Sestos B2E Timer

[TheBiGZ]

Has anyone used one of these on your ebrew panel? I was doing some tests with it and just connected 120v power and as soon as power is applied, the timer starts. It counts down (or up depending on settings). Then you have to press reset button and it starts the countdown over again. It remembers previous settings, so I set it to 60 minutes. So as it stands, I plug in the Control Panel and timer starts countdown. Then when I am ready to start my mash, I press RESET and it starts the 60 min countdown again. Not terribly annoying, but I would like it to not start until I tell it to. I'm thinking of a separate switch to turn the timer on/off but think this should be a standard function of the timer. Any ideas?

The PDF manual is hard to understand and is less than helpful. I can see that you can send 5v to terminal X to PAUSE the timer, but I don't want to just pause it...I want it to turn on and wait for me to press start.

 

[tjpfeister]

"Gate" in Engrish means "Pause"
"0V" or "No Volt" in Engrish means "Ground"

Double check with a voltmeter that pin 2 is outputting 8v DC. As I recall, you can change the input in the options menu from NPN to PNP, which determines whether you need to ground pin 2 or apply voltage to it.

If pin 2 has 8vdc on it, ground pin 2 at pin 5 to pause the timer.

I run a 3 position switch on mine:
1) Timer pause
2) Timer run - alarm silenced
3) Timer run - alarm on

 

[TheBiGZ]

Sorry. I'm still a little confused, but it sounds like you're saying that if I change NPN to PNP and ground pin 2 to pin 5, when power is turned on, the timer will come on and be paused bby default? then I just pause/unpause to start it?
I like the way that sounds, but I'm still not fully grasping it.

 

[tjpfeister]

With the unit powered up, hold MD for 3 seconds to enter the menu.
Hitting MD 3 more times should change the menu option to "In"(input).
Using the up and down keys you can change which kind of transistor is used to trigger the "gate"(pause), select "nPn".
Now connecting pins 2 and 5 will pause the timer (5 is a ground, you are technically grounding pin 2 to activate the pause feature)

 

[TheBiGZ]

OK. So I can install a momentary push-button switch and it will act as a Start/Stop...or Pause/Unpause if you prefer?

And if that is the case, when power is first turned on for the timer, will it come on and start automatically? or will it come on already paused, waiting for me to press the switch?

And please clarify...when connecting pins 2 and 5 to activate the pause, it SHOULD be a momentary contact switch, correct? Send 8v to pause; send 8v again to unpause? or is it send 8v to pause, stop sending 8v to unpause.

I can't figure out what "Input Select" means either. What is NPN and PNP? It says "No Voltage Input" or "Voltage Input" but that doesn't help me understand. Is that only referring to the Pause circuit?

 

[tjpfeister]

You do not want to use a momentary contact switch. The timer will only remain paused when the appropriate signal is present at pin 2.
(If set to nPn, the timer will only remain paused if pin2 is in contact with pin 5)

When you first power up the timer, what occurs will be dependent on the input at pin 2. If pin 2 is connected to pin 5 (and the input option is set to nPn "no voltage input") then the timer will power up in the paused mode.

The switch should remain in constant contact. So long as the 8v signal at pin 2 is grounded to pin 5, the timer will remain paused.

NPN and PNP are types of transistors. For now, take a pen and cross out the Engrish "No Voltage Input" and write "Grounded Signal." "No voltage" is a direct Chinese translation for what we call "ground". The input setting might also control the reset feature (found at pin 3) but let's minimize confusion for the time being.

 

[TheBiGZ]

Awesome. So I'll get a normally closed switch, and when I plug in the control panel, the timer will come on and be paused. Then I hit the switch to open the "pause" circuit and the timer runs. Sound right?

I really appreciate all the help with this. The timer was cheap and I'm a pretty technical person...I just couldn't make heads or tails from the PDF instructions

 

[tjpfeister]

You are correct.
It's a great timer, with plenty of functionality, but until we start building sh!t on our own shores again you better get used to translating Engrish.

Also, as I suggested earlier, you might consider using a 3 position switch if you are using a klaxon/alarm of some sort. As I recall, If the timer goes to zero and engages the alarm, pausing the timer will not stop alarm output.