2
Cone-Fire / Ramp-Hold
Do not leave your kiln unattended during operation.
Before You Begin
Thank you for purchasing
the Sentry 3.0 temperature
controller. As you read the
manual, pull up a chair and
sit in front of your kiln so
you can try out the keys.
The controller display
messages are limited to
four characters. If at any time you are con-
fused by these messages, turn to Appendix
A: Display Messages on pages 30 - 31.
The back cover is a shorthand guide to
programming, to be used after you have
read the programming instructions on
pages 10 and 14.
Do not worry if you hear a clicking noise
during operation. Mechanical relays click
as they turn the heating elements on and
off. This is normal.
The warranty on your Sentry controller
does not cover damage from overfiring, re-
gardless of the circumstances. It is the op-
erator’s responsibility to make sure the
kiln turns off at the end of the firing.
Instructions for multiple-zone kilns are
included in this manual. If you are not sure
whether your kiln is multiple-zone, look
into the firing chamber. If you see two or
three thermocouple tips, your kiln is mul-
tiple-zone. If you see only one thermocou-
ple, skip multiple-zone instructions.
New Features With the Sentry 3.0, we
are introducing the amperage test (DIAG
option, page 21). The controller now has
35 programs in Ramp-Hold, with 20 seg-
ments each. Lock individual programs
with Program Lock (page 25). Adjust the
maximum temperature of your kiln (page
25), and use a rate of tempera-
ture-reached-in-elapsed time if you pre-
fer (page 23).
©2018, by Paragon Industries, L.P. IM-204/12-18
The Options
Customize your Sentry with the Options
key. From IDLE, press Options (the 0
key) repeatedly until you see the desired
option listed below. Then press ENTER.
See pages 19 - 26 for details.
[SPD]
Speed Alter the Fast, Medium, or Slow speeds of a
Cone-Fire program. (Pg 19)
[OFST]
Cone Offset Adjust Cone-Fire to match the bend-
ing of the witness cone. (Pg 20)
[COOL]
Slow Cooling Turn on controlled cooling in
Cone-Fire. This can dramatically affect glazes. (Pg 21)
[FAN]
Vent Fan Select when the vent fan will operate in
Cone-Fire. (This is an optional kiln upgrade.) (Page 21)
[DIAG]
Amperage Test Find out why your kiln is slowing
down. Kiln must be equipped with an amp sensor. (Pg 21)
[TC]
Thermocouple Type Select Type K, N, S or R thermo-
couple. Use caution! Selecting the wrong type can over or
underfire your kiln. (Pg 21)
[F/C]
Select °F or °C temperature display. (Pg 22)
[TCOS]
Thermocouple Offset If your controller is firing too
hot or cold, adjust the thermocouple setting. (Pg 22)
[AOP1] [AOP2]
AOP Outlet Select vent fan or alarm if
your kiln has an auxiliary output. This is a special-order kiln
feature. (Pg 22)
[RATE]
Rate Calculation Type Your controller is set for
degrees-per-hour rate by default. You can change the rate
to temperature-reached-in-elapsed-time. (Pg 23)
[CENT]
Electric Rate Enter rate shown on electric bill so
your controller can estimate the firing cost. (Pg 23)
[KW]
The Cost to Fire Kiln Enter your kiln’s wattage. (Pg
23)
[TEDE]
Temperature Deviation Set temperature sensitivity
for FTH, FTC & LTdE errors. (Pg 24)
[HTDE]
High Temperature Error Code Change the high
temperature shutoff setting. (Pg. 24)
[SFTY]
Maximum temperature rating of your kiln. (P 25)
[LIM]
Set Max. Temp. Set your own maximum tempera-
ture. (Pg. 25)
[ELEC]
Electronics Temp. Check the circuit board tem-
perature for overheating. Useful in the summer. (Pg 25)
[LOCK]
Program Lock Make a program tamper-proof.
Lock individual Ramp-Hold programs. (Pg 25)
[CFG]
Configuration Code For technicians. (Pg 26)
[SOFT]
Software # (Pg 26)
[TEST]
Element Test (Pg 26)
[RST]
Reset Removes the thermocouple offset and returns
the board to factory defaults. (Pg 26)
[DIFF]
Difference Multi-zone kilns: Shows the difference in
temperature between top and bottom zones. (Pg 26)
[T123]
Zone Temperatures Multi-zone kilns: Shows the
temperature of each zone. (Pg 26)