4
Section 1: Quick Operating Instructions
The five steps below are the basics of using your temperature controller. It’s recommended that new users unfamiliar with
process controllers read the entire manual carefully.
The controller is preprogrammed for use with heating mantles fitted
to round bottomed flasks running “typical” organic reactions (i.e., non-polymeric reactions in solvents such as THF,
toluene, DMF, etc.).
To use heaters other than heating mantles:
See Section 2.
Do not use the controller to heat oil baths:
See Section 3.2 & Appendix I.
For polymer synthesis, atypical, expensive, or safety critical reactions:
See Appendix II.
1
Place the thermocouple in the solution being heated.
Place at least the first 1/4” of the
thermocouple directly in the solution being heated. Thermocouples can be bent without harming them. If you’re
heating a corrosive liquid, use a Teflon coated thermocouple. If you are heating a sealed reaction, see Section 4.2.
2
Select the Channel to Operate.
The Gemini has two completely independent controllers in a single
cabinet. Both channels provide the same type of temperature control, the only difference is that Channel 1 has a 100
hour timer to turn heating On/Off at a user set time, and Channel 2 does not. If Channel 2 is being used, only steps 3
& 4 need to be followed, if Channel 1 is being used, then steps 3 & 4 must be followed, but also step 5, where the
timer controls are set. For more information on using the timer controls, see Section 3.5.
3
Set the power level switch
to the volume of solution
being heated
(not the size of the
flask being used). Adjust the power
level for the channel being used. The
power level switch can be thought of as
TIP
: Because the power switch
acts like a variac, if the reaction
is heating too slowly or you need
more power (e.g., heating to high
temperatures), give the heater
more power by turning the power
level up one setting. If the
a solid state variac. Volume ranges
are printed above this switch as a
guide to select the correct power level
since it’s easier to guess the volume
being heated than the appropriate
“percent power” to apply to a heater.
‘Heat Off’ turns off the heater so the
controller displays temperature only.
Section 3.6 should be read by all new
users.
A power
is equivalent to
setting of..... a variac setting of:
1-10
ml
3%
10-100 ml
10%
50-500 ml
25%
300 ml - 2 L
50%
> 2 L
100%
reaction needs less power than
normal(e.g., heating to low temperatures
(<60
o
C) or the temperature overshoots the
set point excessively, turn the power
down one setting.
DO NOT
set the
power switch on a setting too high
initially to heat the reaction quickly and
then lower it to the correct setting, this
degrades heating performance.
4
Enter the setpoint
(i.e., the desired temperature). Hold in
the
*
button and simultaneously press the
key to increase or the
key to decrease the setpoint. The setpoint can be seen at anytime
by holding in the
j
button, the setpoint appears as a blinking number
in the display.
5
Set the timer.
For Channel 1 Only,
The timer turns the heating
outlet OFF or ON depending
on the position of the timer
switch and whether any time
is present in the display
The timer controls only affect the operation of Channel 1.
The red LED display window always shows the effect that
the timer controls have on the state of Channel 1‘s
output power. When the controller is first turned on, the
timer window displays ‘Off’ to indicate the timer controls
have disabled output power. To set the timer controls so
that they will allow power to be applied to the outlet,
quickly push in the timer function knob once. This will
change the timer status to ‘On’. For additional informa-
tion on the operation of the timer, see Section 3.5.
