 / 220 1314 / 712 00.00

2 108 / 60 1447 / 786 00.00

You could also easily add a slow cooling segment:

Rate Temp.

Segment °F/°C °F/°C Hold

1 396 / 220 1314 / 712 00.00

2 108 / 60 1447 / 786 00.00

3 100 / 55 1000 / 537 00.00

Question My kiln is taking too long to fire: 9 ½ hours to cone 6. I want the kiln to fire in 4 hours.

TheOrtonVentMastercanbeturnedonoroff throughout the firing through the controller.

When the Kiln Shuts Off Too Soon

Ceramic Firings

If the kiln fires to completion before the pyrometric witness conebends, you can turnthe kiln back on and keep firing. Program for a hotter cone following the instructions in the red box, page 10. The kiln will begin firing, taking up where it left off.

Note: By seeing the witness cones through a peep hole, you will know if the kiln shuts off too soon.

If the kiln shuts off within 100°F/55°C of maturity, and the temperature drops 50°F/28°C or more after the kiln shuts off, do not depend on the witness cones. Once they cool 50°F/28°C after they have been heated to within 100°F/55°C of maturity, they will not bend properly. This is because they form a hard shell.

Wrong Thermocouple Type

If a K-Type thermocouple is installed on your kiln, but S-Type is selected in Options, the kiln will continually underfire by a wide margin. (The kiln will overfire if S-Type is installed and K-Type is selected.) See the TC option, page 18, to check the thermocouple type selected.

Starting a Firing in a Hot Kiln

If youever need to begin a firing when the kiln is already hot, begin the program as you normally would. The Sentry Xpress will automatically begin firing from the first seg ment that matches the current kiln temperature.

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 11

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

Chapter 3

Ramp-Hold

In this chapter you will learn to . . .

Program a Ramp-Hold firing

Store programs in memory

Turn a vent fan on or off throughout the firing

Control the cooling rates for down firing

Before using Ramp-Hold, read all of this chapter with your controller in front of yousoyoucanpressthekeysasyouread.

Theory of Ramp-Hold Operation

The temperature you are firing to in Ramp-Hold is called the target temperature. After the Sentry Xpress reaches the targettemperature, it can hold,or soak, the kiln at that temperature for thelength of timethat you program.

The SentryXpress fires at a controlled heating rate. The rate is usually figured in degrees per hour. If you selected a rate of 100° per hour, it would take 10 hours for the kiln to reach 1000°. Rate is similar to miles per hour.

Ramp-Hold mode does three basic tasks:

1) It fires at a controlled heating rate, or speed, usually

measured in degrees of temperature change per hour.

2) It fires to a target temperature.

3) It can hold, or soak, the target temperature for a pe-

riod of time.

A segment has two parts:

Ramp: The temperature changes at a rate that you select.

Hold: The temperature remains the same.

The heating rate is figured in degrees per hour. The rec ommended heating rate for the material you are firing is usually available from your supplier. The heating rate also varies depending on the thickness of the material.

Note: Some brands of controllers fire to a temper ature in a given length of time. If you would prefer to program that way insteadof indegrees per hour, see the Rate option, pages 13-14.

A segment can have only one ramp and only one hold. Therefore, if you need more than one hold, add more seg ments to the firing. Firing to a temperature at a single rate would need only one segment. Reasons to add more seg ments:

To change the heating rate.

To add a hold somewhere in the firing.

To control the cooling rate.

The diagram below shows a 3 segment firing. Segments1 and 2 were used on the way up in temperature. Segment 3 was added to control the cooling rate.

To figure how many hours a segment will take to fire, subtract the current temperature from the target temperature and dividethe result bythe heating rate. In thediagram in the left column, the firing time is 1250° - 80° (room temperature) = 1170 ÷ 625 = 1.87 hours.

After the Sentry Xpress has finished firing the last segment, it will turn off the heating elements.

Note: If you enter a rate of 0000 in segment 1, or if the target temperature in segment 1 is lower than the current temperature, will appear in the display.

[BADP] (Bad Program)

This segment will reach the target temperature of 1250° in 2 hours, then hold that temperature for 1 hour.

The Sentry Xpress fires in segments, or stages. A segment is a controlled heating rate to a target tempera ture. A segment can also have a hold. Shown in the chart above is a segment with a target temperature of 1250°, a rate of 625°, and a hold of one hour.

Here is a simple3-segmentprogram. Segments 1 and2 each have a hold. Segment 3 is a controlled cooling segment.

How to Store Programs

The controller can retain 25 Ramp-Hold programs that can each fireup to 20speeds and temperatures.(Each set of speeds and temperatures is called a segment.) The pro

12 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

grams stay in memory even when the power is turned off. Programs are numbered1-25.

The first message to appear after you plug in your Sentry

Xpress is Arrow key twice to scroll through two messages: and [CONE].

To use Ramp-Hold mode, select

Start/Stop key. Then follow the boxed instructions in the next column to enter temperature, heating rate, etc.

[PRO1] is Program 1. When you fire the kiln again, you

can repeat Program 1 by selecting ready to fire a different program, select program 2. Then enter temperatures, heating rates, etc. Se lect programs

To over-write a program, select it and enter new rates and temperatures. This automatically over-writes the pre vious program. Write down your programs in a notebook. Make copies of the blank firing record on page 33.

[ IDLE]. Press Start/Stop. Then press the Up

[USER]

[USER]. Press the

[PRO1]. When you are

[PRO2], which is

[PRO3] - [PR25] the same way.

Pointer: To Select a high number Ramp-Hold program from You will go to ber. Use the up and down arrow keys to scroll through your stored programs.

[PRO1], press the Down Arrow.

[PR25], the highest program num

Ramp-Hold Programming Instructions

You have up to 20 segments available in Ramp-Hold.

Zero out segmentsthat you don’t need. Seestep 9 below.

Lock, Fan, and Delay can each be turned on or off as programming steps. Ignore the steps below that you have deactivated. See LOCK (page 21),FN (selected in AOP1, page 22), and DELA, (page 17).

1 From [IDLE], pressStart/Stop(the leftbutton). 2 Using the Up Arrow key (not the Down Arrow),

skip past Start/Stop.

3 Press the up and down arrow keys to select a pro

gram, from Start/Stop.

4 If the program is locked, [UNLO] (Unlock) will

appear alternating with change the program, enter your passcode. (Other wise press Start/Stop to go to Step 11.)

5 [RA 1] will appear. Enter firing rate (temperature

change per hour)for segment 1. (1° = slowestrate.

1799°F / 999°C = full power.) Then press Start/Stop.

6 [°F 1] or [°C 1] and the target temperature from

the last firing will appear. Use the arrow keys to change the temperature. Then press Start/Stop.

[CONE] and select [USER]. Then press

[PRO1] to [PR25].Thenpress

[0000]. If you want to

Three Types of Rate

In the Rate option, page 22, you can set up your control ler to calculate rate in one of three ways: 1) degrees of tem perature change per hour, 2) degrees of temperature change per minute, or 3) elapsed time needed to reach a temperature. The normal setting is degrees per hour. If you are havingproblems entering rate, check the RATE option to be sure your controller is set for degrees per hour.

Rate as Degrees Per Hour

Each segment must include a rate, which is the firing speed of that segment. We usually measure rate as degrees per hour. Thisis similar to miles per hour;just replace miles with degrees. During programming, enter the rate when

[RA] appears. [RA] will also include the segment number: [RA 1] [RA 2] etc.

The diagram above shows three rates. A rate of 1000° per hour willreach 1000° in 1 hour. A rate of 500° will reach 1000° in 2hours. A rateof 333° willreach 1000° in3 hours.

7 [HD 1] and the hold time from the last firing will

appear. (Example: 1 hour, 10 minutes = 01.10). Use the arrow keys to change the hold time. Then press Start/Stop. (No hold = 00.00)

8 If your kiln is set up with a vent fan, [FN 1] will ap-

pear. Press Start/Stop. Use the arrow keys to se- lect

[ON] or [OFF]. Press Start/Stop.

9 Continue entering values for the segments

needed. When ment that you don’t need, select press Start/Stop. Thiswill zero out the remaining

segments. (Example: You need only 1 segment. When

[RA 2] appears, enter 0000.)

[RA _] appears for the next seg

[0000]. Then

10 [LOCK] alternatingwith [0000] will appear. En

ter your passcode to lock the program, or press Start/Stop to leave it unlocked.

11 [STRT] will appear. Press Start/Stop. [DELA]

will appear. Set a delay time. If you don’t need to delay the firing, leave the time at press Start/Stop. will begin firing. If Delay was programmed,

[DELA] will appearand time remaining until start.

To stop a firing before completion, press Start/Stop.

[ABRT] (abort) will appear.

When kiln fires to completion, it will beep for 30 sec

[CPLT] (fired to completion), the firing time, final

onds. firing temperature, andcurrent temperature willappear.

[-ON-] will appear,and thekiln

[00.00]. Then

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 13

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

If you want the kiln to fire at full speed, enter a rate of

9999. See step 5, inside the red box on the previous page.

Note: In Program Review, a heating rate of 9999 is displayed as power, it may overshoot the target temperature, especially in the lower range. To avoid this, add an extra segment with a slower rate for the last 50 de grees of temperature rise.

CAUTION: The Sentry Xpress includes error messages to warn you when the kiln is at the wrong temperature. Firing the kiln at full rate turns off some of these warnings. See TEDE, Temperature Deviation, and HTDE, High Temperature Devia tion, page 21.

If you are not sure how fast to fire, remember an old fir ing adage: When in doubt, slow it down.

[FULL]. When a kiln is heated at full

Rate as Degrees Per Minute

Rate as degrees of temperature change per minute works the same as temperature change per hour. Only the math is different.

A maximum (Full)rate per minuteis 29.97°F /16.65°C.

After you have entered all the segments for your program, zero out the remaining available segments. Do that by entering 0 for the next available ramp rate.

Rate as Time Needed to Reach the Target Temperature

After selecting [TIME] in the RATE option, page 22, program the amount oftime thateach segmentshould take to reach its target temperature. For example, 1 hour and 30 minutes is programmed in Rate as 01.30.

The Time mode in some ways is different and opposite the standard degrees-per-hour rate explained above:

For aFull rate, or the fastest that the kiln will fire, select a time rate of 00.00.

After you have entered all of the segments for your pro gram, you will need to zero out the remaining available segments. To do this, select a rate of 99.00 hours.

Question I programmed a FULL rate, yet my kiln heated at only 550°F per hour.

Answer The controlleris limited by the heating ca pacity of each kiln. Your kiln heated at 550° per hour because that is its maximum heating rate.

Hold (HD )

Hold is the length of time that you want the kiln to re main at the target temperature. Hold is also called soak or dwell time. Hold helps even out the temperature through out the kiln. Hold can be used in either heating or cooling segments.

In programming step 7, previous page, enter the hold time. When holdis set to 99.99 hours,the Sentry Xpresswill

remain at that temperature indefinitely until you press the

Start/Stop key.

Ceramics: Watch the pyrometric witness cones

through a peephole during hold. Press the Start/Stop key when the correct witness cone bends, noting how much Hold time was needed. Program that much Hold time the next time you fire the same type of ware.

Temperature Overshoot

When a kiln is heated too fast, it may overshoot the tar get temperature, especially in small kilns at lower tempera tures. To avoidthis, addan extra segmentto slow thefiring. The segment with the slower rate should begin about 40° 60° below thetarget temperature ofthe following segment.

AOP: Turn on a Fan, Light, or Alarm

The AOP (auxiliary output) is an optional receptacle, or socket, mounted on the kiln. If your kiln has the auxiliary output receptacle and you want to use it, see the AOP1 op tion on page 22. Follow the instructions to activate the AOP.

Plug a kiln vent,light, or bellinto thereceptacle, anduse your controller to turn the receptacle on or off for each seg ment. (The light or bell act as alarms.)

During programming,

[FN 1] [FN 2] [FN 3] etc.). Use the up and down

ment ( arrow keys to select ONor OFF for each segment. appear onlyif the auxiliary output has been activatedin the AOP1 option, page 22.

[FN] will appear for each seg-

Programming a Cooling Segment

For controlled cooling, program a segment to a lower target temperature than that of the previous segment.

Example: You fire at a rate of 500°F per hour to 1450°F in your first segment. Then you want the kiln to cool at a rate of 100°F per hour down to 700°F. Here is how you would program the two segments:

Segment °F/°C °F/°C Hold

1 500 / 277 1450 / 788 00.00

2 100 / 55 700 / 371 00.00

Segment 1 is the heating segment. Segment 2 is the cool ing segment. The controller does not use minus numbers for cooling. Just enter a lower target temperature than that of the previous segment.Segment 2will lowerthe tempera ture to 700°F / 371°C.

Pointer: If youprop the lid or doorof thekiln for a fast cooling, program a fast cooling rate for that segment. If you lower the temperature quickly by propping the lid but program a slow cooling rate, the controller will raise the temperature again.

Example: Some glassartists flash-cool the glassjust after it fuses. They open the door a few inches to remove heat, then close it again. This takes the glass down rapidly through the devitrification range. To program a flash-cool,

Rate Temp.

[FN] will

14 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

use a rate of Full. This shuts off theheating elements during that segment, allowing the kiln to cool rapidly.

Note: During fast cooling, do not open the door all the way. Do not force-cool the kiln with a fan.

Note: See Temperature Deviation (TEDE), page 20, forinformation onerror codesthat mayappear during crash cooling. To turn these codes off, pro gram a crash cooling rate of Full. This turns off TEDE error codes only for that particular seg ment. The TEDE codes still work on the hold and the other segments.

Suppose you enter a cooling rate that is faster than the

kiln can cool?Depending on therate you enter,you may get an alarm message. (Press the Down Arrow key to turn off the alarm.) The controller, of course, cannot speed

cooling beyond the kiln’s natural cooling rate.

A Ramp-Hold Practice Program

To practiceusing the controller, we will enter a program that includes three segments. The last segment is a cooling segment.

Use the programming instructions on page 13 to enter this firing schedule. Then use Program Review (page 5) to check for accuracy.

PrO1 rA1 = 250 °F1=750 HLd 1 = 00.00 rA2 = 900 °F 2 = 1425 HLd 2 = 00.30 rA3 = 150 °F3=750 HLd 3 = 00.00 rA4 = 0000 (zeroes cancel segments 4-25)

When the Kiln Shuts Off Too Soon

If the kiln shuts off before the pyrometric witness cone bends, you can turn the kiln back on andkeep firing.Simply program the next hotter cone in Cone-Fire. The kiln will begin firing, taking up where it left off.

Chapter 4

Customize Your Controller with Options

In this chapter you will learn to . . .

Activate slow cooling in Cone-Fire

Check the amperage that your kiln pulls

Choose Fahrenheit or Centigrade display

Choose from three types of rates used in pro gramming

Set up your controller to give the cost of electricity

Activate Program Lock so you can protect stored Ramp-Hold programs

Check the circuit board temperature, adjust error messages, check the software version, and more

The Options give you access to special features and ad

justments in your Sentry Xpress. With each press of the Up Arrowkey, thecontroller will displaythe next option.Press the Up Arrow either while thekiln is firingor from IDLE.

1 When you find the option you want to use, press the

Start/Stop key again.

2 Use the arrowkeys to selectchanges for that option.

3 After making a selection for an option, press the

Start/Stop key.

There are two ways to get out of Options and back to

[IDLE]:

1 Press the Start/Stop key.

2 Do nothing for 60 seconds while in an option. You

will automatically be taken out of the option and back to

How to Edit a Program During a Firing

[IDLE].

Starting a Firing in a Hot Kiln

If you ever need to begin a firing when the kiln is already hot, begin the program as you normally would. The Sentry Xpress will automatically begin firing from the first seg ment that matches the current kiln temperature.

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 15

See pages 12-15 for details on ramps, holds, and seg ments. While the kiln is firing, you can edit the program in three ways:

Skip out of a segment and into another segment.

Change the hold time of the current segment.

Change the targettemperature of the current segment.

Why would you ever want to edit a program during a fir ing? Suppose you have programmed 2167°F for a cone 5 glaze firing, followed by a segment for slow cooling.Watch ing the witness cone through a peephole, you notice that cone 5 is bending at 2150°F, so the kiln doesn’t need to fire

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

to 2167°F as you had programmed. Skip to the next seg ment, which is a slow cooling one. If the firing does not in clude a slow cooling segment, and you are in the last seg ment, Skip Segment will not end a Hold. Press the Start/Stop key to end the firing.

Pointer: Make a note of the temperature at which the cone bent. Program that temperature for the next firing. This is the type of information that should be recorded in a kiln firing log book if you have one.

You can see the segments in the Cone-Fire firing sched

ules on pages 30-31.

The

[SKIP] option does not skip from a ramp to a hold

of the same segment. It skips to the next segment from ei ther a ramp or hold of the current segment.

If the current segment has already started its hold time,

you can edit only the hold time. See below.

Note: If youwait 60 secondswithout touching akey during editing, the controller will exit editing with out changing the settings. Thefiring will continue.

Skip to the Next Segment

1 During a Cone-Fire or Ramp-Hold firing, press

the Up Arrow.

[SKIP] will appear.

Change the Target Temperature

of the Current Segment

1 During a Cone-Fire or Ramp-Hold firing, press

the Up Arrow 3 times. ture) will appear. Press Start/Stop.

[CHGT] (change tempera

2 Use the arrow keys to change the temperature.

Then press Start/Stop.

Cone-Fire Options

These options appear only if a Cone-Fire program has been selected. If your controller doesn’t have Cone-Fire mode, skip to General Options, next page.

OFST / Cone Offset

Calibrate Cone-Fire to a Witness Cone

Sometimes the pyrometric cones programmed in Cone-Fire do not match the bending of the witness cones. Cone Offset will adjust Cone-Fire to bend the cones.

Note: TCOS, Thermocouple Offset, page 20, ad justs all temperature readings. Cone Offset changes only the last heating segment of all the Cone-Fire firings. You can see the Cone-Fire schedules on pages 30-31.

2 To skip to another segment, press Start/Stop.

The next segmentwill appear. Eachtime you press the Up Arrow, another segment will appear, if another has been programmed, followed by CANC (Cancel).

3 Press the Up Arrow until the segment that you

want to skip to appears. Press Start/Stop. The kiln will continue to fire in the segment you selected.

4 If you don’t want to skip to another segment after

all, press the Up Arrow until CANC appears. Then press Start/Stop. The kiln will continue to fire as before.

Change the Hold Time of the Current Segment

1 During a Cone-Fire or Ramp-Hold firing, press

the Up Arrowtwice. pear.

[HLDT] (Hold Time) will ap

2 To change the hold time of the current segment,

press Start/Stop.

3 Use the arrow keys to change the hold time. Each

time you press an arrow key, the hold time will in crease or decrease by 5 minutes.Then press Start/Stop. (If you don’t want to change the hold time after all, leave the setting alone and press Start/Stop.)

Follow these guidelines before deciding to use Cone Offset:

The thermocouple (temperaturesensor) must protrude into the firing chamber the correct distance: about ¾” for ¼” wide thermocouples, ½” - 5/8” for 1/8” wide thermocouples.

Keep shelves 1”-1½”away from the thermocouple.

Keep pyrometric witness cones at least 2” away from heating elements.

Place witness cones in several locations in the kiln.

How to Use Cone Offset

Cone Offset changesthe shut-off point of thecone by the degrees of temperature shown in the chart, next page.

1 First, program a Cone-Fire. See page 10.

2 From [IDLE] , press the Up Arrow repeatedly un

til

[OFST] appears.

Note: With each Up Arrow key press, you will see the next option. When you see

Up Arrow again to see more options. When

[OPT2] appears, press Start/Stop. That will take

you to more options.

[EXIT], press the

3 When you see [OFST] press the Start/Stop key.

The current Cone Offset adjustment number will appear.

4 Using the arrow keys, select a new adjustment

number (see chart, next column). Then press the

Start/Stop key.

[IDLE] will appear.

16 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

Cone Offset Settings

Note: You must have a Cone-Fire program in active memory before

you can change Cone Offset.

°F Setting °C Setting Result

0 0 No adjustment

5 3 Kiln will fire hotter

10 6 Kiln will fire hotter

15 8 Kiln will fire hotter

20 11 Kiln will fire hotter

-5 -3 Kiln will fire cooler

-10 -6 Kiln will fire cooler

-15 -8 Kiln will fire cooler

-20 -11 Kiln will fire cooler

You can change the cone offset or remove it at any time. A cone offset is also removed when the Reset option is used. (See RST, page 24).

turn on the option, the Slow Cooling prompt will remain hidden in Cone-Fire programming.

1 First, program a Cone-Fire. See page 10. 2 From [IDLE] press the Up Arrow repeatedly until

[COOL] appears.

Note: With each Up Arrowkey press, you will see the next option. When you see

Up Arrow again to see more options. When

[OPT2] appears, press Start/Stop. That will take

you to more options. Follow the same steps to go past

[OPT3].

[EXIT], press the

1 When you see [COOL], press the Start/Stop key. 2 Using the 1key, select [YES]or [NO]. If you want to

use Slow Cooling, select yes. If you never use it, se lect no. Thenpress Start/Stop.

[IDLE] will appear.

Interpreting Cone Bending to Set a Cone Offset

Position the witness cones in the kiln according to thein structions on page 8.

The cone bent to 6 o’clock: No calibration in Cone Offset needed. The self-supporting cone has fired to maturity when the tip is fairly even with the cone base.

The cone did not bend far enough: Use a positive Cone Offset number for a hotter firing, such as 10 (°F).

The cone bent too far: Use a negative Cone Offset for a cooler firing, such as -10 (°F).

Note: Do not be overly concerned with achieving an exact 6o’clock bend. Thedifference between a 3 o’clock and a6 o’clock bend is only a few degrees of temperature.

When Cone Temperature Is Off More Than 20°F/11°C

The maximum amount that Cone Offset can change the temperature is 20°F/11°C. When the temperature is off more than that amount, correct withThermocouple Offset. See TCOS, page 20.

COOL / Slow Cooling for Glazes

Add Slow Cooling to Cone-Fire Programming

Slowing down the cooling rate in Cone-Fire mode can totally change the appearance of many glazes. Copper red glaze, for instance, is enhanced by cooling slowlystarting at around 1750°F / 954°C.

For the full benefit of slow cooling, you can bring the temperature back up several times as the glaze cools. You would need Ramp-Holdmode to do this. Seepages 12-15.

You can also slow the cooling in Cone-Fire mode by turning on the Slow Cooling feature. It will appear as the

[COOL] prompt during Cone-Fire programming. But first

you have to turn on Slow Cooling in options. If you don’t

General Options

DELA / Delay the Firing for Later

Most controllers come from the factory with delay-fire added to theprogramming. After youprogram afiring, you will see to turn on later, enter the delay time with the arrow keys. Use this format:

to the right of it. If you don’t need a delay, leave the setting at 00.00.

change the way delay works by adjusting it in Options as follows.

[DELA] in the display window. If you want the kiln

Hours.Minutes

Example: 4 hours, 30 minutes = 04.30

Enter hours to the left of the decimal point and minutes

The delay time will zero out after each firing. You can

1 From [IDLE], press the Up Arrow key to get to

[DELA].

2 When [DELA] appears, press the Start/Stop key.

Using an arrow key, scroll through the following choices. To select a choice, press Start/Stop.

[DFLT] This is the default factory setting. [DELA] ap

pears after youenter aprogram andbefore youstart the kiln. Thedelay time that you enter zeroes out after each firing.

[ALL] The [DELA] prompt appears before you start a

firing, just as above. However, the delay time doesn’t zero out after each firing. It stays in memory for all your future firings or until you change the delay time again.

[OFF] This turns off the [DELA] prompt. If you select

Off, you won’t see the delay prompt again before firing the kiln. Turn the delay prompt off if you never use it. That will help streamline your programming steps.

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 17

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

TC / Choose Thermocouple Type

Select K-Type, -N, -S or -R Thermocouple

The Sentry Xpress can use K-, N-, S- or R-Type thermocouples. If you specialize in firings above 2200°F / 1204°C, you might consider obtaining the S- or R-Type. The K-Type is best suited for temperatures below 2200°F / 1204°C and is ideal for glass fusing.

The controller cannot detect the type of thermocouple installed in your kiln. So if you change the thermocouple to a different type, be sure to select the new thermocouple type in the TC option.

Note: Ask your kiln supplier if you are not sure about the type of thermocouple in your kiln.

CAUTION: Be careful about changing the ther mocouple type! If you selectS- or R-Type,but your kiln is equipped with a K-Type, your kiln will underfire. If you select K-Type and your kiln is equipped with an S- or R-Type, your kiln will OVERFIRE. After using the Reset (RST) option, page 24, use the Thermocouple (TC) option, page 18, to select the correct thermocouple. (For safety, RST changes the thermocouple selection to S-Type.)

Because the kilnwill over- or underfire ifthe wrong thermocouple type is chosen in Options, we have locked the thermocouple option so it cannot be unintentionally changed. Here are instructions for unlocking it:

1 From [IDLE], press the Up Arrow repeatedly un-

til

[TC] appears.

2 Press Start/Stop. 3 [PASS] will appear alternating with 0000. The

thermocouple option is locked. To unlock it, press the arrow keys to enter this password:

0155

4 After you enter the password, press Start/Stop.

The thermocouple setting will appear.

5 Use an arrowkey to select[K], [N], [R]or [S].

6 After selecting one of the above, press

Start/Stop.

[IDLE] will appear.

ALAR / Temperature Alarm

If you need to know when your kiln reaches a particular temperature, set the alarm. The controller will beep and

[ALAR] will flash when thekiln reaches the alarm tempera

ture. Use the alarm to alert you to—

Lower the lid from the venting position and insert the peephole plugs.

Check thewitness cone through a peephole near the ex pected shut-off time.

Visually check the glass before the expected fusing or slumping temperature. You can see the glass through a kiln window.

You can enter only one alarm temperature at a time. However, after the alarm beeps, you can set the alarm for another temperature, asmany times asyou want, duringthe firing. Enteringan alarm temperature automatically erases the previous one.

Note: The alarm temperature that you set during a firing must be higher than the current display tem perature. The alarm is designed only for higher temperatures and not for cooling temperatures.

After the alarm beeps, thealarm 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 alarmbeeping andeven therelays clicking if your kiln has mechanical relays.

Setting the Alarm From IDLE

1 From [IDLE], press the Up Arrowkey repeatedly

until

[ALAR] appears. Press Start/Stop.

2 Using the arrow keys, enter an alarm temperature.

(To disable the alarm, set the alarm temperature to 32°F / 0°C.) Press Start/Stop. pear.

[IDLE] will ap-

3 When the alarm temperature is reached during a

firing, thecontroller willbeep and pear. Press theDown Arrow to turn off thealarm.

[ALAR] will ap-

Setting the Alarm During a Firing

1 The alarm beeps while the kiln is firing. [ALAR]

will appear, alternating with the temperture. Press the Down Arrow to turn off the alarm.

2 Press the Up Arrow key repeatedly until a steady

[ALAR] appears. Press Start/Stop.

3 Enter the new temperature with the arrow keys.

(To disable the alarm, set the alarm temperature to 32°F / 0°C.) Press Start/Stop. The kiln willcon tinue firing.

If you enter a new alarm temperature, and forget to press Start/Stop, the controller will continue firing with out resetting the alarm. with the kiln temperature.

Question The alarm on my Sentry sounds a min

ute into each firing. Why is the alarm going off?

Answer The alarm was set to a temperature below the current temperature. To deactivate the alarm for your next firing, set it to 32°F / 0°C.

[ALAR] will continue alternating

18 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

DIAG (Diagnostics) / Check the Amperage,TesttheRelays,andthe AOP1 Outlet

Check Your Kiln’s Amperage (If Your Kiln Has an Amp Sensor)

If you are wondering why your kiln is taking so long to reach temperature, you can check the amperage that the kiln is pulling. (To check the amperage, your kiln must be equipped with an amperage sensor.)

Compare the amperage reading with the amps listed on the kiln’s electrical data plate. (For most models, the data plate, or label, is on the side of the kiln’s switch box.)

Note: Low voltage or worn elements can cause a low amperage reading. Before decidingthat the el ements are worn out, also check the voltage.

Check the Amperage at IDLE or While Firing

1 From [IDLE], press the Up Arrow repeatedly until

[DIAG] appears. Press Start/Stop.

2 With the arrow keys, you can rotate between

[AMPS] and [TEST]. Select [AMPS] and press

Start/Stop. The amperage that the kiln is pulling

will appear.

If your kilnhas more thanone relay, thedisplay will show the amperage for the elements connected to each relay, with these codes:

Test the Heating Elements, Relays, and AOP1 Outlet

Use this option when testing thermocouples with a cigarette lighter or other heat source.

Pointer: Raising the thermocouple temperature fast with a lighter or propane torch may cause an

[FE4] error. This will not harm the controller,

though. See page 26.

[AMP1] [AMP2] [AMP3].

1 From [IDLE], press the Up Arrow repeatedly until

[DIAG] appears. Press Start/Stop.

2 With the arrow keys, you can rotate between

[AMPS] and [TEST]. Select [TEST] and press

Start/Stop. Each relay will turn on for 2 minutes,

one relay at a time.

3 After testing the relays, kilns equipped with the

AOP1 outlet will display test power to the AOP outlet.

Pointer: The relays are tested for 2 minutes each, followed by the AOP1 outlet. You can press the Start/Stop key during a 2-minute test to advance to the next relay before the 2 minutes are over.

[J3-3] for two minutes to

F/C / Select Between °F and °C Temperature Display

The controller operates in your choice of Fahrenheit or Celsius temperature. In °C display, a lighted dot appears in the lower right. In °F, it disappears. To switch from °F to °C or vice versa:

1 From [IDLE], press the Up Arrow repeatedly until

[F/C] appears.

2 Press Start/Stop. Use the arrow keys to select [F]

or [C.].

3 After selecting one of the above, press Start/Stop.

[IDLE] will appear.

°F/°C Temperature Conversion Formulas

Below are formulas for converting temperture between °F and °C. Converting a firing rate requires a different for mula than converting a temperaturethat you are firing to:

Firing to a Temperature

(i.e. “Fire to 1600°F.” 1600°F = 871°C)

(°C x 1.8) +32 = °F

(°F - 32) ÷ 1.8 = °C

Firing Rate or Temperature Change

(i.e. “Fire at 200°F per hour” or “Fire 200°F hotter.” 200°F = 111°C)

°Cx1.8=°F

°F÷1.8=°C

LIM / Set a Maximum Temperature for Your Kiln

Your kiln has a maximum temperature rating, which is listed on its electrical data plate. In a classroom setting where students use kilns, you may want to lower the maximum rating to the temperature of a particular clay or glass.

[LIM] option allows you to do that.

The

Set the maximum temperature of the clay or glass in the

[LIM] (temperature limit)option. Whenthe kilngoes 1 de-

gree over that temperature, the kiln will shut off. (Over Temperature Limit) will appear in the display.

The adjustment rangeis from 200°F / 93°Cup to thetem perature rating listedon the safety data plateof your kiln.

[OTL]

1 From [IDLE], press the Up Arrow key repeatedly

until

[LIM] appears.

2 Press Start/Stop. Change the maximum tempera

ture with the arrow keys.

3 Press Start/Stop to return to [IDLE].

COST / View the Electrical Cost of a Firing

Your Sentry Xpresscontroller can give you the electrical cost of a firing. This will help you determine how much to charge for the ware that you sell. It will also enable you to experiment with saving electricity by adjusting your firing schedules. For instance, how much extra electricity would you use if you slowed the firing rate? How much doesit cost to add slow cooling to a ceramic glaze firing?

Before the controller can give you the cost of your fir ings, you will need to enter the wattage of your kiln in the

[KW] option, page 23, and the cost of electricity in the [CENT] option, page 23.

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 19

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

After you haveset up the[KW] and [CENT] options, you

can check theprogressive cost of a firing while thekiln is on, and you can check the total cost after the kiln fires to com pletion.

1 While the kiln is firing, or from [IDLE], press the

Up Arrow key repeatedly until Press Start/Stop.

[COST] appears.

2 The cost of the firing will appear. 3 Press Start/Stop to return tothe normal display.

Note: If you enter the kiln wattagein the tion but you do not enter cost per kilowatt-hour in the

[CENT] option, the controller will display kilo

watt-hours instead of the firing cost.

Note: By checking the ing, you cansee how much the cost increases as the firing progresses.

Pointer: If you wonder how much Slow Cooling adds to the cost of a firing, check the tion before Slow Cooling begins,and check it again after the kiln has fired to completion.

[COST] option during a fir

[KW] op

[COST] op

TCOS / Thermocouple Offset

Calibrate the Thermocouple(s)

The thermocouple is the rod extending into the firing chamber. The thermocouple measures the temperature. K-Type thermocouples can “drift” as they age, causing a gradual shift in temperature readings. Thermocouple Offset calibrates the controller to compensate for drift.

Note: The thermocouple must protrude into the firing chamber the correct distance: about ¾” for ¼” wide thermocouples, ½” - 5/8” for 1/8” wide thermocouples.

How to Set Thermocouple Offset

You can enter a temperature change up to 45°F/25°C higher or lower than the zero factory setting.

1 From [IDLE] , press the Up Arrow repeatedly un

til

[TCOS] appears.

Note: With each Up Arrow key press, you will see the next option. When you see

Up Arrow again to see more options. When

[OPT2] appears, press Start/Stop. That will take

you to more options.

[EXIT], press the

2 When you see [TCOS] press the Start/Stop key.

The current Thermocouple Offset adjustment number will appear.

3 Using the arrow keys, select a new adjustment

number (see chart, next column). Then press the

Start/Stop key.

[IDLE] will appear.

4 From [IDLE], press the Up Arrow repeatedly un

til

[TCOS] appears.

5 Press Start/Stop. [O], or a Thermocouple Off

set, will appear.

6 Using the arrow keys, enter the new offset. Press

Start/Stop.

[IDLE] will appear.

Thermocouple Offset Settings

°F Setting °C Setting Result

0 0 No adjustment H 1-45 H 1-25 Kiln will fire hotter C 1-45 C 1-25 Kiln will fire cooler

Thermocouple Offset Examples

Setting Result

H 1 Kiln will fire 1° hotter H 17 Kiln will fire 17° hotter C 12 Kiln will fire 12° cooler

TEDE / Temperature Deviation

Adjust Temperature Sensitivity of Error Codes

The temperature that the controller is trying to reach, at any given time, is called the set point. During heating or cooling, the set point changes at the rate you programmed. During a hold, the set point remains steady.

The Sentry Xpress shows error messages when it can’t maintain the set point temperature. The cushion, or leeway, allowed before an error message flashesis called Temperature Deviation. When the temperature in the kiln is off target by morethan the Temperature Deviation setting,the alarm sounds. Temperature Deviation affects these error messages (see page 25):

[FTH] Fail to Heat

[FTC] Fail to Cool

[LTDE] Low Temperature Deviation

Some people worry when pears. They wonder if something is wrong with the kiln when in many cases there isn’t. Here are four ways to stop the alarm messagesfrom appearing during routine firings:

Method 1: Test your kiln to find its fastest firing rate and its slowest cooling rate. Then program the controller using rates within the rangeof the kiln’sheating/cooling ca pacity. Example: If your fastest heating rate is 600° per hour, enter a rate no faster than 600°.

Method 2: Set the deviation temperature to a higher number in the less likely that an alarm message will appear.

Method 3: Set the deviation temperature to 0 in the

[TEDE] option. This turns off the [FTH], [FTC] and [LTDE] alarms (page 25). We ordinarily do not recom

mend a 0 setting.

Method 4: Program a segment at FULL rate (9999°). This will shut off the deviation alarms for that segment. (However, deviation alarms will continue to work during the hold and all other segments with slower rates.)

[TEDE] option. The higher the number, the

[FTH], [FTC] or [LTDE] ap

20 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

Changing the Deviation Temperature

If an alarm is triggered by flash-cooling the kiln or open

ing a bead door, raise the

[TEDE] temperature.

1 From [IDLE] , press the Up Arrow repeatedly until

[TEDE] appears.

Note: With each Up Arrow key press, you will see the next option. When you see

Up Arrow again to see more options. When

[OPT2] appears, press Start/Stop. That will take

you to more options.

[EXIT], press the

2 When you see [TEDE] press the Start/Stop key.

3 Change the deviation temperature with the arrow

keys. The higher the number, the less likely you will activate the alarms.

4 Press Start/Stop. [IDLE] will appear.

Note: The factorydefault 56°C.

Example: The Fail to Heat code

a firing when the kiln cannot heat as fast as programmed. The Temperature Deviation The Fail to Heat code will appear if the temperature is 100°F / 56°C or more below the set point.

[TEDE] setting is 100°F/

[FTH] appears during

[TEDE] is set to 100°F / 56°C.

HTDE / Adjust High Temperature Deviation

Change The High Temperature Shutoff Setting

[HTDE] setting is the amountthat the kiln tempera-

The ture can exceed the programmed temperature before the kiln shuts off. The factory The adjustment range is 18°F - 200°F / 10°C - 111°C.

1 From [IDLE] , press the Up Arrow repeatedly until

[HTDE] appears.

Note: With each Up Arrow key press, you will see the next option. When you see

Up Arrow again to see more options. When

[OPT2] appears, press Start/Stop. That will take

you to more options.

2 When you see [HTDE] press the Start/Stop key.

The current high temperature shutoff setting will appear.

3 Using the arrow keys, change the deviation temper

ature. The higher the number, the less likelyyou will activate the alarms.Then press the Start/Stopkey.

[IDLE] will appear.

Note: The adjustment range is 18°F -200°F /10°C 111°C. The most sensitive setting is 18°F / 10°C. The higher the number, the looser the setting. Use a lower number when you want the kiln to shut off if it can’t keep up with your program. Use a high number if the kiln shuts off when you don’t want it to, such as when the lid is vented or a bead door is open when you load a bead rod.

[HTDE] setting is 100°F / 56°C.

[EXIT], press the

CAUTION: The High Temperature Deviation

(HTDE) alarm shuts off the kiln to prevent an overfire. On controllers with pre-18D software, entering a temperature deviation of 0 turns off this important alarm!

LOCK / Program Lock

Tamper-Proof Individual Programs

By default, Program Lock is inactive. When it has been activated, a stored Cone-Fire or Ramp-Hold program can not be altered or removed from memory unless you enter a passcode. Use Program Lock for repeat firings that you don’t want to inadvertently change.

The pre-installed passcode is the number 3. You can change the passcode to any number combination of one to four digits.

If you forget your passcode, you can reset the controller back to thefactory settings usingthe The passcode will then go back to the number 3.

Note: Program Lock does not save a Delay setting. While a program is locked, you can enter a new Delay.

How to Activate the Lock Option

1 From [IDLE] , press the Up Arrowrepeatedly until

[LOCK] appears.

Note: With each Up Arrowkey press, you will see the next option. When you see

Up Arrow again to see more options. When

[OPT2] appears, press Start/Stop. That will take

you to more options.

2 When you see[LOCK], press theStart/Stopkey. 3 [PASS] will appear. 4 Press the Up Arrow 3 times to enter the default

passcode, 3. Then press Start/Stop. (If you use the wrong passcode, the display will return to

5 Use the keys to choose [SET] or [OFF]. (SET

means you are setting a new passcode. OFF means you are not setting a new passcodeand are not going to lock programs.) Then press Start/Stop.

6 If you chose [SET], thenuse the arrow keys to enter

a new passcode. It can be a number of one to four digits. Press Start/Stop. sure to write down your new passcode. The inside cover of this manual would be a good place to store your passcode.

How to Lock Individual Programs

After you have activated the

[SET], you will be able to lock the Cone-Fire program that

is in active memory, or any Ramp-Hold program. Each Ramp-Hold program can be individually locked or left un locked.

[RST] option, page24.

[EXIT], press the

[IDLE] will appear. Be

[LOCK] option by selecting

[IDLE].)

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 21

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

1 [LOCK] will appear at the end of Cone-Fire and

Ramp-Hold programming. This means the pro gram is unlocked.

2 To lock aprogram, enter thepasscode using thear

row keys. Then press Start/Stop. (To leave the program unlocked, do not enter your passcode. Just press Start/Stop when

Note: After you have locked a program, you will see

[UNLO] before you fire it. You don’t have to

enter your passcode to fire the program. The passcode is needed only if you alter the program.

How to Unlock and Edit a Program

You have locked a program and would like to edit it. Go into programming, page 13. One of the first prompts you will see is keys. Then press Start/Stop and edit the program. (If you don’t enter the passcode, you will not be able to edit the program, but you can stillfire the kiln with it.)After you un lock and edit aprogram, you can lock it again or leave it un locked.

[UNLO]. Enter your passcode with the arrow

Note: If your kiln is used in a classroom, you may want to lock only the programs that you don’t want students to change.

Note: Even though you cannot edit a locked program, you can still see the settings in Program Review.

[LOCK] appears.)

AOP1 / Auxiliary Output

Select Vent Fan or Alarm for the Auxiliary Output

[AOP1] (Auxiliary Output) is for a receptacle

The (called a socket in England) mounted on the kiln switch box. The outlet can power a kiln vent or an external alarm, such as a bell. (An AOP outlet is optional and might not be included on your kiln.)

The choices in the

[VFAN] Kiln Vent or Gas Outlet: This option adds a

display prompt for fan ( Ramp-Hold programming, page 13.

[NONE] None: Use this setting if your kiln does not

have the AOP outlet.

[SAFE] This is for an optional safety relay and is used

with the temperature that you want for your kiln. If the kiln is 1 degree hotter than that temperature, the kiln will shut off. See page 19.

[LIM] option. In[LIM], program the maximum

1 From [IDLE] , press the Up Arrow repeatedly un

til

[AOP1] appears.

Note: With each Up Arrow key press, you will see the next option. When you see

Up Arrow again to see more options. When

[OPT2] appears, press Start/Stop. That will take

you to more options.

2 When you see[AOP1], press theStart/Stopkey.

[AOP1] option:

[FN]) to each segment during

[EXIT], press the

3 Use the arrow keys to select one of the above op

tions. Then press Start/Stop.

ELEC / Electronics Temperature

Check the Circuit Board Temperature

High temperatures in the switch box can damage the controller circuit board, which is rated for 176°F / 80°C maximum operatingtemperature. To lower the board tem perature, use a fan to blow airacross the kilnswitch box into the ventilation slots. (But do not blow air into the kiln’s peepholes.) When firing several kilns, position them at least three feet apart to allow adequate air circulation.

1 From [IDLE] or while firing, press the Up Arrow

repeatedly until

Note: With each Up Arrow key press, you will see the next option. When you see Up Arrow again to see more options. When

[OPT2] appears, press Start/Stop. That will take

you to more options.

[ELEC] appears.

[EXIT], press the

2 When you see [ELEC], press the Start/Stop key.

The temperture of the circuit board will appear.

3 Press Start/Stop to return tothe normal display.

Do not operate the kiln if the ELEC display is above 158°F / 70°C.

RATE / Select Preferred Type of Rate

Choose 1) Rate Per Hour, 2) Rate Per Minute, or 3) Elapsed Time to Temperature

Rate is how fast the kiln heats or cools. Rate as degrees of temperature change per hour is the most widely used rate system in America.

Some brands of controllers, though, measure the rate as an amount of time needed to reach a temperature. If you are accustomed to that type of programming, you can con tinue toprogram withthat method.Change thetype of rate

[RATE] option of your Sentry Xpress controller to

in the

[TIME] setting. You then won’t have to change your fir

the ing schedules to degrees per hour rate.

1 From [IDLE] or while firing, press the Up Arrow

repeatedly until

Note: With each Up Arrow key press, you will see the next option. When you see

Up Arrow again to see more options. When

[OPT2] appears, pressStart/Stopfollowed bythe

Up Arrow. That willtake you to more options. Re

peat with

[OPT3].

2 When [RATE] appears, press theStart/Stop key.

3 Use the arrow keys to select the desired type of

rate:

[HOUR] (Degrees of temperature change per hour; the

most common rate method in use)

[MIN ] (Degrees of temperature change per minute)

[TIME] (Elapsed time needed to reach a temperature)

[RATE] appears.

[EXIT], press the

22 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

4 Press Start/Stop. [IDLE] will appear.

How to Program in Ramp-Hold with TIME Selected in Rate

After selecting [TIME] in the RATE option, program

the amount of time that each segment should take to reach its target temperature. Hours and minutes are separated by the center display dot. For example, 1 hour and 30 minutes is programmed in rate as 01.30.

The Time mode in some ways is different and opposite

the standard degrees of temperature per hour rate:

For aFull rate, or the fastest that the kiln will fire, select a time rate of 00.00.

After you have entered all of the segments for your pro gram, you will need to zero outthe remaining available seg ments. To do this, select a rate of 99.00 hours.

CENT / Cost Per Kilowatt-Hour from Your Electric Bill (for Firing Cost)

the above calculation if you fire your kiln during off-peak periods.

1 From [IDLE] or while firing, press the Up Arrow

repeatedly until

Note: With each Up Arrowkey press, you will see the next option. When you see

Up Arrow again to see more options. When

[OPT2] appears, pressStart/Stopfollowed bythe

Up Arrow. That willtake you to more options.Re

peat with

[CENT] appears.

[EXIT], press the

[OPT3].

2 When [CENT] appears, press the Start/Stop key.

3 From an electric bill, enter the cost of a kilo

watt-hour. Place cents to the right of the decimal. Round off fractions. (Example: Enter 9.25 cents per kilowatt-hour as 00.09.) Then press Start/Stop.

[IDLE] will appear.

Pointer: You can enter thecost in U.S., Canadian, or Euro cents, British pence, Indian paisas, or any other money system that is based upon 100 units (i.e. 100 cents = 1 dollar.) If your system is based upon 1000 units, such as the Libyan dirham, the Oman baiza, orthe Kuwait fil, divide thecost by 10. Example: Enter 140 as 00.14. Then multiply by 10 the cost ofa firing shown in thecontroller display.

Your Sentry can give you the electrical cost of a firing. Photo by Nick Casberg.

The controller can figure the electrical cost of a firing if you enter 1) the costof electricity fromyour electric bill and

2) thewattage of your kiln. The cost of electricity is entered in the CENT option. The wattage of your kiln is entered in the KW option. (See next option, right column.)

Pointer: The cost of electricity is figured in kilo watt-hours (KWh). A kilowatt-hour is 1,000 watts of electricity running for 1 hour. (10 – 100-watt light bulbs glowingfor one hour consume 1KWh of electricity.)

To find what the power company charges you for a kilo watt-hour, look at your electric bill, call your power com pany, or visit their website. The electric rate may vary de pending on the time of year and amount of electricity you use. In the summer, the electric rate may go up.

On your electric bill, you will find the cost per kilo watt-hour along with other charges such as a delivery charge and taxes. Divide the total amountof your bill by the number of kilowatt-hours on your bill.

Electric bills can get complicated. The rates can vary by time ofday or the day of the week. On an electric bill, thisis called peak and off-peak rates.You maybe paying less than

KW / Kilowatts of Your Kiln (Needed to Calculate Firing Cost)

To figure the cost to fire your kiln, the controller needs to know how many kilowatts your kiln uses. Look at your kiln’s electrical data plate. It is usually on the side of the switch box. The data plate lists the watts, amps, and volts. If watts are not listed, multiply amps x volts. (Example: 15 amps x 240 volts = 3,600 watts.)

Divide the wattage of your kiln by 1000, which gives the kilowatts.

3 examples:

10,800 watts ÷ 1000 = 010.8

4,800 watts ÷ 1000 = 004.8

800 watts ÷ 1000 = 000.8

Enter that amount in the KW option:

1 From [IDLE] or while firing, press the Up Arrow

repeatedly until

Note: With each Up Arrowkey press, you will see the next option. When you see

Up Arrow again to see more options. When

[OPT2] appears, pressStart/Stopfollowed bythe

Up Arrow. That willtake you to more options.Re

peat with

[KW] appears.

[EXIT], press the

[OPT3].

2 When [KW] appears, press the Start/Stop key.

3 The controller shows 4 digits for entering kilowatts:

[00.00]. Enter kilowatts for your kiln.

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 23

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

4 Press Start/Stop. [IDLE] will appear.

Note: Please do not confuse kilowatts with kilo watt-hours. A kilowatt is 1,000 watts. A kilo watt-hour is 1,000 watts powered for one hour.

You can see the progressive cost of a firing during kiln operation (like looking at a taxi meter). Or check the total cost after the firing when the controller flashes

[CPTL].

1 While thekiln is firing, or from IDLE, press the Up

Arrow key repeatedly until Press Start/Stop.

[COST] appears.

2 The cost of the firing will appear. 3 Press Start/Stop to return tothe normal display.

SFTY / Maximum Temperature

View the Kiln’s Maximum Operating Temperature

1 From [IDLE] or while firing, press the Up Arrow

repeatedly until

Note: With each Up Arrow key press, you will see the next option. When you see

Up Arrow again to see more options. When

[OPT2] appears, pressStart/Stopfollowed bythe

Up Arrow. That willtake you to more options. Re-

peat with

[OPT3].

[SFTY] appears.

[EXIT], press the

2 When [SFTY] appears, press theStart/Stop key.

The temperature displayed is the maximum operating temperature programmed in the Sentry Xpress for your kiln. (This temperature is also shown on the kiln’s electrical data plate.) It can be altered only at the factory. The controller will not fire hotter than that temperature. Press

Start/Stop to return to

[IDLE].

SOFT / Software Version

Knowing the software version number of yourcontroller is often vitalin helpinga kiln technician to diagnose a prob lem that may arise.

1 From [IDLE] or while firing, press the Up Arrow

repeatedly until

Note: With each Up Arrow key press, you will see the next option. When you see

Up Arrow again to see more options. When

[OPT2] appears, pressStart/Stopfollowed bythe

Up Arrow. That willtake you to more options. Re

peat with

[OPT3].

2 When [SOFT] appears, press the Start/Stop key.

The software version will appear. Press Start/Stop to return to sion can be changed only at the factory.

[SOFT] appears.

[EXIT], press the

[IDLE]. The softwarever

Up Arrow again to see more options. When

[OPT2] appears, pressStart/Stopfollowed bythe

Up Arrow. That willtake you to more options. Re

peat with

[OPT3].

2 When [CFG] appears, press the Start/Stop key.

The configuration code will appear. Press Start/Stop to return to the configuration settings by obtaining instruc tions from the factory.

[IDLE]. You can change

RST / Reset

Reset the Controller to Most Factory Defaults

Reset the controllerto a known state incase thecontrol ler locks up, the memory is corrupted, or you have made many changes and would like to clear your settings.

Reset does the following:

Resets the LOCK passcode to 3.

Selects S-Type thermocouple.

Selects °F.

Erases a cone offset.

Erases a thermocouple offset.

Erases Ramp-Hold User programs stored in memory.

Changes Temperature Deviation [TEDE] back to the factory setting of 100°F / 56°C.

CAUTION: If your kiln uses a K-Type thermocouple, the Sentry Xpress will underfire after a reset! Use the Thermocouple Option (TC, page 18) to select K-Type again.

1 From [IDLE] or while firing, press the Up Arrow

repeatedly until

Note: With each Up Arrow key press, you will see the next option. When you see

Up Arrow again to see more options. When

[OPT2] appears, pressStart/Stopfollowed bythe

Up Arrow. That willtake you to more options. Re

peat with

[OPT3].

2 When [RST] appears, press the Start/Stop key.

Use the arrow keys to select the Start/Stop key.

Pointer: Check the temperature after a reset. If it is no longer accurate, check the options to be sure your controller is set for the cor rect thermocouple type and fahrenheit or celcius. See pages 18-19.

[RST] appears.

[EXIT], press the

[NO] or [YES]. Press

[IDLE] will appear.

[TC] and [F / C]

CFG / Configuration Code

1 From [IDLE] or while firing, press the Up Arrow

repeatedly until

Note: With each Up Arrow key press, you will see the next option. When you see

24 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

[CFG] appears.

[EXIT], press the

Chapter 5

Error Messages

Error messages are accompanied by an alarm.

[FTH], [FTC], and [LTDE] error messages are based

upon the adjustable setting in the Temperature Devia

[TEDE] option (page 20).

tion

Non-Interrupting Error Messages

Press Down Arrow to silencethe alarm. The error mes

sage will remain but the kiln will continue firing. Even though the following error messages appear, the kiln will continue its normal operation. The messages are only to alert you that the kiln could not cool or heat as fast as you had programmed. Butthey will not shut offthe kiln oraffect the firing.

Definition of “Set Point”

The temperature that the controller is tryingto reach, at any given time, is called the set point. During heating or cooling, the set point changes at the rate you programmed. During a hold, the set point remains steady.

FTC / Failed to Cool

During a cooling-down ramp, the programmed rate is faster than the kiln can cool. The temperature is above the set point temperature by more than the deviation setting. (See Temperature Deviation, page 20.) Program a slower cooling rate.

Note: Use Present Status to compare the actual rate of the current Ramp-Hold segment with the rate you programmed. (See page 5.)

Note: In Ramp-Hold, use a FULL rate to turn off the FTC alarm for that particular segment.

FTH / Failed to Heat

During a heating-up ramp, the programmed rate is faster than the kiln can heat. The temperature is below the set point temperature by more than the deviation setting. (See Temperature Deviation, page 20.)

Program a slower rate. Or check for a bad relay, worn or burned out elements, low voltage, or a defective thermo couple.

Note: Use Present Status to compare the actual rate of the current Ramp-Hold segment with the rate you programmed. (See page 5.)

LTDE / Low Temperature Deviation

During a cooling-downramp or ahold, the temperature is below the set point temperature by more than the de viation setting. (See Temperature Deviation, page 20.) Check for a bad relay, worn or burned out elements, low voltage or a defective thermocouple.

Pointer: During a firing, Present Status shows the actual firing rate of the current Ramp-Hold seg ment instead of the rate you programmed. 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 an other reason you should always keep a written re cord of your firing programs.

Note: Using a FULL rate will turn off the LTDE alarm for that particular segment.

PF/PowerFailure

[PF] alternating with normal display means the power

failed during a firing. After power was restored, the firing resumed.

Terminating Error Messages

[HTDE] [ETH] [FAIL] [FTL] and [TCDE] error mes-

sages turn off the kiln and flash the following:

Total firing time in hours and minutes

The kiln shutoff temperature

The current kiln temperature

----/NoThermocouple

After the controller was plugged in, it could not detect a

thermocouple.

BADP / Bad Programming

Causes:

When you start a Ramp-Hold firing, all programmed temperatures are below the current kiln temperature.

A Ramp-Hold program has 0 rate in the first segment.

ETH / Electronics Too Hot

The circuit board temperature is above 176°F / 80°C.

To lower boardtemperature, use a fan to blow air across the kiln switch box into the ventilation slots. (But do not blow air into the kiln’s peepholes.) If you have more than one kiln in the room, place them farther apart. Never allow the firing room temperature to exceed 110°F / 43°C. (Mea sure room temperature 3 feet away from the kiln.)

Note: In Ramp-Hold, use a FULL rate to turn off the FTH alarm for that particular segment.

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 25

FAIL / Thermocouple Failure

The controller is no longer receiving voltage from the thermocouple. Causes:

Defective thermocouple

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

Disconnected thermocouple lead wires

Defective circuit board

FE 1 / Failed to Read/Write To Memory

1 Press any key to clear the [FE 1] message.

2 Turn off thepower to thecontroller for 10seconds.

Then restart.

If the

[FE 1] error persists, return the controller to the

factory for evaluation.

FE 4 / Unstable Analog-to-Digital Conversion; Errors Detecting Thermocouple Signal

If the temperature changes by more than 80°F / 26°C during a 10-secondperiod, Reasons:

A failed component on the circuit board

You have tested the thermocouple with a propane torch or match, raising the temperature very fast.

1 Press any key to clear the [FE 4] message.

2 Turn off thepower to thecontroller for 10seconds.

Then restart.

If the

[FE 4] error persists, return the controller to the

factory for evaluation.

[FE 4] will appearin the display.

A relay is stuck in the closed position, sending power to the elements.

See “Power Failures,” next page.

Note: You candisable the

[HTDE] alarm for aseg

ment by programming a FULL rate (9999°).

[HTDE] will continue to operate during the hold

and in all other segments that have slower rates.

LAG / Thermocouple Lag

The heating rateis slower than9°F / 5°Cper hour andthe kiln temperature is more than 100°F / 56°C away from the programmed temperature. The LAG error is inactive above 500°F/260°C.

Causes:

On kilns that use a portable controller, the thermocou ple fell out of the firing chamber.

A bare spot on the thermocouple lead wires hastouched a grounded object inside the kiln switch box causing the thermocouple to short out.

Note: Check for worn or burned out elements, de

fective relays, low voltage and defective thermocouple.

LID / Safety Switch for Lid or Door

FTL / Firing Too Long

The temperature change is less than 27°F / 15°C per hour and thefiring time is two hours longer thanthe current segment was programmed to fire. This message can appear during heating-up segments. It doesn’t appear during cooling segments.

A FULL rate doesn’t shut off the [FTL] code.

Check for wornor burned outelements, defective relays, low voltage and defective thermocouple. Reprogram a slower rate in heating-up segments.

Note: To avoid the

[FTL] message, fire the kilnat a

slower rate.

Pointer: During a Ramp-Hold firing, Present Sta tus shows the actual firing rate of the current seg

ment instead of the rate you programmed. 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.

HTDE / High Temperature Deviation

[HTDE] appears along with acontinuous beeping alarm.

Causes:

During a heating-up ramp or a hold, the temperature is 100°F / 56°C above the programmed temperature.

During a cooling-down segment, the temperature is 100°F / 56°Cabove the segment’sstarting temperature.

A fast rate caused the controller to overshoot the target temperature.

The lidswitch two-pin terminal is on the back ofthe circuit board in theup per right corner. Look for the connector marked LID.

Reasons [LID] appears in the display:

The kiln is equipped with a safety switch, which turnsoff power to the elements when the lid or door is open.

[LID] appears while the lid is open during firing.

The safety lid switch is out of adjustment and has shut off the elements even though the lid is closed.

On the back of the Sentry Xpress circuit board, at the top right side, is a small two-pin terminal. If the connec tor plug on that terminal is missing,

[LID] will appear in

the display during firing. The elements will not turn on. (If the two-pin connector plug is missing, you can buy another from a computer supply store.

The safety lid switch is broken, or a wire connected to the safety switch has come loose.

26 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

OTL / Over Temperature Limit

The kiln has shut off because the temperature is hotter than the one that was set in the This problem takes only a moment to fix in the tion.

[LIM] option. See page 19.

[LIM] op

PF1 / Power Failure

The power failed during a controlled cooling segment. The kiln temperature was below the last active cooling seg ment temperature when the power came back on. The kiln will not resumefiring. See “PowerFailures,” next column.

PF 2 / Power Failure

The power failed, and the kiln temperature was below 212°F / 100°C when the power came back on. The kiln will not resume firing.

PF 3 / Power Failure

The power failed, and the temperature dropped 72°F / 40°C while the power was off. The kiln will not resume fir ing. Check fora loose wirebetween the transformer andthe controller.

TC 2 / Thermocouple Failure

The thermocouple failed while the controller was at

[IDLE].

[PF 1] [PF 2] or [PF 3]

Total firing time before power failed

Temperature at the time of power failure

Current kiln temperature

To resume firing, restart the program. The kiln will be gin firing again from its present temperature. For example, the kiln reached 1000°F / 538°C when the power failed. The temperature is 800°F / 426°C when you turn the kiln back on. Firing will resume from 800°F / 426°C. You need not cool the kiln to roomtemperature beforestarting a ceramic firing over unless you decide to use new witness cones.

When you resume firing by pressing Start/Stop, the controller will begin firing in the first segment that has a higher target temperature than the current kiln tempera ture. However, if the power failed during a ramping down (cooling) segment, the controller will resume firing from the same cooling segment.

Using Ceramic Witness (Shelf) Cones After an Extended Power Failure

TCR / Thermocouple Leads Reversed

Check that the thermocouple lead wires are connected to the correct terminals on the back of the controller and on the thermocouple connection block.

Basic Power Failure Principles

The Sentry Xpresshandles a power failure intwo ways:

1 After a brief power failure, the controller continues

firing as before. It shows a normal temperature dis play alternating with

[PF].

2 After an extended power failure, [PF 1] [PF 2] or

[PF3] will appear.The kiln willNOTresume firing.

The kiln will remain turned off after a power failure if the temperature is below 212°F / 100°C when the power co mes back on or if the temperature drops 72°F / 40°C or more while the power is off.

When the Sentry Xpress aborts a firing after a power failure, the display will show the following:

Orton self-supporting pyrometric cones.

The firing was interrupted more than 100°F/56°C from the cone temperature: Fire the ware again. It

is okay to use the same partially fired witness cones, even if they cooled back down to room temperature. So long as the cones did not heat to within 100°F/56°C of maturity, they can be used again.

The firing was interrupted less than 100°F/56°C from the cone temperature: Fire the ware again. If

the kiln shutsoff within 100°F / 55°C ofmaturity, and the temperature drops 50°F / 28°C or more after the kiln shuts off, do not depend on thewitness cones. Once they cool 50°F / 28°C after they have been heated to within 100°F / 55°C of maturity, they will not bend properly. This is because they form a hard shell.

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 27

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

Display Messages

Message Definition Page Reference

[ABRT] Abort 10, 13

The firing was stopped.

[ALAR] Alarm 5, 7, 14, 15, 18, 20, 22

ALAR appears either when you are entering an alarm temperature or when the alarm is sounding during a firing. To stop an alarm, press the Down Arrowkey. If the alarm goesoff when you first begin firing, it is because it was set for a lower temperature thanthe pres ent temperature.

[AOP1] Auxiliary Output 11, 13, 14, 19, 22

The AOP1 option is for kilns equipped with a special-order kiln switch box receptacle called the Auxiliary Output.

[BADP] Bad Programming 25

This message appears when a Ramp-Hold firing has been pro grammed with 0 rate in the first segment or when all target temper atures are lower than the current kiln temperature.

[CENT] Electrical Rate 20, 23

Enter the electric rate shown on your electric bill. Example: 9.25 cents per KWh is entered as 00.09.

[CFG] Configuration Code 24

This isan option that shows the factory configuration code for your Sentry.Thisisfortechnicianswhocallthefactoryforsupport.

[CONE] Cone-Fire 8-11

The Sentry Xpress is ready for you to enter a cone number.

[COOL] Slow Cooling 2, 10, 11, 17

In Cone-Fire programming, Slow Cooling is shown as COOL. To program a slow cooling, enterthe cooling rate in degrees per hour. Leave the setting at 0 if you do not want a slow cooling.

[CPLT] Completed Firing 6, 10, 13

This means the firing completed normally as programmed. These three messages will also cycle one after the other: firing time in hours and minutes, the temperature of the last segment, and the current kiln temperature.

[DIAG] Amperage Check 19

Check the amperage. Test the relays.

[DELA] Delay 2, 5, 6, 10, 13, 17, 21

DELA is atimer that starts thekiln later. Delay time appearsin hours andminutes.YoucanturnofftheDELApromptinOptions.

[ELEC] Electronics Temperature 22

The Sentry Xpress circuit board is rated for operation at tempera tures up to 176°F/80°C. When the circuit board gets hotter, the Sentry Xpress shuts off. The ELEC option shows you the tempera ture of the circuit board.

[ETH] Electronics Too Hot 22, 25

The Sentry Xpress circuit board is too hot, so the kiln shut off.

[F / C] Change °F / °C 19

Choose between operation in degrees F or degrees C.

Message Definition Page Reference

[°F 1] or [°C 1] Target Temperature 13

This prompt, which appearsin Ramp-Hold programming, is asking for a target temperature. The number is the segment of the pro gram.

[FAIL] Thermocouple Failed 25

The thermocouple failed. This can be due to a broken thermocou

ple, loose thermocouple connection on the back of the Sentry Xpress, disconnected thermocouplewire,or a defective controller.

[FAST] Fast Speed 10

In Cone-Fire programming, if you press Start/Stop when FAST ap pears, the kiln will program to fire at fast speed.

[FE 1] & [FE 4] Failed Component 26

These codes may mean a circuit board component has failed. But sometimes the problem can be cleared by turning the power off and restarting the controller.

[FN 1] Fan 13

If your kiln has the optional AOP outlet (for a kiln vent), the FN prompt will appear for each segment during Ramp-Hold programming.Itisaskingifyouwanttheventonoroffforthatseg ment.SeealsoAOP1,leftcolumn.

[FTC] Failed to Cool 20, 25

This error message means the kiln cannot cool as fast as the cooling that you programmed.

[FTH] Failed to Heat 20, 21, 25

Thekilncannotheatasfastasyouprogrammed.

[FTL] Firing Too Long 25, 26

The temperature rise is less than 27° /15°C per hour and the firing time is two hours longer than the current segment was pro grammed.

[FULL] Full Speed 13, 14, 15, 21, 23, 25, 26

This rate, or temperature change per hour, is maximum.

[HD 1] Temperature Hold 13

When this messageappears during Ramp-Hold programming,it is asking you if you want to hold, or maintain, the target temperature of that segment. If so, enter the length of hold time in hours and minutes (i.e. 1 hour 20 minutes = 01.20). The number after HD is the segment number.

[HOLD] Temperature Hold 11, 13

When this message appears during Cone-Fire programming, it is

asking you ifyou want to hold, or maintain, thecone temperature at theendofthefiring.Ifso,enterthelengthofholdtimeinhoursand minutes (i.e. 1 hour 20 minutes = 01.20).

[HTDE] High Temperature Deviation 14, 21, 25, 26

During a heating-up ramp or a hold, the temperature is 100°F / 56°C above the programmed temperature.

[IDLE] Ready to Begin Cover, 5, 10, 13

The Sentry Xpress must display the IDLE message before you can begin firing or programming.

28 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

Message Definition Page Reference

[KW] Kilowatts 19, 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. 10,800 watts ÷ 1000 = 10.8.

[LID] Lid/Door is Open 6, 28

When LID appears,either a lid or door switchis out of adjustment or a two-pin connector on the back of the board is missing.

Message Definition Page Reference

[SFTY] Safety 24

This is the maximum temperature the Sentry Xpress is pro grammed for your kiln. It can be altered only at the factory.

[SKIP] Skip Segment 10, 13, 15, 16

If you press the Skip Segment key during a firing, SKIP will appear. If you press the key again, thefiring will skip to thenext segment. In Cone-Fire, Skip Segment takes you only out of Pre-Heat or Hold.

[LOCK] Program Lock 10, 13, 21

With this option activated, a stored program cannot be altered or removed from memory.

[LTDE] Low Temperature Deviation 20, 25

This message appears when the kiln is below the TemperatureDe viation setting in the TEdE option.

[OFST] Cone Offset 16, 20

Adjust a Cone-Fire program to bendthe matching witnesscone on the kiln shelf.

[-ON-] Firing Started 6, 10, 13

This appears when firing begins. Do not be concerned if it takes a moment for the relays to turn on. The Sentry Xpress is processing data.

[OTL] Over Temperature Limit 19, 27

This means the kiln has fired hotter than the temperature set in the LIM option. It takes only a moment to reset the option.

[PF 1] Power Failure 27

The power failed during a controlled cooling segment. The kiln temperature was below the last active cooling segment temperature when the power came back on.

[PF 2] Power Failure 27

The power failed.When power cameback on, the temperaturewas below 212°F / 100°C.

[PF 3] Power Failure 27

The power failed and the temperature dropped 72°F/ 40°C.

[PF] Power Failure 27

There was a power failure during firing. The kiln continued firing af ter the power came back on.

[RA 1] Rate 13

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.

[RST] Reset 17, 18, 21, 24

The RST option erases cone and thermocouple offsets, selects °F operation, erases stored programs in Ramp-Hold, and selects S-Type thermocouple. Note that if you use Reset, and your kiln is equipped with aK-Type thermocouple, you must usethe TC option to select K-Type. (Reset selects S-Type as a safety precaution. If you had a S-Type thermocouple and Reset selected K-Type, your kiln would overfire. On the other hand, if you had a K-Type thermo couple, S-Type selected would underfire your kiln, which is better than overfiring it. The K-Type thermocouple is on most kilns.)

[SLOW] Slow Speed 2, 10, 11, 15, 17, 20

In Cone-Fire programming, ifyou press Start/Stop when SLOWap pears, the kiln will program to fire at slow speed.

[SOFT] Software Version 24

This option gives the version of software in your Sentry Xpress.

[SPD] Speed 10

The SPD message appears during Cone-Fire programming and in Options. 1) In the SPD option, accessed through the option key, change the speed of a Cone-Fire program beyond the standard fast, medium or slow. 2) While programming a firing for Cone-Fire, choose slow, medium or fast speed at the SPD prompt.

[STD] Standard Speed 10

Cone-Fire medium speed appears in the Sentry Xpress as STD, or Standard. This is because medium speed is the standard firing program used in Cone-Fire.

[TC] Thermocouple Type 11, 18, 24

Choose between types K, S, or R thermocouple. It is important to select the correct type, or the controller will not read temperature accurately.

[TCOS] Thermocouple Offset 17, 20

Adjust the controller’stemperature to compensatefor temperature drift, or aging, of a thermocouple.

[TCR] Thermocouple Reversed 27

Thethermocouplewiresarereversed.

[TEDE] Temperature Deviation 14, 15, 20, 21, 24, 25

The Sentry Xpress includes error messages to warn you that the kiln is not maintaining the programmed temperature. The sensitiv

ity of the error messages is based on a temperature in TEDE.

[TEST] Element Test 19

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 at IDLE display.

[USER] User Program 10, 13, 24

In Ramp-Hold programming, the USER prompt is asking you where you want to place the program in memory. The Sentry Xpress has 9 spaces in memory. Keep a written record of the pro grams 1 - 9 in memory.

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 29

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

Preset Cone-Fire Programs - °F

These are the firingschedules programmed in Cone-Firemode. Tocustomize aschedule, write down your changes. Then load your new schedule into Ramp-Hold.

Low Fire Cones °F

Segment 1 Segment 2

Cone Rate 1 Temp. 1 Rate 2 Temp. 2

022 396 979 108 1087 021 396 1004 108 1112 020 396 1051 108 1159 019 396 1144 108 1252 018 396 1211 108 1319 017 396 1252 108 1360 016 396 1314 108 1422 015 396 1348 108 1456 014 396 1377 108 1485 013 396 1431 108 1539 012 396 1474 108 1582 011 396 1499 108 1607

Medium Fire Cones °F

Segment 1 Segment 2 Segment 3 Segment 4

Cone Rate 1 Temp. 1 Rate 2 Temp. 2 Rate 3 Temp. 3 Rate 4 Temp. 4

010 324 1022 153 1112 180 1549 108 1657

09 324 1022 153 1112 180 1580 108 1688 08 324 1022 153 1112 180 1620 108 1728 07 324 1022 153 1112 180 1681 108 1789 06 324 1022 153 1112 180 1720 108 1828 05 324 1022 153 1112 180 1780 108 1888 04 324 1022 153 1112 180 1837 108 1945 03 324 1022 153 1112 180 1879 108 1987 02 324 1022 153 1112 180 1908 108 2016 01 324 1022 153 1112 180 1938 108 2046

High Fire Cones °F

Segment 1 Segment 2 Segment 3 Segment 4

Cone Rate 1 Temp. 1 Rate 2 Temp. 2 Rate 3 Temp. 3 Rate 4 Temp. 4

1 324 1022 153 1112 162 1863 108 2079 2 324 1022 153 1112 162 1872 108 2088 3 324 1022 153 1112 162 1890 108 2106 4 324 1022 153 1112 162 1908 108 2124 5 324 1022 153 1112 162 1951 108 2167 6 324 1022 153 1112 162 2016 108 2232 7 324 1022 153 1112 162 2046 108 2262 8 324 1022 153 1112 162 2064 108 2280 9 324 1022 153 1112 162 2084 108 2300

10 324 1022 153 1112 162 2129 108 2345

30 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

Preset Cone-Fire Programs - °C

These are the firing schedules programmed in Cone-Fire mode. To customize a schedule, write down your changes. Then load your new schedule into Ramp-Hold.

Low Fire Cones °C

Segment 1 Segment 2

Cone Rate 1 Temp. 1 Rate 2 Temp. 2

022 220 526 60 586 021 220 540 60 600 020 220 566 60 626 019 220 618 60 678 018 220 655 60 715 017 220 678 60 738 016 220 712 60 772 015 220 731 60 791 014 220 747 60 807 013 220 777 60 837 012 220 801 60 861 011 220 815 60 875

Medium Fire Cones °C

Segment 1 Segment 2 Segment 3 Segment 4

Cone Rate 1 Temp. 1 Rate 2 Temp. 2 Rate 3 Temp. 3 Rate 4 Temp. 4

010 180 550 85 600 100 843 60 903

09 180 550 85 600 100 860 60 920 08 180 550 85 600 100 882 60 942 07 180 550 85 600 100 916 60 976 06 180 550 85 600 100 938 60 998 05 180 550 85 600 100 971 60 1031 04 180 550 85 600 100 1003 60 1063 03 180 550 85 600 100 1026 60 1086 02 180 550 85 600 100 1042 60 1102 01 180 550 85 600 100 1059 60 1119

High Fire Cones °C

Segment 1 Segment 2 Segment 3 Segment 4

Cone Rate 1 Temp. 1 Rate 2 Temp. 2 Rate 3 Temp. 3 Rate 4 Temp. 4

1 180 550 100 600 90 1017 60 1137 2 180 550 100 600 90 1022 60 1142 3 180 550 100 600 90 1032 60 1152 4 180 550 100 600 90 1042 60 1162 5 180 550 100 600 90 1066 60 1186 6 180 550 100 600 90 1102 60 1222 7 180 550 100 600 90 1119 60 1239 8 180 550 100 600 90 1129 60 1249 9 180 550 100 600 90 1140 60 1260

10 180 550 100 600 90 1165 60 1285

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 31

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

Temperature Equivalents For Orton Self-Supporting Pyrometric Cones

°F

Cone Self-Supporting Cones Pre-Fire

Number Color

Heated at: 27° F 108° F 270° F

Per Hour* Per Hour* Per Hour*

022 — 1087 1094 Green 021 — 1112 1143 Fuschia 020 — 1159 1180 Orange 019 1213 1252 1283 Yellow 018 1267 1319 1353 White 017 1301 1360 1405 Pink 016 1368 1422 1465 Light Blue 015 1382 1456 1504 Violet 014 1395 1485 1540 Gray 013 1485 1539 1582 Green 012 1549 1582 1620 Fuschia 011 1575 1607 1641 Orange 010 1636 1657 1679 Dark Red 09 1665 1688 1706 Dark Red 08 1692 1728 1753 Dark Red 07 1764 1789 1809 Dark Red 06 1798 1828 1855 Dark Red 05 1/2 1839 1859 1877 Dark Red 05 1870 1888 1911 Dark Red 04 1915 1945 1971 Dark Red 03 1960 1987 2019 Dark Red 02 1972 2016 2052 Dark Red 01 1999 2046 2080 Dark Red

1 2028 2079 2109 Dark Red 2 2034 2088 2127 Dark Red 3 2039 2106 2138 Dark Red 4 2086 2124 2161 Gray 5 2118 2167 2205 Green 5 1/2 2133 2197 2237 White 6 2165 2232 2269 Fuchsia 7 2194 2262 2295 Orange 8 2212 2280 2320 Yellow 9 2235 2300 2336 White

10 2284 2345 2381 Pink

*Rate of temperature increase during last 90 - 120 minutes of firing. Tables by courtesy of the Edward Orton, Jr. Ceramic Foundation.

°C

Cone Self-Supporting Cones Pre-Fire

Number Color

Heated at: 15° C 60° C 150° C

Per Hour* Per Hour* Per Hour*

022 — 586 590 Green 021 — 600 617 Fuschia 020 — 626 638 Orange 019 656 678 695 Yellow 018 686 715 734 White 017 705 738 763 Pink 016 742 772 796 Light Blue 015 750 791 818 Violet 014 757 807 838 Gray 013 807 837 861 Green 012 843 861 882 Fuschia 011 857 875 894 Orange 010 891 903 915 Dark Red 09 907 920 930 Dark Red 08 922 942 956 Dark Red 07 962 976 987 Dark Red 06 981 998 1013 Dark Red 05 1/2 1004 1015 1025 Dark Red 05 1021 1031 1044 Dark Red 04 1046 1063 1077 Dark Red 03 1071 1086 1104 Dark Red 02 1078 1102 1122 Dark Red 01 1093 1119 1138 Dark Red

1 1109 1137 1154 Dark Red 2 1112 1142 1164 Dark Red 3 1115 1152 1170 Dark Red 4 1141 1162 1183 Gray 5 1159 1186 1207 Green 5 1/2 1167 1203 1225 White 6 1185 1222 1243 Fuchsia 7 1201 1239 1257 Orange 8 1211 1249 1271 Yellow 9 1224 1260 1280 White

10 1251 1285 1305 Pink

*Rate of temperature increase during last 90 - 120 minutes of firing. Tables by courtesy of the Edward Orton, Jr. Ceramic Foundation.

32 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

Ramp-Hold Firing Records

Date_______________________________

User Program ______

Rate

°/Hour

RA1 1 Hd1 .

RA2 2 Hd2 .

RA3 3 Hd3 .

RA4 4 Hd4 .

RA5 5 Hd5 .

RA6 6 Hd6 .

RA7 7 Hd7 .

RA8 8 Hd8 .

RA9 9 Hd9 .

RA10 10 Hd10 .

RA11 11 Hd11 .

RA12 12 Hd12 .

RA13 13 Hd13 .

RA14 14 Hd14 .

RA15 15 Hd15 .

RA16 16 Hd16 .

RA17 17 Hd17 .

RA18 18 Hd18 .

RA19 19 Hd19 .

RA20 20 Hd20 .

Target

Temperature

Hold Time

Hours.Mins

Optional FanOn/

Off

Date_______________________________

User Program ______

Rate

°/Hour

RA1 1 Hd1 .

RA2 2 Hd2 .

RA3 3 Hd3 .

RA4 4 Hd4 .

RA5 5 Hd5 .

RA6 6 Hd6 .

RA7 7 Hd7 .

RA8 8 Hd8 .

RA9 9 Hd9 .

RA10 10 Hd10 .

RA11 11 Hd11 .

RA12 12 Hd12 .

RA13 13 Hd13 .

RA14 14 Hd14 .

RA15 15 Hd15 .

RA16 16 Hd16 .

RA17 17 Hd17 .

RA18 18 Hd18 .

RA19 19 Hd19 .

RA20 20 Hd20 .

Target

Temperature

Hold Time

Hours.Mins

Optional FanOn/

Off

Type of firing:

Firing results:

Recommendations for the next firing of this type:

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 33

Type of firing:

Firing results:

Recommendations for the next firing of this type:

Sentry Xpress 5 Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold

Glossary

Amperage The amount of electricity the kiln pulls is measured in amps. The heating elements pull less amperage when they begin to wear.

AOP Auxiliary outlet. This is an electri cal outlet, or socket, mounted on the kiln. The electricity to the outlet can be turned on or off by the controller. See the AOP1 option.

Bisque firing Firing the greenware to harden and prepare for glazing. Also called greenware firing.

Cone Offset In Cone-Fire mode, the witness cones inside the kiln should bend to 6 o’clock. you can adjust the controller

Cone-Fire The firing mode for ceram ics. Choose thecone number andslow, standard, or fast speed. You don’t have to enter the temperature.

Cone, pyrometric A small pyramid of ceramic materials that will react to the effect of time, temperature, and atmospheric condition inside the kiln in the same way as ceramic ware.

Controlled cooling Slowing the cooling rate of a kiln. Slow cooling relieves stresses in hot glass to prevent break age. Slow cooling, also called down fir ing, can alter ceramic glazes.

Element A coil of wire that heats when electricity passes through it.

Firing schedule A set of instructions that tell the controller how hot to fire, andatwhatrateoftemperature change.

Glaze Aliquidcomposedofglasspar ticles applied to ceramic ware.

Glaze firing Thebisqueorgreenware firing hardens the ware and prepares it

for glaze. The glaze firing melts the glaze over the clay.

Greenware Unfired clay objects.

Greenware firing Firing the greenware

to harden and prepare for glazing. Also called bisque firing.

Heat soak Maintaining a particular temperature inside a kiln.

Hold time Thelengthoftimethata temperature is maintained inside a kiln. See “heat soak.”

hold

Maturing point Thestagewhereclay or glaze has received the correct amount of “heat work.” This is usually measured by the 6 o’clock bend of a large pyrometric cone placed on a kiln shelf beside the ware being fired.

Overfire When a kiln fires hotter than intended. Some kilns cannot overfire. They don’t get hot enough.

Overshoot The temperature has risen higher than the controller was programmed. The temperature overshoots usually for a short time only.

Peephole Theholeinthesidewallofa kiln used tosee the interior of a hot kiln.

Pyrometric cone A small clay pyramid that stands upright on the kiln shelf. It measures the amount of heat work that ceramic ware is exposed to inside a kiln. Heat work is a combination of tem perature plus the length of time the ware is exposed to heat.

Ramp Changing thetemperature with a digital controller. If the temperature change is drawn in graph form, the re sulting line looks like a ramp.

Ramp-Hold A firing mode where you choose the rate and temperature of each step in the firing.

Rate The controller needs to know the temperature you are firing to, and how fast you want to get to that temperature. Therateislikemilesperhour,except we are dealing with temperature in stead of distance.

Relay A switch triggered by an electro magnet. A digital controller sends power to the electromagnet, which closes a switch that turns on the heat ing elements.

Segment A set of programmed in structions for the digital controller in the Ramp-Hold mode. A segment can change the firing speed, temperature, andaddaholdtime.

set point

Slow cooling See “controlled cool ing.”

Target temperature This is the temperature that the controller is trying to reach. Each segment has a target temperature.

Thermocouple The measuring unit of a pyrometer that is inserted into the kiln’s firing chamber.

Thermocouple Offset With thermocouple offset, you can adjust the controller so it fires hotter or cooler. This is like calibrating the controller.

Transformer An electrical device in the kiln’s switch box that changes the higher voltage from the wall outlet to 24 volts. The lower voltage powers thedig ital controller.

Venting At the beginning of the firing, allowing air tocome into thekiln and va por and gases to escape. This is one of the most important steps in firing.

34 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

Sentry Xpress Ramp-Hold Shorthand Programming

After you press the key(s) in the left column, the message in the center will appear.

KEYS TO PRESS DISPLAY COMMENTS

Apply power to kiln IDLE Press Start/Stop if IDLE doesn’t appear. Start/Stop, Up Arrow (NOT down) USER Select USER. Start/Stop, Up & Down Arrows PR01 Select desired program number (1-25). Start/Stop UNLO Program is locked.* Up & Down Arrows 0000 Enter passcode to unlock. Start/Stop RA 1 Ready to enter a firing rate. Up & Down Arrows 0000 Enter rate. Start/Stop °F 1 Ready to enter a firing temperature. Up & Down Arrows 0200 Sample firing rate. Start/Stop HD 1 Ready to enter a hold time, if any. Up & Down Arrows 00.00 Enter hold time. 00.00 = no hold time.

Repeat for other segments. Enter a rate of 0 for 1st segment not needed.

Start/Stop LOCK Do you want to lock the program?* Up & Down Arrows 0000 Enter passcode. 0000 = leave unlocked. Start/Stop STRT The kiln is ready to fire. Start/Stop DELA Do you want to delay the firing? Up & Down Arrows 00.00 Enter delay time. 00.00 = no delay. Start/Stop -ON- The kiln will begin firing in 30 seconds.

The kiln is now firing.

*The LOCK and DELA prompts appear only after they have been turned on in Options. To turn them on

or off, see Lock, page 21, or DELA, page 17. This takes only seconds.

Keep the kiln lid or door closed when the kiln is not in use. 35

Sentry Xpress Cone-Fire Shorthand Programming

After you press the key(s) in the left column, the message in the center will appear.

KEYS TO PRESS DISPLAY COMMENTS

Apply power to kiln IDLE Press Start/Stop if IDLE doesn’t appear. Start/Stop, Up Arrow (NOT down) CONE Select CONE. Start/Stop, Up & Down Arrows 05 Select cone number. Start/Stop SPD Ready to select a firing speed. Up & Down Arrows FAST Select FAST, STD, or SLOW. Start/Stop HOLD Ready to enter a hold time. Up & Down Arrows 00.20 Sample. Enter hold (hrs.mins) Start/Stop COOL Ready to enter a cooling rate.* Up & Down Arrows 0200 Sample cooling rate. Start/Stop LOCK Do you want to lock program?* Up & Down Arrows 0000 Enter passcode to lock program. Start/Stop STRT Kiln is ready to fire. Start/Stop DELA Do you want to delay the firing?* Up & Down Arrows 00.00 Enter delay time. 00.00 = no delay Start/Stop -ON- The kiln is now firing.

The kiln is now firing to the cone you selected.

*The COOL, LOCK, and DELA prompts appear only after they have been turned on in Options. To turn

them on or off, see Cool, page 17, Lock, page 21, or DELA, page 17. This takes only seconds.

36 Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.

Sentry Xpress 5.0 Instructions For Use Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Before You Begin

Safety Rules

Basic Pointers

Cone-Fire

Ramp-Hold

Error Messages

Display Messages

Ramp-Hold Firing Records

Glossary