Sentry 2.0
Digital Temperature Controller
Complete Operating Instructions
See pages 28-29 for instructions on upgrading your DTC
100, 600, 800 or 1000 series board to the Sentry.
Cone-Fire (pg 8-11)
From IdLE, press 1.
Available only on ceramic
kilns. Fires to a pyrometric
cone. Enter cone, speed,
pre-heat, hold, and slow cool.
Delay (pg 6)
From IdLE, press 3.
Enter time in hours:minutes.
Delays the start of firing.
Add Time (pg 6)
Ramp-Hold (pg 12-15)
From IdLE, press 4.
Select stored program (1 - 4).
Enter rate, temperature, and
hold for each segment.
During firing, press 2.
Each additional key press
adds five minutes to a hold.
It works in both Ramp-Hold
and Cone-Fire.
Alarm (pg 6)
Present Status (pg 6)
Press 5 during firing.
Shows the segment that is
currently firing. Works in
both Ramp-Hold and
Cone-Fire.
From IdLE or during
firing, press 7.
Enter a temperature. When
alarm sounds during firing,
press Enter.
Program Review (pg 6)
From IdLE or during
firing, press 6.
Shows the program that is
loaded in memory and ready to
fire, or the one that is firing.
Enter/Start (pg 7)
Press Enter/Start after each
step in programming a firing.
Press Enter/Start once to be-
gin the firing.
Options (pg 17 - 21)
From IdLE, press 0. Press
Enter for option displayed.
Cone-Fire Options
Id Computer ID Select identi-
fication number for output to a
computer.
Cone Table & Skip
Segment (pg 7)
Stop/Back (pg 7)
Press during firing or
programming.
Stops a firing. In Options,
takes you back to IdLE.
During programming,
takes you back one step
each time key is pressed.
From IdLE or during
firing, press 9.
TEdE Temperature Deviation
Set temperature sensitivity of er-
ror codes.
SPd Speed Change the speed
of a Cone-Fire program beyond
the Fast, Medium, or Slow.
From IdLE, shows tempera-
ture for the cone you enter.
While Firing: In Ramp-Hold,
skips to the next ramp. In
Cone-Fire, skips out of
Pre-Heat or Hold.
SFTY Maximum temp.
ELEC Electronics Temp.
Check board for overheating.
OFST Cone Offset Adjust con-
troller to a witness cone.
FAN Vent Fan Selects when
the vent fan will operate. (Special
option not on all kilns.)
LOCK Program Lock Make a
program tamper-proof.
Multiple Zone Options
CFG Configuration Code
For technicians.
DIFF Difference Largest
temperature difference be-
tween any two zones.
Standard Options
TCOS Thermocouple Offset
Calibrate the thermocouple
temperature.
CHG- Select °F or °C.
TC Thermocouple Type Se-
SOFT Software Version
For technicians.
CAdJ Center Adjustment
Change center heat of some
two-zone kilns.
TEST Element Test Diagnos-
tics tool for checking elements.
T123 Zone Tempera-
tures Shows temperature of
each zone.
RST Reset Removes cone
and thermocouple offsets, etc.
lect Type K, S or R.
AOP AOP Outlet Select vent
fan or alarm. This is a special op-
tion not on all kilns.
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Contents
Correcting Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Thermocouple Offset (TCOS) . . . . . 18
Display Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Standard Cone-Fire Schedules. . . . 26
Low Fire Cones 022 - 011. . . . . . . . 9
Upgrading the DTC 100, 600, 800 &
1000 to the Sentry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Appendix D
Orton Pyrometric Cone
Temperature Equivalents . . . . . . . . 30
Appendix E
Ramp-Hold Shorthand . . . . . . . . . . 31
Firing a Stored User Program . . . . . 14
Appendix F
Cone-Fire Shorthand. . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Options: Multiple Zone . . 21
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Safety
Chapter 1
Basic Pointers
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. Follow these safety rules in addition
to the ones in your kiln or furnace manual.
When the kiln is not in
use, disconnect the power
and keep the lid or door
closed. (For larger kilns
with heavy cordsets, we
recommend a power dis-
connect box near the
kiln.)
Which Instructions
Apply to Your Controller
The Sentry fires in two modes:
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Ceramic Cone-Fire, based on pyrometric cones.
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Ramp-Hold, based on custom firing rates and target
temperatures.
Ceramic kilns use both Cone-Fire and Ramp-Hold. Heat
treating, glass fusing, and enameling furnaces and kilns
come with Ramp-Hold only.
Do not leave the kiln unattended, especially
near the expected shut-off time.
1 From IdLE display, press 1. If CONE appears, you
have Cone-Fire mode. If the 1key does not respond,
you have Ramp-Hold mode only.
Wear firing safety glasses when looking into
peephole of a hot kiln.
Do not touch hot sides of kiln or furnace. Keep
unsupervised children away.
2 Press STOP to bring the controller back to IdLE .
Note: FAST, MEDIUM, SLOW, CONE-FIRE,
and CONE #s printed on the controller faceplate
apply only to Cone-Fire mode.
Install your kiln or furnace at least 12 inches
from any wall or combustible surface. (See
manufacturer’s recommendation for your
model.)
If you have Ramp-Hold only, skip pages 8 - 11.
Room Temperature and Humidity
It is okay to store the Sentry at sub-zero temperatures.
But before operating, raise the room temperature to at least
32°F/0°C.
Do not open lid or door until kiln or furnace 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 or fur-
nace.
Note: The Sentry will register sub-zero °F/°C tem-
peratures. However, 32°F/0°C is the lowest recom-
mended operating temperature.
The circuit board is rated for 158°F/70°C maximum op-
erating temperature. However, the maximum recom-
mended temperature is 125°F/52°C. Open windows and ex-
haust hot air from the room to lower temperature. (See page
20 to check circuit board temperature.)
DANGEROUS VOLTAGE! Do not touch heat-
ing elements with anything. Disconnect kiln or
furnace before servicing.
Do not operate if the controller itself is hotter
than 150°F/66°C. (See instructions on page 20
for checking board temperature.) Never allow
the firing room temperature to exceed
110°F/43°C. (Measure room temperature three
feet from the kiln.)
High humidity will not adversely affect the Sentry unless
water condenses on the circuit board. In this case, do not fire
the kiln until the moisture has evaporated from the board.
Thunder Storms and Power Surges
Unplug the kiln when not in use, especially during thun-
der storms and in areas with 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, dis-
connect the power.
Stop a firing by pressing the STOP button, not
by disconnecting the power. In certain condi-
tions, the controller will interpret a power inter-
ruption as a power failure and turn the kiln back
on when you reconnect the power.
CAUTION: when firing the kiln during a storm, do
not leave the kiln unattended!
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Display Lights
Firing Completion Message
When the firing has completed, four messages will cycle
one after the other:
1
CPLT (complete)
2 Firing time in hours and minutes (amount shown
does not include Cone-Fire slow cooling time)
Single Center Light: Time
3 The temperature the kiln fired to in Cone-Fire, or
the temperature of the last segment in Ramp-Hold
A lower center dot appears during time display. It sepa-
rates hours from minutes (i.e. 1 hour, 30 minutes displays as
01.30). During temperature display, the dot disappears.
4 The current kiln temperature
Note: If the alarm (see page 6) sounded, and then
the kiln fired to completion, you will see ALAR in-
stead of CPLT . Press ENTER. CPLT will appear.
Repeat Firings
To repeat the last firing, press ENTER from IdLE . The
kiln will begin firing. This works in both Cone-Fire and
Ramp-Hold. But first, make sure you are repeating the cor-
rect firing by using “Program Review” (see page 6). For re-
peat firings that you don’t want to inadvertently change, see
“Program Lock,” page 20.
Power Output Lights
The Sentry turns on the heating elements intermittently
through relays. The power output lights in the right side of
the display appear when the Sentry sends power to the re-
lay(s).
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Single Zone Kiln When the Sentry sends power to the
relays, all three lights appear.
Thermocouple Inspection
The small rod protruding into the firing chamber is the
temperature sensor, or thermocouple.
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Two Zone Kiln The top light shows power to the relay
for the top section of the kiln. The bottom light shows
power to the bottom. Ignore the center light.
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.
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Three Zone Kiln The top light indicates power to the
top section relay, the middle light to the middle section,
and the bottom light to the bottom.
Thermocouples come in different widths. The wider the
thermocouple, the farther it should extend into the firing
chamber. A ¼” diameter thermocouple should extend into
the firing chamber about 1”. A 1/8” thermocouple should ex-
tend into the chamber ½” - 5/8”.
°F
Keep shelves, posts and ware 1” - 1 ½” away from the
thermocouple. Keep an extra thermocouple on hand, espe-
cially if you fire hotter than 2000°F/1093°C.
°C
If you are using a portable, separate controller, you will
need to install the thermocouple onto the kiln. See the sepa-
rate TnF 2 installation instructions.
Single Right-Hand Light: °C
When temperature is displayed in °C, a light appears in
the lower right. In °F it disappears.
The “LId” Display
Reasons LId appears in the display:
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The kiln is equipped with the optional safety switch.
How to Get IdLE to Display
The controller displays IdLE when you first apply power
to the kiln. Operations begin from IdLE . You can’t fire the
kiln until IdLE appears.
(The switch turns off power to the elements when the lid
or door is open.) LId appears in the display while the lid
is open during firing.
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On the back of the Sentry circuit board, at the top right
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If you press STOP during a firing, AbRT will appear. To
side, is a small two-pin terminal. If the connector on that
terminal is missing, LId will appear in the display dur-
ing firing. The elements will not turn on. (If the two-pin
connector is missing, you can buy another from a com-
puter supply store.)
get back to IdLE , press ENTER.
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If the display shows an error message such as FAIL in-
stead of IdLE , see pages 22 - 23.
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CPLT (firing completed) appears at the end of a firing.
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The safety lid switch is defective or the safety switch wire
is broken.
To make IdLE appear, press any key.
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automatic. The operator assumes full responsibility
for shutting the kiln off at the proper time.
Chapter 2
4 / Ramp Hold
The Keys
Ramp-Hold fires the kiln to the tempera-
ture you specify, whereas Cone-Fire fires to
a pyrometric cone. Press 4 from IdLE to
program a firing or to select a stored program. See
“Ramp-Hold,” page 12.
Correcting Entries
If you enter the wrong temperature, cone, time, etc., while
programming, enter 0000. Then enter the correct numbers
before pressing ENTER. See also the Stop/Back Key, page 7.
5 / Present Status
1 / Cone Fire
Cone-Fire is a method of firing ceramics
to a pyrometric cone. See Chapter 3, page 8,
for details. To find out if your Sentry in-
cludes Cone-Fire:
Press 5during a firing to display the cur-
rent segment that is firing. The messages
that can appear in Present Status:
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RA 1 Ramp (see page 12), and segment number.
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Hd 1 Hold (see page 12), and segment number.
1 From IdLE display, press 1. If CONE appears, you
have Cone-Fire mode. If the 1 key does not re-
spond, you have Ramp-Hold mode only.
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PRHT Cone-Fire Pre-Heat (see page 9).
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COOL Cone-Fire Slow Cooling (see page 11).
2 Press STOP to bring the controller back to IdLE .
Uses for Present Status:
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You are firing a program that contains several heating
and cooling segments. Without Present Status, it would
be easy to lose track of which segment is firing.
2 / Add Time
This key adds five minutes to a Hold. It is
designed for ceramists who watch witness
cones through the peephole, and for glass
artists who inspect the glass near the end of firing.
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In Cone-Fire, you may think the kiln has fired too long
when it is actually only in a slow cooling.
1 During a firing, press Add Time. HOLd , and time
in hold, will appear.
6 / Program Review
When you press ENTER to begin firing,
the controller will fire the program that is in
active memory. Program Review shows the
values forthatprogram. The program in active memoryis—
2 Press Add Time again. The time shown will in-
crease by 5 minutes. In a few seconds, temperature
display will return.
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The program that was fired last, or
Note: Add Time will add 5 minutes to Hold in ei-
ther Cone-Fire or Ramp-Hold, even if no hold had
been programmed. After hold time displays, 5 min-
utes are added with each press of the key.
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The program that was selected since the last firing.
Start Program Review from IdLE , or while firing, by
pressing 6.
3 / Delay
Note: In Program Review, Cone-Fire Fast speed
displays as F 20 . Slow speed displays as S 20 .
(These speeds are 20% faster and slower than the
standard speed.)
This delays the start of the firing by the
amount of time entered. Use it to fit a firing
into your schedule or to take advantage of
lower electric rates at night. Delay zeroes out after each fir-
ing. Therefore, it must be programmed for each firing.
7 / Alarm
The alarm sounds when the kiln reaches
the alarm temperature you enter. Use the
alarm to alert you to—
1 A Cone-Fire or Ramp-Hold program must be in ac-
tive memory, ready to fire. (See pages 10 and 13.)
2 From IdLE press 3. Enter delay time (i.e., 5 ½
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Lower the lid from venting position (ceramics).
hours = 05.30). Press ENTER.
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Check the witness cone near shut-off time (ceramics).
3 To begin Delay, press ENTER once from IdLE . A
Delay count-down timer will appear.
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Check the fusing or slumping of glass.
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Remove the knife blade from the furnace at the end of
heat treating.
Note: Press START during delay to end the delay
and begin the firing. The maximum delay is 99
hours and 59 minutes.
You can enter only one alarm temperature at a time. How-
ever, after the alarm beeps, you can set the alarm for another
temperature, as many times as you want, during the firing.
You can enter a higher or lower temperature than the cur-
rent temperature. Entering an alarm temperature automati-
cally erases the previous alarm temperature.
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
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To skip out of Cone-Fire Hold. Slow Cooling will begin.
(If the firing does not include Slow Cooling, Skip Seg-
ment willnot end a Hold. Press STOPto end thefiring.)
Setting Alarm From Idle
1 From IdLE , press 7. ALAR will appear alternating
with the last alarm temperature entered.
Skip Segment in Ramp-Hold
2 Enter alarm temperature. Press ENTER. IdLE will
In Ramp-Hold, the firing will skip to the ramp of the next
segment from either a ramp or hold of the current segment.
(See page 12 for details on ramps, holds, and segments.)
appear. (Enter 0000 to turn alarm off.)
Note: 9999, as an alarm temperature, automati-
cally changes to the maximum temperature rating
of your controller.
Skip Segment Examples
For additional examples, see Chapter 4, pages 14 - 15.
When the alarm sounds, shut it off by pressing any key ex-
cept STOP. (The STOP key does not work while an alarm
sounds.) If the alarm sounds as soon as firing begins, it is be-
cause the alarm was set to a temperature below the current
temperature.
Cone-Fire
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In Cone-Fire you are firing to an 05 witness cone for the
first time. You select cone 04 with a 60 minute hold and a
slow cooling. After 30 minutes in hold, the 05 witness
cone bends to maturity. Use Skip Segment to end the
hold and begin Slow Cooling.
Setting Alarm During Firing
1 The alarm beeps while the kiln is firing. Press 7.
Note: Once you know how much hold time will
bend the witness cone, program that much hold for
the next firing.
2 Enter the new temperature.
3 Press ENTER. The kiln will continue firing.
Ramp-Hold
If you touch 7, enter a new temperature, and forget to
press ENTER, the controller will merely continue firing.
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Skipping to a Cooling Segment: You have programmed
2167°F for a cone 5 glaze firing, followed by a segment for
controlled cooling. Watching the witness cone through
the peephole, you notice that cone 5 is bending at 2150°F.
Use Skip Segment to end the firing segment and begin
the one for slow cooling.
Note: When an alarm sounds, firing to completion
does not shut the alarm off.
9 / Cone Numbers
& Skip Segment
Note: Make a note of the temperature at which the
cone bent. Program that temperature for the next
firing.
Cone Table
Look up a cone temperature with the 9key.
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Skipping to a Hold: Skip Segment does not skip from a
1 From IdLE , press 9. CONE will appear, then the
ramp to a hold. It skips to the next segment. If you need to
skip to a hold, program an additional segment with the
hold thatyouwant. Then skip to thatsegment. Example:
cone, if any, currently programmed in Cone-Fire.
2 Enter a pyrometric cone number. Press ENTER. The
display will show the cone temperature. If you enter a
non-existent cone number, the display will show
CONE , ready for you to enter a different cone num-
ber.
Segment 1: rate 500°F to 1828
Segment 2: rate 200°F to 1750 with 30 minute hold
Enter/Start
Note: Do not be concerned if the actual cone
shut-off temperature does not match the Cone Ta-
ble. The temperature of a cone varies with firing
speed. The cone temperatures in Cone Table are
for self-supporting cones fired at a rate of 108°F /
60°C per hour during the last hour of firing.
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Press ENTERafter each step in program-
ming a firing.
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Press ENTER once to begin firing.
The Options Key
See Chapter 6, page 17.
Skip Segment
Skip Segment works only during firing. It jumps from the
current segment to the next one.
The Stop/Back Key
You can stop a firing at any time (except
when the alarm sounds) by pressing STOP.
If you inadvertently enter Ramp-Hold,
Cone-Fire, or Options, you do not have to go through all the
prompts to get back out. Press STOP to go to IdLE .
To skip a segment, press 9. SKIP will appear, then the
current segment. Press ENTER. (If you change your mind
and don’t want to skip that segment, don’t press ENTERafter
SKIP appears. Instead, press 9 again. The firing will con-
tinue in the same segment.)
The STOP/BACK key is also like the Back button on an
Internet browser. It works in Cone-Fire and Ramp-Hold
programming. It will take you back one step every time you
press the key.
Skip Segment in Cone-Fire
In Cone-Fire, Skip Segment works in Pre-Heat and Hold:
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To skip out of Pre-Heat and begin the cone firing.
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The element that silhouettes the cones should be level
with the lower part of 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.
Chapter 3
Cone-Fire
If you use the three
cone system, always
have the higher tem-
perature cone on the
same side in every fir-
ing. Otherwise you can
lose track of which cone
is which.
Cone-Fire mode is based on
pyrometric cones. It is not designed for
heat treating, glass fusing and enameling.
For these firings, see “Ramp-Hold,”
page 12. Use Ramp-Hold to fire ceramic
pieces that require a custom firing
schedule, such as some types of stone-
ware sculpture or crystalline glaze.
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Wear firing safety
glasses when viewing
the cones through the against an element. Keep the cone 8”
peephole.
Silhouette the lower part of the cone
- 12” away from the peephole.
Pyrometric Witness Cones
See your dealer if in
doubt about which cone number to use with each clay and
glaze.
The Sentry shuts off automatically without cones. Never-
theless, every ceramic firing should include at least one wit-
ness cone (also called the shelf cone). The witness cone is
the most accurate measurement of heat work in a ceramic
firing.
Firing Schedules
Cone-Fire uses three firing schedules:
If you fire the same size load and type of ware regularly,
the witness cones let you compare one firing to the next and
alert you when something is wrong. For example, if the wit-
ness cone bends less and less with each consecutive firing,
this may indicate thermocouple temperature drift.
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Low fire cones 022 - 011
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Medium fire cones 010 - 01
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High fire cones 1 - 10
Should you ever want to customize a Cone-Fire program,
transfer the firing schedule to Ramp-Hold. See Appendix B,
pages 26 - 27.
Note: If the bending of the witness cone does not
match the Cone-Fire shut-off, you may want to ad-
just Cone Offset or Thermocouple Offset. See
pages 17 - 19. If the witness cones bend inconsis-
tently from one firing to another, see “Sentry Trou-
bleshooter,” a separate publication.
During a cone firing, press 5 (Present Status) to see
which stage, or segment, of the firing the kiln has reached.
The number displayed will be a segment number from one
of these firing schedules.
How to Position Cones on the Shelf
Position the witness cones
Note: Pre-Heat shows in Present Status as PRHT .
It is not given a separate segment number.
so that you can see them
through a peephole during fir-
ing. If the kiln takes longer than
usual to fire, you may wonder if
something has gone wrong and
the kiln is overfiring. But by
seeing the cones, you will know
Firing time in each segment is approximate and depends
on the age of elements, voltage, size of load, and the firing
speed you have chosen.
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 between an 05 and 5. See “Tempera-
ture Equivalents Chart for Orton Self-Supporting
Pyrometric Cones,” Appendix D, page 30.
how the firing is progressing.
Use self-supporting witness
cones on the shelf. They stand
If you follow these guide-
lines, you should be able to see
upright without cone holders.
the cones even at cone 10:
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Place the cones 8” - 12” away from a peephole. Posi-
tioning them closer makes them difficult to see.
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Have enough space around the cones to keep them from
touching a piece of ware when they bend.
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Position cones so that when viewed from the peephole,
they are silhouetted by an element on the opposite kiln
wall. (Keep cones at least 2” from an element.)
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High Fire Cones 1 - 10 Firing Schedule
Low Fire Cones 022 - 011
Segment
Rate Per Hour
Time in Segment
This range includes decals, over-decorations, lusters,
and golds. The firing can be fast. Good venting is important,
because oils and other organics burn off. Do not close the lid
from the vented position until all odor has disappeared.
1
324°F/180°C
2 hours, 30 minutes
2
3
4
153°F/85°C
162°F/90°C
108°F/60°C
35 minutes
4 hours, 35 minutes
2 hours
Low Fire Cones 022 - 011 Firing Schedule
Firing time is about 9 hours, 30 minutes to 11 hours, depending on the cone and
speed.
Segment
Rate Per Hour
Time in Segment
2 hours
1
396°F/220°C
2
108°F/60°C
1 hour
Cone-Fire Features
Firing time is about 3 to 5 hours, depending on the cone and speed.
Speed (SPd)
Middle Fire Cones 010 - 01
The Cone-Fire schedules shown on this page are stan-
dard. When you select Medium speed in a Cone-Fire pro-
gram, the kiln uses these standard firing schedules. When
you select Fast (1), the standard schedule fires 20% faster.
On Slow (3), it fires 20% slower.
Use this range for earthenware and commercial low-fire
glazes. Glazes fired on bisque ware (ware that has already
been fired) can be fired faster than the unfired greenware. In
this cone range, slow firings can produce poor quality glazes.
In the following schedule, the firing is slowed during the
silica phase change (1063°F/573°C).
You can also alter the firing speed even more under Speed
(Spd) in Options. See page 17.
Earthenware and clays that contain ball clays, talc, and ka-
olin will burn off water, carbon, and sulfur. This reduces
weight by 10%.
Pre-Heat (PRHT)
Moist greenware can explode during firing. This happens
when the moisture in the clay turns to steam rapidly and can-
not escape fast enough. The Sentry Pre-Heat feature dries
the ware at low temperature before the moisture can turn to
steam.
Cooling too fast can produce glaze pinholes, blisters, and
craters. Unless cooling is slowed near 1063°F/573°C, a phys-
ical change in the silica can cause the ware to crack. For this
reason we recommend that you use Cone-Fire’s Slow
Cooling option (see page 11).
Pre-Heat is sometimes necessary when firing thick
greenware, such as stoneware. It may also be necessary in
humid weather, which inhibits drying. If possible, however,
avoid using Pre-Heat to dry greenware. If the greenware
feels damp or cool when you touch it to your cheek, dry it lon-
ger before firing. Use a dehumidifier in humid weather.
Drying greenware in the kiln tends to rust the kiln.
We recommend a 10 - 20 minute hold when firing
lead-free glazes.
Middle Fire Cones 010 - 01 Firing Schedule
Segment
Rate Per Hour
Time in Segment
1
324°F/180°C
2 hours, 30 minutes
Note: During Pre-Heat, vent the lid. Otherwise the
firebricks will absorb moisture, leading to rust be-
hind the steel case. Moisture in the firebrick can
also slow the firing to a crawl.
2
3
4
153°F/85°C
180°F/100°C
108°F/60°C
35 minutes
2 hours, 40 minutes
1 hour, 30 minutes
CAUTION: Venting the lid during Pre-Heat is so
important that some ceramists use the extended
vent position or even leave the lid open. If you do
this, you must be near your kiln at the end of
Pre-Heat to lower the lid.
Firing time is about 6 to 8 hours, depending on the cone and speed.
High Fire Cones 1 - 10
This is the firing range for porcelain and stoneware.
These bodies fire nearly to vitrification and can 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 schedule be-
low slows down during the last 210°F/100°C to produce
better density in the ware.
Pre-Heat raises the temperature 60°F/33°C per hour to
200°F/93°C. Then it holds at 200°F/93°C for the time you
specify. Pre-Heat works in Cone-Fire only. After Pre-Heat is
finished, the kiln will automatically begin firing to the cone
you have selected.
Note: At high altitude, water boils at a lower tem-
perature. This may cause moisture in the ware to
turn to steam even during Pre-Heat.
Typical porcelain clays are formulated from kaolin, feld-
spars, silica and ball clays. Weight loss is 10 - 12% and
shrinkage is as high as 20%. If overfired, porcelain may warp
or blister. Cone-fire’s Hold option usually enhances porce-
lain.
9
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Mirror Test
This test will help you de-
termine how much Pre-Heat
to use. Occasionally during
Pre-Heat, hold a mirror near
the top peephole. (Be careful
to avoid burns.) The mirror
must be at room tempera-
ture, not hot, so hold it near
the peephole for only several
seconds.
Cone-Fire Programming
Use these instructions for your first firings. Later
you may prefer “Cone-Fire Shorthand Pro-
gramming,” page 32.
As the Sentry prompts for cone, speed, pre-heat,
hold, and slow cooling, values entered for the last firing
will appear. To use these values again, press ENTER.
Vent the kiln until moisture no lon-
ger fogs a mirror.
If the mirror fogs, mois-
ture is still escaping from the
ware. When the mirror no longer fogs, you can exit Pre-Heat
and begin the firing.
To fire without Delay or Alarm: Follow steps 1
through 7 below. Then from IdLE press START. To
use Delay or Alarm, see also page 6.
1 Apply power to the kiln. 8888 then IdLE
will appear. (Press ENTER if IdLE does not
appear.)
To interrupt Pre-Heat and begin firing to the cone in
Cone-Fire, press 9(Skip Segment). SKIP , alternating with
1 , will appear. Press ENTER. Segment 1 of the firing will
now begin. (See Cone-Fire firing schedules, page 9.)
2 Press 1. CONE will appear. Enter cone num-
ber. (If the 1key does not respond, your con-
troller uses Ramp-Hold only.)
Note: If you are using a vent fan, such as the Orton
KilnVent, turn the fan on during Pre-Heat. The fan
will help to remove moisture. (AOP Fan users: see
the Fan option, page 18.)
3 Press ENTER. SPd will appear. Enter speed:
FAST (1), MEDIUM (2), SLOW (3). (Me-
dium speed will display as Std .)
How to Use Pre-Heat When Kiln is Above
200°F/93°C at Beginning of Firing
If you begin firing with Pre-Heat in a kiln that is already
hotter than Pre-Heat temperature, the kiln will skip
Pre-Heat and begin firing to the cone. There are two ways to
use Pre-Heat in this situation:
4 Press ENTER. PRHT will appear. To use
Pre-Heat, enter time. Otherwise enter 0.
5 Press ENTER. HOLd will appear. Tosoakthe
ware at the end of firing, enter a hold time.
Otherwise enter 0.
I
Wait until the kiln cools below 200°F before starting the
firing. This is the preferred method.
6 Press ENTER. COOL will appear. To use
Slow Cooling, enter cooling rate as degrees
per hour. (180°F/82°C is maximum rate.
Press 0to turn Slow Cooling off.)
I
Load the kiln and start the firing, but include enough
time in Delay for the kiln to cool below 200°F before
Pre-Heat begins.
7 Press ENTER. IdLE will appear.
Hold (HOLd)
Cone-Fire Hold heat-soaks the ware at the cone tempera-
ture at the end of the firing. Without Hold, the kiln shuts off
after it reaches the cone temperature. Hold maintains the
cone temperature for the period you specify. Hold helps even
out the temperature throughout the kiln. It also helps the
heat to penetrate completely into the clay. (Rapid firing is
like cooking: the turkey will be done on the outside but not
on the inside.) Hold helps glaze absorb china paint. It helps
to heal glaze defects such as bubbles. A little hold time can
yield dramatic results.
8 To set Alarm: Press 7. ALAR will appear. En-
ter alarm temperature. (Press 0to turn alarm
off.) Then press ENTER.
9 To set Delay: Press 3. dELA will appear. En-
ter delay time. Press ENTER. (Delay zeroes
out after each firing.)
10 To start program, press ENTER once.
STRT will appear, then temperature. If
Delay was programmed, DELA will appear,
then time remaining until start. To stop the
program during firing, press STOP.
CAUTION: Too much hold time can overfire your
ware and burn out colors.
When program fires to completion, CPLT will ap-
pear. Press ENTER. IdLE will appear. To shut off the
alarm when it sounds during a firing, press ENTER.
One way to add Hold time without over-firing is to fire to
one cone cooler than needed. Then add enough hold time to
bend the next hotter cone. Hold time needed to bend the
next cone will vary. As a rule of thumb, 45 - 60 minutes of
hold = one cone of heat work.
Example: to fire to cone 05, program Cone-Fire for 06
and add 45-60 minutes of hold time.
10
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Watch the pyrometric witness cones through the peep-
hole. Press STOP when the correct witness cone bends, not-
ing how much Hold time was needed. Program that much
Hold time the next time you fire the same type of ware loaded
to the same capacity.
Note: By looking at the witness cones through a
peephole, 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.
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.
Wrong Thermocouple Type
When Hold is set to 99.99 hours, the Sentry will remain at
If a Type-K thermocouple is installed on your kiln, but
your controller is set for Type-S, the kiln will continually
underfire by a wide margin. See page 19 to check thermo-
couple type.
that temperature indefinitely, until STOP is pressed.
Slow Cooling (COOL)
Slow cooling enhances the quality of some ceramic
glazes. Slow cooling encourages crystal develoment, deeper
gloss, and sometimes startling color shifts. Iron red glazes
seem to respond well to slow cooling. For these reasons we
have added a Slow Cooling feature to Cone-Fire.
For Kilns with AOP Outlet
The AOP (auxiliary output) is a special-order receptacle
mounted in the kiln switch box. The Sentry controls power
to the AOP receptacle. The AOP is usually used to power a
kiln vent.
I
Slow Cooling begins after the cone firing (and Hold, if
any) and ends at 392°F/200°C.
The Fan option, which is accessed through the OPTIONS
key, determines when an AOP-powered kiln vent will oper-
ate during Cone-Fire.
I
When COOL appears in Cone-Fire programming, enter
a cooling rate between 1°F/C to 180°F/82°C. A good start-
ing point is a rate of 90°F/50°C.
Before the Fan option will appear on the Options list, (1)
you must enter a Cone-Fire program in active memory and
(2) you must select FAN3 in the AOP option. (See page 20
for instructions on selecting FAN3 in the AOP option.)
I
Enter a rate of 0 to turn Slow Cooling off.
Note: Slow Cooling can extend the firing time by
many hours. For instance, if the shutoff tempera-
ture is 1945°F/1063°C, and the cooling rate is
100°F/55°C, the kiln will take 15 ½ hours to reach
392°F/200°C.
1 From IdLE , press OPTIONS repeatedly until FAN
appears.
2 Press ENTER. Use the 1 and 2 keys to select one of
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 and keep firing. Simply
program the next hotter cone in Cone-Fire. Then from
IdLE , press START. The kiln will begin firing, taking up
where it left off.
these settings:
I
ON
The vent is on during Pre-Heat, the cone firing,
and Slow Cooling. It turns off at 212°F/100°C.
I
I
OPT
The vent is on during Pre-Heat and the cone fir-
ing. It is off during Slow Cooling.
OFF The vent is off all the time.
3 After selecting one of the above, press ENTER. Press
STOP to return to IdLE .
11
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Chapter 4
Ramp-Hold
Definition of a Segment
Ramp-Hold fires in segments. Every segment must have
a target temperature and a heating rate to reach that temper-
ature. Shown in diagram A is a segment with a temperature
of 750°.
Diagram C: a single segment with hold. The two parts of a segment are
the ramp and the hold. Not all segments have a hold, but they all have a
ramp.
A segment, which is a target temperature and a rate of
heating to reach that temperature, can also have a hold. Hold
maintains the target temperature for the length of time you
specify. (Diagram C, above.)
A segment has two parts:
I
Ramp: where the temperature changes
I
Hold: where the temperature remains the same
Diagram A: a single segment.
A segment can have only one ramp and only one hold.
Therefore, if you need more than one hold, you will have to
add additional segments to the firing. Firing to a tempera-
ture at a single rate would need only one segment. Reasons to
add more segments:
Rate is figured in degrees per hour. In Diagram A above,
the temperature takes two hours to reach 750°. The rate is
750 ÷2 = 375.
I
Diagram B, below, shows three rates. A rate of 1000° will
reach 1000° in 1 hour. A rate of 500° will reach 1000° in 2
hours. A rate of 333° will reach 1000° in 3 hours.
To change the heating rate
I
To add a hold somewhere below the shut-off tempera-
ture
I
To change the temperature direction. Example: to con-
trol the cooling rate.
Diagram D, below, shows a 3 segment firing. Two seg-
ments were used on the way up in temperature. Another
segment was added for controlled cooling.
Diagram B: Rate is degrees per hour. This diagram shows 3 rates. Di-
vide the target temperature by the number of hours it took to reach that
temperature.
Diagram D: a 3 segment firing. Only 2 segments have a hold.
12
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User Programs (USER)
Ramp-Hold Programming
Use these instructions for your first firings.
Later you may prefer “Ramp-Hold Shorthand In-
structions,” page 31.
When you enter Ramp-Hold mode, the first prompt to ap-
pear is USER , meaning, “Select one of your programs.”
You, the user, can make your own firing schedules and store
them in memory. A firing schedule, or program, is the seg-
ments needed for a firing. To make a segment, you will need
three facts:
As the program prompts for segments, rate,
temperature, etc., you will see values from the last
firing. To use these again, press ENTER. To control
cooling, set the segment to a lower temperature
than that of the preceding segment.
I
rate (how fasttemperature changes in degrees per hour)
I
target temperature
To fire without Alarm or Delay: Follow steps
1 through 7. Then press START once.
I
hold, if any
The controller can retain four user programs in memory
even when power is turned off. User programs are num-
bered from 1 through 4. User program #1 can have up to 20
segments. User programs #2 - #4 can have ten segments
each. You don’t have to use all 20 or all 10 segments—only
the number needed per firing. Often one segment is all you
willneed. A User program canbeas simpleas a singleramp.
1 Apply power to the kiln. 8888 then IdLE
will appear. (Press ENTER if IdLE does not
appear.)
2 Press 4. USER will appear. Enter a number
from 1 to 4.
3 Press ENTER. rA 1 will appear. Enter firing
rate for segment 1 (temperature change per
hour: from 1° to 9999°).
When using Ramp-Hold for the first time, press 1 when
USER appears. Your first firing will be stored as User Pro-
gram #1.
4 Press ENTER. °F 1 (or °C 1) will appear.
Each time you store another program, select another
available number, such as 2, at the USER prompt. Adding a
program to a user number over-writes any existing program
stored there. Write down your User Programs.
Enter the target temperature of segment 1.
5 Press ENTER. Hd 1 will appear. Enter seg-
ment 1 hold time in hours/minutes (e.g. 12
hours, 30 minutes = 12.30). No hold = 0.
Note: If you don’t need all the segments available
in a User program, zero out the unused segments.
First, enter values for the segments needed. At the
6 Press ENTER. If FN 1 appears, and you have
an AOP receptacle on your kiln, select ON or
OFF. Press ENTER. (For more details on
AOP, see AOP option, page 20.)
7 Continue entering values for the segments
needed. When RA _ appears for the first
segment you don’t need, press 0, then
ENTER. IdLE will appear.
8 To set Alarm: press 7. ALAR will appear.
Enter alarm temperature. (Enter 0 to turn
alarm off.) Then press ENTER. IdLE will
appear.
9 To set Delay: press 3. dELA will appear.
Enter delay time (i.e. 12 hours, 30 minutes
= 12.30). Then press ENTER. (Delay zeroes
out after each completed firing.) IdLE will
appear.
Write down each program stored in memory.
Before firing, use Program Review to be sure
everything is correct.
RA _ prompt for the segment you don’t need, press
0, then ENTER. The display will return to IdLE .
10 To start program, press ENTER once.
STRT will appear, then kiln temperature. If
a delay was programmed, STRT will ap-
pear, then time remaining until start. To
stop the firing, press STOP.
Note: For repeat firings that you don’t want to in-
advertently change, see Program Lock, page 20.
We recommend using Program Review (page 6)
before firing. When program fires to completion,
CPLT will appear. Press ENTER. IdLE will ap-
pear. To shut off the alarm when it sounds during a
firing, press ENTER.
13
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Firing a Stored User Program
Segments for Controlled Cooling
For controlled cooling, program a segment to a lower
temperature than that of the preceding segment.
To use a stored program, press 4 from IdLE. Enter the
program number at the USER prompt. Press ENTER. If
there are no changes to the program, press STOP. IdLE will
appear. The controller is ready to fire your selected program.
To begin firing, press ENTER once. (Use “Program Re-
view,” page 6, before firing. See also “Repeat Firings,” page
5.)
If you prop the lid for a fast cooling, program a fast cooling
rate. If you program a slow cooling rate, but lower the tem-
perature quickly by propping the lid, the controller will de-
feat your fast cooling. It will raise the temperature again.
Glass fusers sometimes flash-cool the glass at the end of
fusing. They lift the lid slightly to remove heat, then close it
again. This takes the glass down rapidly through the
devitrification range. To program a flash-cool, use a rate of
9999.
Rate
As stated before, each segment must include a rate, pro-
grammed as degrees of temperature change per hour.
The kiln will fire at full power when the rate is
1799°F/999°C or higher. Programming a rate of 9999 is the
easiest way to program a maximum rate.
Suppose you enter a cooling rate that is faster than the
kiln is able to cool? Depending on the rate you enter, you may
get an alarm message. (Press ENTER to turn off the alarm.)
The controller, of course, cannot speed cooling
beyond the kiln’s natural cooling rate.
Note: In Program Review, 9999 is displayed as
FULL . When a kiln is heated at full power, it may
over-shoot the target temperature, especially in the
lower range. To avoid this, add an extra segment
with a slower rate for the last 20 degrees of tempera-
ture rise.
Note: During fast cooling, do not open the lid /door
all the way. Do not force-cool the kiln with a fan.
Sample Firing Schedules
CAUTION: The Sentry includes error messages
to warn you when the kiln is at the wrong tempera-
ture. Firing the kiln at full rate turns off some of
these warnings. For details, see “Temperature De-
viation,” page 20.
These sample firing schedules illustrate different ways to
use your Sentry. When designing a firing schedule for mate-
rials you are unfamiliar with, or when using one of these
schedules, test-fire samples first.
Cone-Fire Program Fired in Ramp-Hold
The following firing schedule is the cone 04 Cone-Fire
schedule at standard (medium) speed. (See pages 26 - 27.) A
slow-cooling segment was added.
If you are not sure how fast to fire, remember an old firing
adage: “When in doubt, slow it down.”
Hold (HOLd)
Rate
°F/°C
Temp.
°F/°C
Hold maintains the temperature of a segment for the time
you specify. Hold gives the temperature time to become
more even throughout the kiln. Hold can be used in either
heating up or cooling down segments.
Segment
Hold
00.00
00.00
00.00
00.00
00.00
1
2
3
4
5
324/180
153/85
180/100
108/60
150/83
1022/550
1112/600
1837/1003
1945/1063
1000/537
Ceramics: Wearing firing safety glasses, watch the wit-
ness cone near the end of the firing. (See page 8.) When the
witness cone bends, note the hold time. The next time you
fire the same type of ware loaded to the same capacity, pro-
gram that amount of hold time.
In this schedule, the kiln will cool at 150°F/83°C per hour
to 1000°F/537°C. Some ceramists use slow cooling with cer-
tain glazes.
Note: During Hold, the display temperature will
alternate with time left in Hold. To figure hold time
needed for the next firing, subtract time left in Hold
from total Hold time entered.
Sculptured Stoneware Bisque
Firing Schedule, Cone 04
When Hold is set to 99.99 hours, the Sentry will remain at
that temperature indefinitely, until STOP is pressed.
Rate
Temp.
°F/°C
Segment
°F/°C
200/93
Hold
03.00
02.00
00.00
00.00
00.00
1
2
3
4
5
60/33
80/44
AOP Fan
700/371
1100/593
1945/1062
1400/760
The optional AOP (auxiliary output) is a special-order
electrical receptacle mounted in the kiln’s switch box. This
receptacle can power a kiln vent or external alarm. (See Op-
tions, page 20.) In Ramp-Hold, the prompt for the AOP out-
let is FN , which can be turned on or off for each segment.
80/44
108/60
150/83
This slow firing is for thick stoneware. Change the target
temperature in segment 4 when firing to a different pyro-
metric cone. The ware should be bone dry. Test samples un-
til you are sure the schedule works for your clay.
14
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If you are not using a kiln vent, leave peephole plugs out
and vent the lid. Set the alarm to 1000°F. When the alarm
sounds, close the lid from venting position.
Set the alarm again, this time to 1150° F. When it sounds,
check the glass through the peephole. When the glass
slumps into the bowl, write down the temperature and hold
timeforfuture firings, and press 9, ENTER(SkipSegment).
Set the alarm again, this time to 1850° F. When it sounds,
check the witness cone through the peephole. When the
cone bends to six o’clock, write down the temperature. (Use
that temperature in segment 4 on your next firing of the
same type of ware.) Then press 9, ENTER(Skip Segment).
This will advance you to segment 3, a flash cooling seg-
ment. Lift the kiln lid slightly or open the door ajar until the
temperature drops to 1050° F. Then close the door/lid. The
kiln will cool slowly through the annealing range. Then it will
turn off and cool to room temperature.
This will advance you to segment 5, a slow cooling seg-
ment. Do not open the lid until the kiln has cooled to room
temperature.
Note: A cooling rate of 9999 (FULL) shuts off the
warning alarm that sometimes sounds during rapid
cooling. For moredetails about alarms, see page20.
Glass Fusing Firing Schedule
Rate
°F/°C
Temp.
°F/°C
Starting a Firing in a Hot Kiln
Segment
Hold
00.00
00.30
00.00
00.00
Sometimes a firing begins in a hot kiln after a power fail-
ure, or other interruption. In this case, the Sentry will begin
firing from the first segment that matches the current tem-
perature. See Power Failures, page 23.
1
2
3
4
250/138
900/500
9999/9999
150/83
1
750/398
1425/773
1050/565
750/398
When the Kiln Shuts Off Too Soon
Ceramic Firings
If the kiln fires to completion before the pyrometric wit-
ness cone bends, you can turn the kiln back on and keep fir-
ing. Simply program a hotter temperature. Then from
IdLE , press START. The kiln will begin firing, taking up
where it left off.
Stained glass, 8", 2 layers, full fuse. The fusing tempera-
ture will vary depending on the brand of glass, the batch, and
even upon the color. Vent the lid. Set the alarm to 500°F.
When the alarm sounds, close the lid from venting position
and insert peephole plugs.
Set the alarm again, this time to 1350°F. When it sounds,
check the glass through the peephole. When the glass fuses
to your satisfaction, write down the temperature and hold
time for future firings, and press 9, ENTER(Skip Segment).
Note: By looking at the witness cones through a
peephole, youwill know ifthe kiln shutsofftoosoon.
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.
This will advance you to segment 3, a flash cooling seg-
ment. Lift the kiln lid slightly or open the door ajar until the
temperature drops to 1050° F. Then close the door/lid. The
kiln will cool slowly through the annealing range, then turn
off.
Wrong Thermocouple Type
Note: A cooling rate of 9999 (FULL) shuts off the
warning alarm that sometimes sounds during rapid
cooling. Formore detailsaboutalarms, see page20.
If a Type-K thermocouple is installed on your kiln, but
your controller is set for Type-S, the kiln will continually
underfire by a wide margin. See page 19 to check thermo-
couple type.
Glass Slumping Firing Schedule
Rate
°F/°C
Temp.
°F/°C
Segment
Hold
00.00
00.30
00.00
00.00
1
2
3
4
250/138
900/500
9999/9999
150/83
1
750/398
1250/676
1050/565
750/398
Stained glass, 8", 2 fused layers, 12" circular pieces,
slumped into a bowl. Set the alarm to 500° F. When the alarm
sounds, close the lid from venting position and insert peep-
hole plugs.
15
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Zone Temperatures (T123)
1 Press OPTIONS repeatedly until T123 appears.
CMhuapltteipr 5le Zone
2 Press ENTER.
3 The temperature for each zone will display one after
the other. This information will cycle for one min-
ute. Then normal temperature display will return.
For example:
Kilns
Note: See also Multiple Zone Options, page 21.
I
Top zone: TC 1¯ 1250
An Overview of Multiple Zone Firing
If you are not sure how many zones your kiln has, look into
the firing chamber. The number of thermocouple tips indi-
cates the number of zones.
I
Middle zone: TC 2- 1251
I
Bottom zone: TC 3_ 1249
Two Zone Kilns: Adjust Heat in
In single-zone kilns, the Sentry measures temperature
from one location. When the controller turns on the heat, all
the elements turn on.
Center Section (CAdJ)
The Center Adjust option is accessed with the Options
key. It appears only on 2 zone kilns that contain 3 relays and 3
banks of elements. It does not appear on 2 zone kilns with 2
relays, or on 3 zone kilns.
With two and three zone kilns, the Sentry measures tem-
perature from each individual zone. It then adjusts the heat
separatelyfor each zone toimprovetemperature uniformity.
The Center Adjust acts as an infinite control switch that
adjusts heat to the center section of the kiln. A number will
display. 100 is the factory default, meaning 100% heat. You
can change the setting from 0 to 200. The higher the num-
ber, the more the heat in the center section.
To maintain even temperature, the Sentry calculates not
only temperature difference between zones, but also length
of time needed to change temperature. By carefully timing
heat output, it maintains even temperature with a minimal
loss in firing speed.
1 From IdLE , press OPTIONS repeatedly until
CAdJ appears.
Note: Multiple zone kilns use the same Cone-Fire
and Ramp-Hold programming instructions as sin-
gle zone kilns.
2 Press ENTER. Use any number key to change the
number that appears.
Note: Firing a Ramp-Hold program at FULL rate
(1799°F/999°C or higher rate) shuts off multi-
ple-zone control for that firing. The kiln then fires
as a single zone kiln.
3 Press ENTER. Press STOP to return to IdLE .
Thermocouple Failure
In a Multiple Zone Kiln
In a multiple zone kiln, if a thermocouple fails, the firing
will continue as a single-zone kiln so long as one thermocou-
ple still operates. FAIL will appear, alternating with the
thermocouple that failed (i.e. TC 1¯ ).
Viewing Zone Temperatures
The temperature displayed during firing is an average
taken from all zones. Through the Options key, you can gain
more precise temperature readings:
Power Output Lights
The 3 lights to the right of the
temperature display turn on
when the controller sends power
to the relays.
Zone Difference (DIFF)
1 Press OPTIONS repeatedly until DIFF appears.
2 Press ENTER.
3 The maximum difference in temperature between
I
Two Zone Kiln The top light shows power to the relay
the zones is shown. (Example: -005 .)
for the top section of the kiln. The bottom light shows
power to the bottom. Ignore the center light.
Three Zone Kiln The top light indicates power to the
top section relay, the middle light to the middle section, and
the bottom light to the bottom.
Testing Multiple Zone Elements
When relays or thermocouples are connected to the
wrong controller terminals, zones will show a wide tempera-
ture difference. To wire the kiln properly, trace the switch
box wiring with the kiln’s wiring diagram. Also, see “Ele-
ment Test,” page 21.
16
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3 Press ENTER. Use the 1or 2key to scroll through this
selection:
Chapter 6
Std Same as Medium in cone programming.
F10 10% faster than standard
Options
F20 Same as Fast in cone programming
F30 30% faster than standard
The Options key gives you access to a list of features. With
each press of the Options key, you will see the display code
for the next option.
F40 40% faster than standard
1 When you find the option you want to use, press
S40 40% slower than standard
ENTER.
S30 30% slower than standard
2 Use the 1and 2keys to select changes within the op-
tion.
S20 Same as Slow in cone programming
S10 10% slower than standard
3 After making a selection for an option, press ENTER.
The display code for the option you just changed will
appear. You are then ready to go to the next option.
When the speed of choice appears, press ENTER.
4 To go back to IdLE , press STOP.
The kiln is now ready to fire with the new speed.
I
In Cone-Fire mode, you will see more options than in
Ramp-Hold mode.
Note: Program Cone-Fire before using the Speed
option. Programming Cone-Fire after selecting a
speed in Speed option will change the speed to Me-
dium, Slow or Fast.
I
If you select a change for an option but don’t press
ENTER, the change will not go into effect.
There are two ways to get out of Options and back to
IdLE :
Cone Offset (OFST)
1 Press STOP. If you are firing the kiln while in Op-
tions, pressing STOP takes you out of Options and
back to the firing display. But it does not stop the fir-
ing.
Calibrate Cone-Fire to a Shelf Cone
Sometimes the pyrometric cone programmed in
Cone-Fire does not match the bending of the witness cone.
Cone Offset will adjust Cone-Fire to fire hotter or cooler.
2 Do nothing for 60 seconds in Options. You will auto-
matically be taken out of Options.
Each time you use Cone Offset, you alter the temperature
for only one of the three ranges of cones:
I
Low fire cones 022 - 011
Cone-Fire Options
I
Medium fire cones 010 - 01
I
High fire cones 1 - 10
These options appear only if a Cone-Fire program has
been selected. If your kiln has Ramp-Hold only, skip to
“General Options,” page 18.
The range of cones affected a Cone Offset is determined
by the cone programmedto firewhenyouenterConeOffset.
Example: You have programmed an 05 cone in
Cone-Fire. By changing Cone Offset, you change not only
the firing of the 05 cone, but all medium fire cones from 010
to 01.
Cone-Fire Speed (Spd)
Adjust Cone-Fire Speed
Beyond Slow, Medium & Fast
There are two ways to adjust the speed of a cone fire:
Adjusting one range of cones has no effect on the other
two. To adjust all the cones equally, use Thermocouple Off-
sets, page 18.
1 Select Fast (1), Medium (2), or Slow (3) when pro-
gramming a firing.
2 Choose a speed In the Speed (Spd) option.
Note: Use Cone Offset to adjust one particular
temperature range of cones. Use Thermocouple
Offsetto make an overall adjustment forall cones.
Every cone has a standard firing schedule. Select Medium
speed (the 2 key) during Cone-Fire programmng, and the
cone will fire to the standard schedule. Select Fast (1), and
the standard schedule will speed up by 20%. Select Slow (3),
and the standard schedule will slow down by 20%.
Follow these guidelines before deciding that you need to
use Cone Offset:
I
The thermocouple must protrude into the firing cham-
In the Speed option, you can further adjust the speed of a
standard schedule 10 - 40% slower or faster:
ber the correct distance: about 1” for ¼” wide
1
5
thermocouples, 2" - 8" for 1/8” wide thermocouples.
Keep shelves 1” - 1 ½” away from the thermocouple.
1 First, program a Cone-Fire.
I
I
2 After programming a Cone-Fire, IdLE will appear.
Keep witness cones at least 2” away from heating ele-
ments.
From IdLE , press OPTIONS until SPd appears.
17
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I
Place witness cones in several locations in the kiln.
When Cone Temperature
Is Off More Than 20°F/11°C
How to Use Cone Offset
Cone Offset changes the shut-off point of the cone by the
degrees of temperature shown in the chart below.
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 with Thermocouple Offset.
1 From IdLE , press OPTIONS until OFST appears.
Fan (FAN)
2 Press ENTER. The current Cone Offset adjustment
number will appear.
Control the Optional AOP Receptacle in Cone-Fire
The AOP (auxiliary output) is a special-order kiln switch
box receptacle. The Sentry controls power to the AOP recep-
tacle. The AOP is usually used to power a kiln vent. The Fan
option determines when an AOP-powered kiln vent will turn
on during Cone-Fire.
3 Using the 1 and 2 keys, select a new adjustment
number (see chart below). Then press ENTER.
OFST will appear. To return to IdLE , press
STOP.
Cone Offset Settings
Before the Fan option will appear on the Options list, (1)
you must enter a Cone-Fire program in active memory and
(2) you must select FAN3 in the AOP option. (See page 20
for instructions on selecting FAN3 in the AOP option.)
Note: select a cone in Cone-Fire before changing Cone Offset.
°F Setting °C Setting
Result
0
5
0
3
6
No adjustment
Kiln will fire hotter
Kiln will fire hotter
Kiln will fire hotter
Kiln will fire hotter
Kiln will fire cooler
Kiln will fire cooler
Kiln will fire cooler
Kiln will fire cooler
1 From IdLE , press OPTIONSrepeatedly until FAN
10
15
20
-5
-10
-15
-20
appears.
8
11
-3
-6
-8
-11
2 Press ENTER. Use the 1and 2keys to select one of
these settings:
I
ON
The vent is on during Pre-Heat, the cone firing,
and Slow Cooling. It turns off at 212°F/100°C.
I
I
OPT
The vent is on during Pre-Heat and the cone fir-
Cone Offsets remain in memory for future firings unless
you use the Reset option (page 21).
ing. Then it shuts off. (It is off during Slow Cooling.)
OFF
The vent is off all the time.
Interpreting Cone Bending
Position the witness cone in the kiln according to instruc-
tions on page 8.
3 After selecting one of the above, press ENTER.
Press STOP to return to IdLE .
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
even with the base as shown.
General Options
General options are available on all Sentry controllers.
Thermocouple Offset (TCOS)
Calibrate the Thermocouple(s)
The thermocouple is the rod protruding into the firing
chamber. It measures temperature. Thermocouples can
“drift” as they age, causing a shift in temperature readings.
Thermocouple Offset calibrates the controller to compen-
sate for drift.
The cone did not bend far
enough: Use a positive Cone Off-
set number for a hotter firing, such
as 20 (°F).
Note: The thermocouple must protrude into the
firing chamber the correct distance: 1” for ¼”wide
1
5
thermocouples, 2" - 8" for 1/8” wide
thermocouples.
The cone bent too far: Use a
negative Cone Offset for a cooler
firing, such as -20 (°F).
Thermocouple Offset for Ceramic Firings
In ceramics, Cone Offset (see page 17) adjusts only one
range of pyrometric cones without affecting the other cones.
Thermocouple Offset, on the other hand, affects all cones,
and all Ramp-Hold firings, equally. A 5° hotter setting in
Thermocouple Offset fires everything 5º hotter.
Note: Do not be overly concerned with achieving
an exact 6 o’clock bend. The difference between a 3
o’clock and a 6 o’clock bend is only a few degrees.
Note: If you find that all your cones are consistently
under- or over-firing, adjust Thermocouple Offset.
If you need to adjust only a particular cone, use
Cone Offset.
18
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4 When the correct thermocouple appears, press
Calibrating Thermocouple Offset
With a Digital Pyrometer
ENTER.
You can calibrate Thermocouple Offset using a cali-
brated digital pyrometer. One way to calibrate your pyrome-
ter is to take it to a heat treater or other location that has a cal-
ibrated controller you can trust. Take a reading from a
furnace with your pyrometer. Either zero it out to match the
calibrated controller on the furnace, or write down the tem-
perature difference between your pyrometer and the reliable
source. Store your pyrometer. Use it only for calibrating con-
trollers. Thus, it remains a reliable calibration standard.
3 Using the 1 and 2 keys, enter the new offset. (See
charts at left.) Press ENTER. The thermocouple you
adjusted (i.e. TC ¯ ) will appear. Select another ther-
mocouple, or return to IdLE by pressing STOP.
Selecting °F or °C (CHG-)
The controller operates in your choice of °F or °C temper-
ature. 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 OPTIONSrepeatedly until CHG-
Note: The temperature at which you calibrated
your digital pyrometer should be the same tempera-
ture you use to check the controller’s temperature
readout. Example: if you took a reading from a reli-
able source at 2000°F, you should check the control-
ler reading at around 2000°F.
appears.
2 Press ENTER. Use the 1and 2keys to select °F or
°C
.
3 After selecting one of the above, press ENTER. Press
STOP to return to IdLE .
Mount the thermocouple of the calibrated pyrometer in
the firing chamber near the Sentry’s thermocouple. With the
Sentry on Hold, compare readings between the Sentry and
the calibrated pyrometer. Adjust Thermocouple Offset to
compensate for any temperature difference between them.
°F/°C Temperature Conversion Formula
Below are formulas for converting temperture between
°F and °C. Converting a firing rate requires a different for-
mula than firing temperature:
Setting Thermocouple Offset
Firing Temperature
(i.e. “Fire to 1600°F.” 1600°F = 871°C)
You can enter a temperature change up to 45°F/25°C
higher or lower than the zero factory setting.
(°C x 1.8) +32 = °F
1 From IdLE , press OPTIONS repeatedly until
(°F - 32) ÷ 1.8 = °C
TCOS appears.
Firing Rate and Temperature Change
(i.e. “Fire at 200°F per hour” or “Fire 200°F hotter.” 200°F =
111°C)
2 Press ENTER. C O , or a Thermocouple Offset, will
appear.
3 Using the 1 and 2 keys, enter the new offset. (See
chart below.) Press ENTER. TCOS will appear. To
return to IdLE , press STOP.
°C x 1.8 = °F
°F ÷ 1.8 = °C
Thermocouple Type (TC)
Thermocouple Offset Settings
Select Type-K, S or R Thermocouple
°F Setting °C Setting
Result
The Sentry can be used with Type-K, S or R
thermocouples. If you specialize in firings above
2200°F/1204°C, you should use the Type-S or R. Type-K is
best suited for temperatures below 2200°F/1204°C.
C 0
H 1-45
C 1-45
C 0
H 1-25
C 1-25
No adjustment
Kiln will fire hotter
Kiln will fire cooler
CAUTION: Be careful about changing the
thermocouple type! If you select Type-S or R,
but your kiln is wired with a Type-K, your kiln will
underfire. If you select Type-K and your kiln is
wired with a Type-S or R, your kiln will OVERFIRE.
After using the Reset (RST) option (page 21), make
sure you have the correct thermocouple selected.
Reset changes thermocouple selection to Type-S!
Thermocouple Offset Examples
Setting
H 1
Result
Kiln will fire 1° hotter
Kiln will fire 17° hotter
Kiln will fire 12° cooler
H 17
C 12
Multiple Zone Thermocouple Offset
1 From IdLE , press OPTIONS repeatedly until
TCOS appears.
1 From IdLE , press OPTIONS repeatedly until TC
appears.
2 PressENTER. TC1¯ (top thermocouple) will appear.
2 Press ENTER. Use the 1and 2keys to select TC K
3 While TC1¯ displays, press OPTIONS. The other
thermocouple(s), then TCOS , will appear with each
press of the OPTIONS key.
TC R or TC S .
3 After selecting one of the above, press ENTER. Press
3 zone kilns: TC1¯ TC2 - TC3 _ TCOS
2 zone kilns: TC 1¯ TC3 _ TCOS
STOP to return to IdLE .
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CAUTION: The High Temperature Deviation
(HTDE) alarm shuts off the kiln to prevent an
overfire. Entering a temperature deviation of 0
shuts off this important alarm! Programming a fir-
ing at FULL rate (1799°F/999°C or higher rate) will
also shut off the deviation alarms for that firing.
AOP Outlet (AOP)
Select Vent Fan or Alarm for the Auxiliary Output
The optional “AOP” (Auxiliary Output) is an electrical
receptacle mounted in the kiln’s switch box. This outlet can
power a kiln vent or an external alarm, such as a bell. The
AOP is a special-order option that mightnotbe on yourkiln.
The choices in the AOP option:
1 From IdLE , press OPTIONS repeatedly until
TEDE appears.
I
ALAR Alarm: This choice sends power to the AOP re-
ceptacle whenever the alarm sounds. (See Alarm, pages 6
& 7.) Plug in a loud bell to alert you, from a distance, that
the kiln has reached the alarm temperature.
2 Press ENTER. Change the deviation temperature.
Press ENTER. Press STOP to return to IdLE .
Example: The Fail to Heat code FTH appears during
firing, because the kiln could not heat as fast as pro-
grammed. The Temperature Deviation TEDE is 60°F. The
Fail to Heat code appeared when the temperature was 60°F
below the set point.
I
NONE None: Use this setting if your kiln does not have
the AOP outlet.
I
FAN2 Do not use FAN2.
I
FAN3 Kiln Vent: This option adds a prompt for fan
( FN ) to each segment in Ramp-Hold (page 13). For
Cone-Fire controllers, selecting FAN3 makes the FAN
option visible on the options list (page 18).
Maximum Temperature (SFTY)
View the Kiln’s Maximum Operating Temperature
From IdLE , press OPTIONS repeatedly until SFTY ap-
pears. Press ENTER. The temperature displayed is the max-
imum operating temperature programmed in the Sentry for
your kiln. It can be altered only at the factory. Press ENTER.
Press STOP to return to IdLE .
1 From IdLE , press OPTIONS repeatedly until
AOP appears.
2 Press ENTER. Use the 1and 2keys to select ALAR
FAN3 or NONE .
Electronics Temperature (ELEC)
Check the Circuit Board Temperature
3 After selecting one of the above, press ENTER.
Press STOP to return to IdLE .
High temperatures in the switch box can damage the con-
troller circuit board, which is rated for 158°F/70°C maxi-
mum operating temperature. If necessary, exhaust hot air
from the room to lower board temperature.When firing sev-
eral kilns, position them at least three feet apart to allow ade-
quate air circulation.
Computer ID (ID)
Enter an ID Number for Connection to a Computer
This feature is for assigning an identification number,
from 1 to 15, to the controller. It is used only for hookup to a
personal computer and requires an optional kit.
From IdLE or while firing, press OPTIONS repeatedly
until ELEC appears. Press ENTER. The temperature of the
circuit board will appear. Press ENTER. Press STOP to re-
turn to IdLE .
1 From IdLE , press OPTIONSrepeatedly until ID
appears.
2 Press ENTER. Use the 1and 2keys to select an ID
number from 1 to 15. Press ENTER. Press STOP to
return to IdLE .
Program Lock (LOCK)
Make a Program Tamper-Proof
Temperature Deviation (TEDE)
With Program Lock activated, a stored program cannot be
altered or removed from memory. Use Program Lock for re-
peat firings that you don’t want to inadvertently change.
Adjust Temperature Sensitivity of Error Codes
The ideal temperature of a firing, at any given time, is
called the set point. During a ramp, the set point changes at
the rate you programmed. During a hold, the set point re-
mains steady. The Sentry shows error messages when it
can’t maintain the set point. The cushion, or leeway, allowed
before an error message flashes is called Temperature Devi-
ation. When the temperature is off by more than the Tem-
perature Deviation setting, the alarm sounds. Temperature
Deviation affects these error messages (see page 22):
Note: Program Lock does not save a Delay setting.
While a program is locked, you can enter a new
Delay.
1 From IdLE , press OPTIONS repeatedly until
LOCK appears.
2 Press ENTER. LO (locked) or UN (unlocked)
will appear.
FTH
FTC
Fail to Heat
Fail to Cool
3 To change the setting, press DELAY 3 times.
HTDE High Temperature Deviation
4 Press ENTER. Press STOP to return to IdLE .
LTDE Low Temperature Deviation
To turn these error codes off, enter a Temperature Devi-
ation of 0.
20
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CAUTION: If your kiln uses a Type-K thermocou-
ple, the Sentry will underfire after a reset! Use the
Thermocouple Option (page 19) to select Type-K
again.
Configuration Code (CFG)
Information for Technicians
From IdLE , press OPTIONS repeatedly until CFG ap-
pears. Press ENTER. The factory configuration code will ap-
pear. Press ENTER. Press STOP to return to IdLE . The
configuration code can be changed only at the factory.
1 From IdLE , press OPTIONS repeatedly until RST
appears.
Software Version (SOFT)
2 Press ENTER. Use the 1 or 2 key to select NO or
Information for Technicians
YES .
From IdLE , press OPTIONS repeatedly until SOFT ap-
pears. Press ENTER. The software version will appear. Press
ENTER. Press STOP to return to IdLE . The software ver-
sion can be changed only at the factory.
3 After selecting one of the above, press ENTER. Press
STOP to return to IdLE .
Multiple Zone Options
Element Test (TEST)
Test the Heating Elements and Relays
These options appear only on multiple zone kilns.
This test is useful when measuring the wall receptacle
voltage under load, and amperage with an ammeter. On a
multiple zone kiln, the test helps determine if the relays and
thermocouples are wired to the correct zones. If you test
thermocouples with a lighter or other heat source, use the
Test option.
Zone Temperature Difference (DIFF)
View Maximum Temperature Spread
For a 2 zone kiln, this option shows temperature differ-
ence between the zones. For a 3 zone kiln, it shows the high-
est temperature difference between any two zones. If the
temperature shown is larger than expected, go to option T
123 to view the temperature of each zone.
Single Zone Kiln
1 From IdLE , press OPTIONSrepeatedly until TEST
appears.
1 Press OPTIONS repeatedly until DIFF appears.
Press ENTER.
2 Press ENTER. POWR will appear, alternating with
kiln temperature. The elements will turn on for 2
minutes. Press any key to abort the test.
3 The maximum difference in temperature between
any zones displays. (Example: -003 .)
Multiple Zone Kiln
1 From IdLE , press OPTIONSrepeatedly until TEST
Two Zone Kilns: Adjust Heat in
Center Section (CAdJ)
appears.
The Center Adjust option appears only on 2 zone kilns
that contain 3 relays and 3 banks of elements. It does not ap-
pear on 2 zone kilns with 2 relays, or on 3 zone. The Center
Adjust acts as an infinite control switch that adjusts heat to
the center section of the kiln. A number will display. 100 is
the factory default, meaning 100% heat. You can change the
setting from 0 to 200. The higher the number, the more the
heat in the center section.
2 Press ENTER. TOP will appear, alternating with
the temperature of the top zone. The elements will
turn on for 2 minutes. Then MID will appear, with
temperature for the middle zone, and BOT with
temperature for the bottom zone. (A 2 zone kiln
shows TOP and BOT displays only.)
3 During the 2 minute test, press any key to end a zone
test. The controller will then begin to test the next
zone.
1 From IdLE , press OPTIONSrepeatedly until CAdJ
appears.
AOP Outlet
2 Press ENTER. Use any number key to change the
After the above tests, kilns equipped with the AOP outlet
will display J3-3 for 2 minutes to test power to the AOP
outlet.
number that appears.
3 Press ENTER. Press STOP to return to IdLE .
Zone Temperatures (T123)
Reset (RST)
View Temperature of Each Zone
Reset the Controller to Most Factory Defaults:
Perform Only When Requested by a Technician
1 Press OPTIONS repeatedly until T123 appears.
Press ENTER.
Reset does the following:
I
Selects Type-S thermocouple
3 The temperature for each zone will display one after
the other, cycling for one minute. Then normal tem-
perature display will return. For example:
I
Selects °F
I
Erases Cone offsets
I
Top zone: TC 1¯ 1250
I
Erases Thermocouple offset
I
Middle zone: TC 2- 1251
I
Erases user programs in Ramp-Hold
I
Bottom zone: TC 3_ 1249
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Terminating Error
Messages
Chapter 7
Error Messages
I
I
BAdP / Bad Programming
Error messages are accompanied by an alarm.
This message appears when a Ramp-Hold firing has been
programmed with 0 rate in the first segment.
Non-interrupting messages do not stop the firing. Ter-
minating error messages do.
I
ETH / Electronics Too Hot
FTC, FTH, LTdE, and HTdE error messages are based
upon the setting in the Temperature Deviation (TEdE)
option. See page 20.
I
The circuit board temperature is above 185°F/85°C.
Open windows and use a fan to circulate air in the room
before firing the kiln or furnace. 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. (Measure
room temperature three feet away from the kiln.)
For detailed diagnostics and maintenance, see “Sentry
Trouble Shooter,” a separate publication.
Non-Interrupting
Error Messages
FAIL / Thermocouple Failure
I
Defective Thermocouple
I
Disconnected Thermocouple Lead Wires
Press ENTER to silence the alarm. (Do not press stop to
silence the alarm.) The error message will remain but the
kiln will continue firing.
I
Defective Board
I
Electrical Noise
FTC / Failed to Cool
FTL / Firing Too Long
I
During a cooling ramp, the kiln cannot cool as quickly as
I
The temperature rise is less than 27°F/15°C per hour and
programmed. The temperature is above the deviation
setting. (See Temperature Deviation, page 20.)
the firing time is four hours longer than the current seg-
ment was programmed to fire.
Program a slower cooling rate.
Check for worn or burned out elements, defective relays,
low voltage and defective thermocouple.
FTH / Failed to Heat
I
During a heating ramp, the kiln cannot heat as quickly as
HTdE / High Temperature Deviation
programmed. The temperature is below the deviation
setting. (See Temperature Deviation, page 20.)
I
During a ramp or a hold, the temperature is above the de-
viation setting.
Check for worn or burned out elements, defective relays,
low voltage and defective thermocouple. Program a slower
rate.
Check for a stuck relay.
PF 2 / Power Failure
I
The power failed. The kiln temperature was below
LTdE / Low Temperature Deviation
212°F/100°C when the power came back on.
I
During a ramp or a hold, the temperature is below the de-
The kiln will not resume firing.
viation setting.
Check for worn or burned out elements, defective relays,
low voltage and defective thermocouple.
PF 3 / Power Failure
This message appears when two conditions are met:
1 The power failed during the final segment of a
Cone-Fire firing. Or, the power failed during the fi-
nal segment of a Ramp-Hold firing that included a
108°F/60°C rate in the final segment.
PF / Power Failure
PF alternating with normal display means the power
failed during firing. After power was restored, the firing re-
sumed.
2 The temperature dropped 72°F/40°C while the
power was off.
The kiln will not resume firing.
22
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How the Sentry
PLOG Error Codes
A PLOG error code means that the controller failed a
self-diagnostic test. A chattering, noisy relay, low voltage,
and the wrong relay type can cause a PLOG error. The con-
troller will not operate while a PLOG message appears.
Handles Power Failures
The Sentry handles a power failure in two ways:
1 After a brief power failure, the controller continues
firing as before. It shows a normal temperature dis-
play alternating with PF .
PLOG 3 / Memory Corruption
Resets the Sentry to factory default settings.
2 After an extended power failure, PF 2 or PF 3 will
appear. The kiln will NOT resume firing.
PLOG 4 / Configuration Corruption
Return the Sentry to the factory after a PLOG 4 code.
The controller will resume the firing after a brief power
failure provided these conditions are met:
PLOG 5 / Firmware Problem
PLOG 6 / Software Problem
I
The temperature must be above 212°F/100°C when the
PLOG 7, 8, 9 / Non-Volatile Memory Problem
PLOG 10 / Program Storage Problem
PLOG 11 / Bad Thermocouple Signal for 60 seconds
power comes back on.
I
A Ramp-Hold programmed with a rate of 108°F/60°C in
the final segment: if power failed in the final segment, the
temperature dropped less than 72°F/40°C.
Clearing a PLOG 11 Error Code
PLOG 11 indicates that a thermocouple is about to fail or
that electrical noise is affecting the thermocouple.
I
Cone-Fire: if power failed in the final segment, the tem-
perature dropped less than 72°F/40°C.
When the Sentry aborts a firing after a power failure, the
display will show the following:
I
Try moving the thermocouple lead wires away from
nearby electrical wires and relays.
I
PF 2 or PF 3
I
Make sure the bare part of the leads extending from the
thermocouple are not touching the kiln case.
I
Total firing time before power failed
I
I
Temperature at the time of power failure
Replacing the thermocouple usually clears the PLOG 11
code.
I
Current kiln temperature
To resume firing, press ENTER. The kiln will begin firing
again from its present temperature. For example, the kiln
reached 1000°F/538°C when power failed. The temperature
is 800°F/426°C when you turn the kiln back on. Firing will re-
sume from 800°F/426°C. You need not cool the kiln to room
temperature before starting a ceramic firing over unless you
decide to use new witness cones.
Clearing the Other PLOG Error Codes
I
Clear the PLOG error code by pressing ENTER.
I
If pressing ENTER does not clear a PLOG error, turn off
power to the kiln for 10 seconds. Repeat if necessary.
After a PLOGerror clears, it isokay to firethekilnagain.
TCdE / Uneven Multiple
Zone Temperatures
When you resume firing by pressing ENTER, the control-
ler begins firing in the first segment with a temperature
higher than the current kiln temperature. However, if the
power failed during a ramping down (cooling) segment, the
controller will resume firing from the same cooling segment.
On a multiple zone kiln, TCdE usually means the
thermocouples and elements are improperly wired. A ther-
mocouple is turning on the elements to the wrong zone. For
instance, if the top thermocouple turns on the bottom ele-
ments, the kiln will fire out of balance. When zones are out of
balance by 140°F/60°C, TCdE will appear in the display.
Using Ceramic Shelf Cones After an
Extended Power Failure
Visually compare the wiring of the thermocouples, relays
and elements of your kiln to the kiln’s wiring diagram. Also,
use the Element Test option shown on page 21.
I
The firing was interrupted more than 100°F/56°C
from the terminal 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 ma-
turity, they can be used again.
TCR / Thermocouple Leads Reversed
Check that the thermocouple lead wires are connected to
the correct terminals. See your wiring diagram.
I
The firing was interrupted less than 100°F/56°C
from the terminal temperature:Fire the ware again.
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.
23
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Appendix A: Display Messages
Message Definition
F 20 Fast Speed
Page Reference
17
Message Definition
AbRT Abort
The firing was stopped.
ALAR Alarm
Page Reference
6
Cone-Fire fast speed shows in Program Review as F 20. This is
also how Fast Speed is listed in the SPd Speed option.
6, 10, 13 - 15, 20, 22
FAIL
Thermocouple Failed 22
ALAR appears either when you are entering an alarm tempera-
ture or when the alarm is sounding during a firing. To stop an
alarm, press any key except STOP. If the alarm goes off when
you first begin firing, it is because it was set for a lower tempera-
ture than the present temperature.
The thermocouple failed. This can be due to a broken thermo-
couple, loose thermocouple connection on the back of the Sen-
try, disconnected thermocouple wire, or a defective controller.
FAN
Vent Fan
11, 18, 20
AOP
Auxiliary Output
10, 11, 13, 14, 18, 20
The Fan option, accessed through the OPTIONS key, is for kilns
equipped with a special-order kiln switch box receptacle called
the Auxiliary Output.
The AOP option is for kilns equipped with a special-order kiln
switch box receptacle called the Auxiliary Output.
FAST
Fast Speed
10
bAdP
Bad Programming 22
In Cone-Fire programming, if you press ENTER when FAST ap-
pears, the kiln will program to fire at fast speed.
This message appears when a Ramp-Hold firing has been pro-
grammed with 0 rate in the first segment.
FN 1
Fan
13, 14
CAdJ
Center Adjust
16
If your kiln has the optional AOP outlet (for a kiln vent), the FN
prompt will appear for each segment during Ramp-Hold
programming. It is asking if you want the vent on or off for that
segment.
For two zone kilns only. This option adjusts the center section of
the kiln.
CFG
Configuration Code 21
This is an option that shows the factory configuration code for
your Sentry. This is for technicians who call the factory for sup-
port.
FTC
Failed to Cool
22
This error message means the kiln cannot cool as fast as the
cooling that you programmed.
CHG-
Change EF / EC
19
FTH
Failed to Heat
22
Choose between operation in degrees F or degrees C.
The kiln cannot heat as fast as you programmed.
CONE Cone-Fire 10
The Sentry is ready for you to enter a cone number.
COOL Slow Cooling 10
FTL Firing Too Long 22
The temperature rise is less than 27EF/15EC per hour and the fir-
ing time is four hours longer than the current segment was pro-
grammed.
In Cone-Fire programming, Slow Cooling is shown as COOL. To
program a slow cooling, enter the cooling rate in degrees per
hour. Leave the setting at 0 if you do not want a slow cooling.
FULL
Full Speed
13
The rate, or temperature change per hour, is maximum.
CPLT
Completed Firing
5, 10, 13
Hd 1 Temperature Hold 13, 14
This means the firing completed as programmed.
When this message appears during Ramp-Hold programming, it
is asking you if you want to hold, or maintain, the target tempera-
ture 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. Each segment in a Ramp-Hold firing
is numbered, starting with 1.
DELA Delay 6, 10, 13
DELA is a timer that starts the kiln later. Delay time appears in
hours and minutes.
°F 1 or °C 1 Target Temperature 13
This prompt, which appears in Ramp-Hold programming, is ask-
ing for a target temperature. The number is to remind you which
segment the temperature is for.
HOLd
Temperature Hold
10
When this message appears during Cone-Fire programming, it
is asking you if you want to hold, or maintain, the cone tempera-
ture at the end of the firing. If so, enter the length of hold time in
hours and minutes (i.e. 1 hour 20 minutes = 01.20). When HOLd
appears in program review, it is showing how much hold time
has been entered.
DIFF
Temperature Difference 16, 21
This option shows the maximum temperature spread between
zones in a multiple zone kiln.
ELEC
Electronics Temperature 20
HtdE
High Temperature Deviation 22
The Sentry circuit board is rated for operation at temperatures up
to 158EF/70EC. When the circuit board gets hotter, the Sentry
shuts off. The ELEC option tells you how hot the circuit board is.
The temperature is above the Temperature Deviation setting in
the TEDE option.
ID
Computer ID
The ID option is for connecting the Sentry to a personal com-
puter.
20
ETH
Electronics Too Hot 22
The Sentry circuit board is too hot, so the kiln was shut off.
24
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Message Definition
IdLE Ready to Begin
Page Reference
5
Message Definition
SKIP Skip Segment
Page Reference
7
The Sentry must display the IdLE message before you can begin
firing or programming.
If you press the Skip Segment key during a firing, SKIP will ap-
pear. If you press the key again, the firing will skip to the next seg-
ment.In Cone-Fire, Skip Segment takes you only out of Pre-Heat
or Hold.
LId
Lid is Open
5
When LId appears, the kiln is equipped with a lid safety
switch, and the lid (or door) is open during firing. Or a two-pin
connector on the back of the board is missing.
SLOW
Slow Speed
10
In Cone-Fire programming, if you press ENTER when SLOW ap-
pears, the kiln will program to fire at slow speed.
LOCK
Program Lock
20
SOFT
Software Version
21
With this option activated, a stored program cannot be altered or
removed from memory.
This option gives the version of software loaded into your Sentry.
SPd Speed 10, 17
LTdE
Low Temperature Deviation 22
The SPd message appears during Cone-Fire programming and
in Options. In the SPd option, accessed through the option key,
change the speed of a Cone-Fire program beyond the standard
fast, medium or slow. While programming a firing for Cone-Fire,
choose slow, medium or fast speed at the SPd prompt.
This message appears when the kiln is below the Temperature
Deviation setting in the TEDE option.
OFST
Cone Offset
17
Adjust a Cone-Fire program to bend the matching witness cone
on the kiln shelf.
STd
Standard Speed
17
PF 2
Power Failure
22, 23
Cone-Fire medium speed appears in the Sentry as STd, or Stan-
dard. This is because medium speed is the standard firing pro-
gram used in Cone-Fire. Fast and Slow speeds alter the stan-
dard firing program.
The power failed. When power came back on, the temperature
was below 212EF/100EC.
PF 3
Power Failure
22, 23
STRT
Firing Started
10, 13
The power failed near the end of a firing.
This appears when firing begins. Do not be concerned if it takes a
moment for the relays to turn on. The Sentry is processing data.
PF
Power Failure 22, 23
There was a power failure during firing. The kiln continued firing
after power came back on.
T123
Zone Temperatures 21
This option shows temperatures in each zone.
PLOG
PRHT
Diagnostic Test Failure 23
Pre-Heat 9, 10
TC
Thermocouple Type 19
Choose between types K, S, or R thermocouple. It is important to
select the correct type, or the controller will not read temperature
accurately.
In a Cone-Fire program, Pre-Heat heats the ware slowly to
200EF/93EC for the length of time you specify. Pre-Heat is de-
signed to remove moisture safely from greenware.
TcdE
Uneven Temperature 23
RA 1
Rate
13
This is an error message for multiple zone kilns. It means the tem-
peratures of the zones are out of balance. This is usually caused
by a miswired kiln or by a defective relay.
RA 1, RA 2, RA 3, etc., appears in Ramp-Hold programming, Pro-
gram Review, and Present Status. When RA 1, 2, 3, etc. appear
during programming, the controller is asking you for firing rate for
each segment. Rate means how fast the firing progresses, in de-
grees of temperature per hour. Every segment must have a firing
rate. The number after RA is the segment number. Each segment
in a Ramp-Hold firing is numbered, starting with 1. Program Re-
view shows firing rate after RA 1, 2, 3, etc. In Present Status, RA 1,
2, 3, etc. means the segment that the firing is in at that moment.
TCOS
Thermocouple Offset 18
Calibrate the controller’s temperature. This compensates for
temperature drift, or aging, of a thermocouple.
TCR
Thermocouple Reversed 23
The thermocouple wires are reversed.
RST
Reset
21
TEDE
Temperature Deviation
20
The RST option erases cone and thermocouple offsets, selects
EF operation, erases stored programs in Ramp-Hold, and se-
lects Type-S thermocouple. Note that if you use Reset, and your
kiln is equipped with a Type-K thermocouple, you must use the
TC option to select Type-K. (Reset selects Type-S as a safety
precaution. If you had a Type-S thermocouple and Reset se-
lected Type-K, your kiln would overfire. On the other hand, if you
have a Type-K thermocouple, Type-S selected would underfire
your kiln. The type K thermocouple is standard on most kilns.)
The Sentry includes error messages to warn you that the kiln is
not maintaining the programmed temperature. The sensitivity of
the error messages is based on a temperature entered in the
TEDE option.
TEST
Element Test
21
This option is for testing the elements and thermocouples. If you
test a thermocouple with a lighter, the temperature display re-
sponds faster during Test than during IdLE display.
S 20
Slow Speed
17
USER
User Program
13, 14
Cone-Fire slow speed shows in Program Review as S 20. This is
also how slow speed is listed in the SPd Speed option.
In Ramp-Hold programming, the USER prompt is asking you
where you want to place the program in memory. The Sentry has
four spaces in memory: 1, 2, 3, 4. Keep a record, on paper, of the
programs in memory.
SFTY
Safety
20
This is the maximum temperature the Sentry is programmed for
your kiln. It can be altered only at the factory.
25
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Appendix B: Preset Standard
Cone-Fire Schedules - °F
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 °F
Segment 1
Segment 2
Cone
Rate 1 Temp. 1
Rate 2 Temp. 2
022
396
396
396
396
396
396
396
396
396
396
396
396
979
108
108
108
108
108
108
108
108
108
108
108
108
1087
1112
1159
1252
1319
1360
1422
1456
1485
1539
1582
1607
021
020
019
018
017
016
015
014
013
012
011
1004
1051
1144
1211
1252
1314
1348
1377
1431
1474
1499
Medium Fire Cones °F
Segment 1
Rate 1 Temp. 1
Segment 2
Rate 2 Temp. 2
Segment 3
Rate 3 Temp. 3
Segment 4
Rate 4 Temp. 4
Cone
010
324
324
324
324
324
324
324
324
324
324
1022
1022
1022
1022
1022
1022
1022
1022
1022
1022
153
153
153
153
153
153
153
153
153
153
1112
1112
1112
1112
1112
1112
1112
1112
1112
1112
180
180
180
180
180
180
180
180
180
180
1549
1580
1620
1681
1720
1780
1837
1879
1908
1938
108
108
108
108
108
108
108
108
108
108
1657
1688
1728
1789
1828
1888
1945
1987
2016
2046
09
08
07
06
05
04
03
02
01
High Fire Cones °F
Segment 1
Rate 1 Temp. 1
Segment 2
Rate 2 Temp. 2
Segment 3
Rate 3 Temp. 3
Segment 4
Rate 4 Temp. 4
Cone
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
324
324
324
324
324
324
324
324
324
324
1022
1022
1022
1022
1022
1022
1022
1022
1022
1022
153
153
153
153
153
153
153
153
153
153
1112
1112
1112
1112
1112
1112
1112
1112
1112
1112
162
162
162
162
162
162
162
162
162
162
1863
1872
1890
1908
1951
2016
2046
2064
2084
2129
108
108
108
108
108
108
108
108
108
108
2079
2088
2106
2124
2167
2232
2262
2280
2300
2345
10
26
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Appendix B: Preset Standard
Cone-Fire Schedules - °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
220
220
220
220
220
220
220
220
220
220
220
526
540
566
618
655
678
712
731
747
777
801
815
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
586
600
626
678
715
738
772
791
807
837
861
875
021
020
019
018
017
016
015
014
013
012
011
Medium Fire Cones °C
Segment 1
Rate 1 Temp. 1
Segment 2
Rate 2 Temp. 2
Segment 3
Rate 3 Temp. 3
Segment 4
Rate 4 Temp. 4
Cone
010
180
180
180
180
180
180
180
180
180
180
550
550
550
550
550
550
550
550
550
550
85
85
85
85
85
85
85
85
85
85
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
843
860
882
916
938
971
1003
1026
1042
1059
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
903
920
942
976
09
08
07
06
05
04
03
02
01
998
1031
1063
1086
1102
1119
High Fire Cones °C
Segment 1
Rate 1 Temp. 1
Segment 2
Rate 2 Temp. 2
Segment 3
Rate 3 Temp. 3
Segment 4
Rate 4 Temp. 4
Cone
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
180
180
180
180
180
180
180
180
180
180
550
550
550
550
550
550
550
550
550
550
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
600
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
1017
1022
1032
1042
1066
1102
1119
1129
1140
1165
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
1137
1142
1152
1162
1186
1222
1239
1249
1260
1285
10
27
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Appendix C: Upgrading Instructions
Upgrading the DTC 100, 600, 800 & 1000 to the Sentry
CAUTION: Cut off the
extra terminal(s) and
jumper wire(s) unless they
are attached to relays. Un-
connected wires that touch
a grounded object can
damage your controller!
1 Unplug the kiln or disconnect the power. Remove
the 4 screws holding the controller faceplate to the
switch box. Gently remove the old controller.
2 Disconnect the wires from the old controller.
3 If your kiln is top-load-
ing and originally
came with a DTC 100
or 600, the heat shield
inside the switch box
may need to be moved
7 Attach the red wire termi-
nal(s) to the relay(s). Follow steps 6 and 7 for the
black wire, which also goes to the relays.
8 Note how the white, orange, and blue wires of the
old controller are connected to the transformer. Re-
moving and replacing one wire at a time, connect
the Sentry white, orange, and blue wires to the
transformer the same way.
to give more clearance
for the new Sentry
controller. Measure
the space between the
heat shield and the
front of the box. If the
space is less than 1
¾”, remove the
9 Find the green grounding screw. Securely fasten
the green wire under the nut of grounding screw.
10 Remove the old wiring harness from the switch
box. With the thermocouple wires and the Sentry
connection plugs hanging out of the front of the
switch box, move the box into place on the kiln. Ar-
range the wires so that when the switch box is fas-
tened to the kiln, the wires and wire nuts will not
touch an element connector or the kiln case. Install
the screws that hold the switch box to the kiln.
screws that hold the
bottom of the heat
shield. These screws
are on the sides near the louvers. Drill new holes in
either the box or the heat shield. Move the bottom
of the heat shield back and fasten screws in the new
holes.
4 Thread the Sentry
wiring harness into
the switch box by in-
serting it in the open-
ing where the control-
ler goes. Let the end
with the plugs hang
out of the box.
5 Remove the switch
box from the kiln by
removing the screws
holding the box to the
kiln.
Lever type connectors: if the wire is The button-type thermocouple
too thick, it will break the lever. Do connector: press down, then insert
not force the lever downward.
wires.
11Straighten the ends of the thermocouple wires. At-
tach them to the thermocouple terminals on the
bottom of the Sentry. (Use the center connectors if
your kiln has only one thermocouple.) Make sure
the thermocouple wires are tight.
6 The red wire from the
old controller con-
nects to the relays.
The extra wires tied to the harness
are for multiple zone kilns and the
optional AOP electrical outlet.
The red wire in the Sentry wiring harness goes to
the same relay terminal. (See diagram, facing
page.) You will notice that the red Sentry wire has 3
push-on connectors with jumper wires. If your kiln
has 3 relays, you will use all 3 push-on connectors, 1
for each relay. If you have 2 relays, cut off the last
terminal and jumper wire. If your kiln has 1 relay,
cut off two push-on connectors. Cut the wire close
to the other terminal (see next photo).
11 Attach the two plugs
to the back of the Sen-
try controller. Care-
fully insert the Sentry
into the controller
opening on the switch
box. Install the 4 cor-
ner screws.
Inserting the plugs on the back of
the Sentry.
28
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29
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Appendix D: Temperature Equivalents
For Orton Self-Supporting Pyrometric Cones
°F
°C
Cone
Self-Supporting Cones Pre-Fire
Color
Cone
Self-Supporting Cones Pre-Fire
Color
Number
Number
Heated at: 27° F
108° F
270° F
Heated at: 15° C
60° C
150° C
Per Hour* Per Hour* Per Hour*
Per Hour* Per Hour* Per Hour*
022
021
020
019
018
017
016
015
014
013
012
011
010
09
—
1087
1112
1159
1252
1319
1360
1422
1456
1485
1539
1582
1607
1657
1688
1728
1789
1828
1859
1888
1945
1987
2016
2046
2079
2088
2106
2124
2167
2197
2232
2262
2280
2300
2345
1094
1143
1180
1283
1353
1405
1465
1504
1540
1582
1620
1641
1679
1706
1753
1809
1855
1877
1911
1971
2019
2052
2080
2109
2127
2138
2161
2205
2237
2269
2295
2320
2336
2381
Green
Fuschia
Orange
Yellow
022
021
020
019
018
017
016
015
014
013
012
011
010
09
—
586
600
590
617
Green
Fuschia
Orange
Yellow
—
—
—
—
626
638
1213
1267
1301
1368
1382
1395
1485
1549
1575
1636
1665
1692
1764
1798
1839
1870
1915
1960
1972
1999
2028
2034
2039
2086
2118
2133
2165
2194
2212
2235
2284
656
678
695
White
686
715
734
White
Pink
705
738
763
Pink
Light Blue
Violet
742
772
796
Light Blue
Violet
750
791
818
Gray
757
807
838
Gray
Green
807
837
861
Green
Fuschia
Orange
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Gray
843
861
882
Fuschia
Orange
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Dark Red
Gray
857
875
894
891
903
915
907
920
930
08
08
922
942
956
07
07
962
976
987
06
06
981
998
1013
1025
1044
1077
1104
1122
1138
1154
1164
1170
1183
1207
1225
1243
1257
1271
1280
1305
051/2
05
051/2
05
1004
1021
1046
1071
1078
1093
1109
1112
1115
1141
1159
1167
1185
1201
1211
1224
1251
1015
1031
1063
1086
1102
1119
1137
1142
1152
1162
1186
1203
1222
1239
1249
1260
1285
04
04
03
03
02
02
01
01
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
Green
5
Green
51/2
6
White
51/2
6
White
Fuchsia
Orange
Yellow
Fuchsia
Orange
Yellow
7
7
8
8
9
White
9
White
10
Pink
10
Pink
*Rate of temperature increase during last 90 - 120
minutes of firing. Tables by courtesy of the Edward
Orton, Jr. Ceramic Foundation.
*Rate of temperature increase during last 90 - 120
minutes of firing. Tables by courtesy of the Edward
Orton, Jr. Ceramic Foundation.
30
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Appendix E:
Sentry Ramp-Hold Shorthand Instructions
After you press the keys in the left column, the message to the right will appear.
KEYS TO PRESS
DISPLAY
COMMENTS
PROGRAM AND FIRE THE KILN.
Apply power to kiln
IdLE
USER
1
Press Enter if IdLE does not appear.
Enter program number.
Program number appears.
Enter rate of segment 1.
Rate appears.
4
1, 2, 3, or 4
ENTER
RA 1
0200
Rate
ENTER
°F
1
Enter temperature of segment 1.
Temperature appears.
Next, enter hold time.
Temperature
ENTER
2000
Hd 1
00.00
Hold time (0 if none)
Hold time appears.
Repeat for other segments. Enter rate of 0 for 1st segment not needed.
ENTER
ENTER
IdLE
The kiln is ready to fire.
Kiln is now firing.
STRT
SELECT AND FIRE A STORED USER PROGRAM.
Apply power to kiln
4
IdLE
USEr
1
Press Enter if IdLE does not appear.
Select a program number.
1, 2, 3, or 4
ENTER
Displays the number you selected.
RA 1
IdLE
STRT
STOP
Selected program is ready to fire.
ENTER
Kiln is now firing. (Use Program Review by pressing 6.)
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Appendix F:
Sentry Cone-Fire Shorthand Programming
After you press the key(s) in the left column, the message to the right will appear. Press 1from IdLE . If the 1key does not re-
spond, your controller does not have Cone-Fire.
KEYS TO PRESS
DISPLAY
IdLE
COMMENTS
Apply power to kiln
Press Enter if IdLE doesn’t appear.
1
CONE
05
Enter the cone number.
Cone # (i.e. 05)
ENTER
SPd
Enter the firing speed.
The firing speed appears.
Enter Pre-heat time.
Pre-heat time appears.
Enter hold time.
1(Fast), 2 (Med.), or 3 (Slow)
ENTER
FAST
PRHT
00.00
HOLD
00.00
COOL
0000
IdLE
Pre-Heat time (0 if none)
ENTER
Hold time (0 if none)
ENTER
Hold time appears.
Enter slow cooling rate.
Shows degrees per hour.
Kiln is ready to fire.
Slow cooling rate (0 if none)
ENTER
ENTER
STRT
Kiln is now firing. Press 6 for
Program Review.
The Kiln is now firing to the cone you selected.
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