Showcasing the unique capabilities of ChronTrol timers

The Sample Programs section at the back of each ChronTrol user's guide demonstrates detailed instructions for some unique tasks. The ChronTrol timer has the ability to perform tasks of increasing complexity beginning with simple on/off programming, interval programming, programs with cycles, programs using dates and omitted days, triggering sequences using inputs, and so on. These Sample Programs demonstrate what a ChronTrol CAN do. For instance, a ChronTrol can turn a valve on for 20 seconds every hour for 10 hours, then increase to 21 seconds per hour for the next 10 hours, and so on. Naturally, not everything a ChronTrol CAN do is of interest to everyone.

The following applications are compiled from the experiences of people who use ChronTrol products in the real world. Some are refined from a wide range of similar applications.

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Energy Management: Outdoor lighting, Title 24
Access control on high perf. workstation at national laboratory
Food processor pulsing 2 seconds on, 1 second off with or w/o grind time
Circadian Rhythms: Hen houses and fish hatcheries
AM Radio Directional Antenna control
Battery charging system
Constant Emission Monitoring Systems, environmental sampling
In the lab: Process control
Product Life testing
Duty cycling
Horticulture: Misting and watering the growing world
Perpetual holidays
Bell tower chimes once at one, twice at two, thrice at three, etc.
Remote monitoring
Circuit 1 on for 10 seconds, then circuit 2, then 3, then pause, then repeat

ENERGY MANAGEMENT

In today's modern world of skyrocketing energy costs and dwindling supplies, conscientious and careful use of our limited resources is paramount. A general purpose timer like ChronTrol can help save the world.

Title 24 of California law, now widely adopted throughout the U.S., stipulates that all new and re-occupied commercial buildings be equipped with a suitable energy management device which must be capable of handling leap years, Daylight Saving Time and holidays. All ChronTrol models comply with this law.

Here's how ChronTrol L Series timers turn lights on and off at the nation's largest and most prestigious shopping malls. In most cases you want to turn lights on in all public areas at a comfortable time before sunset. Ideally, this is the moment the sunlight fades below the level of artificial lighting. ChronTrol computes the time of sunset for any locale and is right there with the lights at the right time.

And ChronTrol is never fooled by cloudiness or overcast - that's why you never see lights burning in the parking lot in broad daylight when ChronTrol is in charge.

As the evening progresses, you need most lights to remain on until closing time. This may occur later on weekends. Even after closing, some areas must remain lit until sunrise for safety reasons.

Indoor parking structures present diametrically opposite constraints. For them, the lights must burn all day in most areas, during hours of occupancy. Generally these hours don't correspond to sunrise and sunset, so lights must be turned on before the earliest occupant arrives, say 6 a.m., and remain on until the last person has left.

ACCESS CONTROL

High-performance computer worksatations in a top-secret US nuclear laboratory are off limits to all but a few authorized users. And when these scientists need to use the computer resources after work hours, ChronTrol holds the key to secure access.

The application begins simply enough: allow authorized users to operate the computer workstation for periods of up to 2 hours during the night. But then the demands become more complicated: if off-hours operation begins within two hours of the start of the workday at 6 a.m., don't turn off the workstation after all.. Time for ChronTrol.

ChronTrol solved the problem with its model XT-2N8B, a two-outlet table-top unit with a pushbutton on the back so the scientists could power up the workstation as soon as they arrived.

FOOD PROCESSOR PULSING

Frito-Lay, the world's premier maker of snack foods, relies on ChronTrol to assure that its products remain of the highest quality and uniformity between the many widespead production facilities. Corporate QA recommended the following Food Processor Pulse Application for all branches, using the ChronTrol model XT-2N8B.

The food processor is loaded with a measured amount of product which is then ground up and pulverized by a series of pulses, sampled regularly from the production line.

CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS

Circadian rhythms represent the daily cycling of the sun and moon throughout the year. ChronTrols can mimic this cycle, accurate to the second, allowing for environmental control of laboratory projects. For instance, genetic studies around the world have a need for specialized lab mice, as in the areas of parkinsons, cancer, and AIDS research. By shortening the length of a "day" to 18 hours, you will increase the rate of procreation by 33%. For superior manipulation and exploitation of nature and wildlife, turn to ChronTrol.

In the AM Radio World the ChronTrol is widely known as the most reliable and inexpensive method of meeting your AM Directional Antenna control needs. The ChronTrol is in control of the direction and power level of the antenna The times of these changes vary from month to month and must be precise to the second or suffer the scrutiny of the FCC. Which as you know, the FCC is not someone you want waiting in your conference room. A ChronTrol is able to vary its switching schedule as per the FCC allowing your personal to tend to more important tasks. Once the ChronTrol is programmed no further up-keep is needed except a change of its 9 volt battery every seven years.

BATTERY CHARGING

The grass is always greener on ChronTrol's side. Even golf courses are in rough times with these high electric bills and need the incentives that Electric companies are offering. The fleets of golf carts need to charged daily but these discount rates do not start until around 8:00PM long after your employees have gone home for the day. So a ChronTrol would turn on each of the chargers for all of your golf carts and of course turn them off the second before the rate goes back up maximizing your savings.

EMISSIONS MONITORING

In the area of Emission Monitoring the EPA, for the safety of the general public, mandates air quality standards for all commercial factories, refineries, and production plants. A ChronTrol is used to turn on various air samplers at a frequency set by the EPA. A similar application is used at nuclear and chemical dump sites. In these instances a more portable timer is commonly used and is fitted into a mobile monitoring station. Link to EAI.

PROCESS CONTROL

At most college and private labs ChronTrols are used in very complex cycling of valves, lamps and pumps. Of course a ChronTrol can turn on or off anything that runs on electricity. ChronTrol's can even match the sunrise and sunset of a given a latitude.

PRODUCT LIFE TESTING

The sub-second solid-state relay is a recommended model for product life testing, which is an easy application for our ChronTrol XT model. It can turn on and off in as little as 1/10th of a second, and repeat indefinitely or turn off after a set amount of cycles.

DUTY CYCLING

ChronTrol's duty cycling feature is unparalleled in its flexibility in the art of saving wear and tear on your motors, pumps, and valves. Roof misting, the process of cooling a large scale building by dropping the temperature of the roof and ceiling. The roof misting industry uses duty cycling to vary its misters over the entire building while not overloading the water pumps, and conserving water. This is also used for large scale irrigation projects.

HORTICULTURE

If growing plants is your business then ChronTrol is for you! A ChronTrol can simulate sunrise and sunset in any part of the world. It can run your water, ventilation and other climate control variables. It can be made to react to outdoor climate conditions by using the input option. Your entire operation can be controlled by one central ChronTrol unit.

PERPETUAL HOLIDAYS

Holidays such as the 4th of July, Christmas, and New Years Day always fall on the same date every year, right? Actually, the observed date shifts to the nearest Friday or Monday if the holiday falls on a weekend. Other holidays, such as Labor Day and Thanksgiving, occur on different days from year to year. ChronTrols can compute and identify these variable dates quickly and easily.

BELL TOWERS

ChronTrols are superior at controlling sirens, buzzers, and chimes for bell towers, warning alarms, and break bells. ChronTrols have the ability to ring once, signifying 1pm, twice for 2pm, etc. ChronTrol's timing accuracy is dictated by the 60/50 hertz line powering the timer, which is provided by the local electric company.

Click here for sample program

REMOTE MONITORING

The Sentry System application is a specific program that uses the ChronTrol's external inputs to sense failure of devices at remote facilities. In the case of ATM cash machines, good lighting is crucial, and must be monitored around the clock, and repaired immediately in the event of failure.

SEQUENCING

Chrontrols can easily sequence through all of its circuits, even in exteremely complex patterns. For example, circuit 1 on for 10 seconds, then circuit 2, then 3, then pause, then repeat. These are some of our favorite applications because they are used in such interesting fields such as environmental sampling, air-quality control, process control, and life testing.

These are just a few of the exciting situations where ChronTrol has been brought into play over the years, and some of the unique problems that we have had the opportunity to solve. ChronTrol has a knack for doing the job more cost effectively, and in some cases ChronTrol is the only timer that can do the job at all. Some capabilities we're not yet aware of because ChronTrol users continue to surprise us with new ideas and applicaitons.

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