POWERING UP AND FIRST-TIME

ELECTRICAL TESTS

When the Sentinel is first assembled, there are a few tests which should be performed to ensure that all systems are functioning properly. These tests are listed below, in the order they should be performed.

1. POWER ON

Turn the Sentinel's main power on using the switch located on the right side of the Starlite Colorhead. This switch controls power to the entire system.

The first thing that should happen is a beep from the keypad. The display will read "ZBE Inc." At this time, the Starlite will proceed through a power-up calibration cycle which takes about 10 seconds. This ensures that the Starlite stays in perfect balance each time it's turned on. During this time, press and hold the key on the keypad. This will cause the enlarger to skip its initial referencing procedure temporarily while the following tests are performed.

2. TEST MOTORS

This test, as are all the tests in this section is accessed through the Sentinel's menu system. To get to the Motors Test press the key. Select "SENTINEL DIAGNOSTICS" from this Main menu using the up and down ARROW keys under the numeric keypad, and press . The Diagnostics menu will now be displayed. From this menu , select "TEST MOTORS" (again using the ARROW keys) and press .

The display will now read "NEG: STOP LENS:STOP". This is the Motors test screen. Use , under the number keys to jog the negative stage, and the and in the lower right corner of the keypad to jog the lens stage. When or are pressed the appropriate stage should move in the direction of the ARROW. This display for that stage should also indicate the direction of movement: "UP" or "DOWN". Both displays should read "STOP" when no keys are being held down.

WARNING: It is important to note that the limit switches are disabled in this test, so care must be taken not to overrun the top and bottom limit switches, nor to separate the bellows excessively. Damage to the Enlarger may result.

Before ending this test, position the bellows so they are separated by about 6 inches or so. This will aid in some of the following tests. Press to exit this test.

3. TEST ENCODERS

Access this test from the Sentinel diagnostics menu in the same manner as the motors test was called up in step 2, above. Select "Test Encoders" from the diagnostics menu and press .

The display will now read "COL: nnnnn" on the top line, and "BEL: nnnnn" on the bottom line. (The "nnnnn" indicates a random number displayed on the keypad.)

Gently pull straight up on the measuring cable that is lying along the front of the column from the negative stage up to the top of column. Do not pull this cable more than 12 inches, or kink it while holding it. As the cable is pulled straight up, both numbers on the display should decrease in value. As the cable is released, the numbers should count back up to their original values, within a couple of counts. NOTE: When releasing the cable, NEVER let it snap into position.

Next partially remove the bellows at the bottom. You will see the bellows measuring cable inside at the front left and rear right corners. Very carefully pull the cable straight down (or as close to straight down as possible) at the front left section of the cable, do not pull down more than 8 inches. When doing this, note the Lens Encoder number: it should decrease as the cable is pulled, and return to its original value when the cable is released.

If either number returns to a value grossly different from where it started, or refuses to change at all, there is a problem with the autofocus measurement encoders system.

When finished with this test, press .

4. TEST LIMIT SWITCHES

Access through the Sentinel diagnostics as with the previous tests. The display for this test is a readout of the status of all three limit switches on the Sentinel. The limit switches are used by the computer to tell if any moving part of the enlarger is in danger of overrunning its range.

Test the "Bellows" switch by reaching up behind the bellows, under the negative stage, there is a small lever located roughly at the centerline of the bellows. Push this lever in, towards the rear of the enlarger. When the switch clicks, the display for the "BEL:" switch will go from off to on as long as the plunger is held in.

Exit this test by pressing .

5. TEST REFERENCE PULSES

The positional encoders in the Sentinel use reference pulses to determine its initial position. Test the reference pulses, using the "TEST REFERENCE PULSES" in the diagnostics menu . The display should read: "COL: ---"on the top line, and "BEL:---" the bottom line.

As in the encoders test, pull each cable slowly. In this test, when a cable is pulled, a beep will occur approximately every 4 inches of travel. At each beep, a number should appear next to the appropriate encoder's display. The cable along the front of the column is the COL encoder, while the cable inside the bellows is the BEL encoder.

When both encoders are made to beep and give a number display, press to exit this test.

This completes the initial testing of the Sentinel. The main power should now be turned off, then back on. This will put the Sentinel into its normal daily power up procedure.

The colorhead will again cycle through its power-up calibration. Then the display will read "PRESS ANY KEY TO BEGIN REFERENCING." At this time make sure there is nothing on the baseboard which will obstruct the stages as they move to the bottom of the column. Check for cords lying right next to the column. When all is clear, press a key. The stages will move together, then both will move to the bottom of the column. The negative stage will then rise slowly until a reference pulse is read from each encoder. When this occurs, the keypad will display its main screen, showing the colorhead filtration settings, exposure time, etc.

The Sentinel Enlarger is now fully installed and operational, ready for the lenses and other items to be setup and calibrated. Refer to the Getting Started section in this manual to set up the Sentinel for everyday use.

THE SENTINEL CONTROL SYSTEM

The Sentinel is a fully-automated photographic enlarging system. As such it is computer-controlled. This section offers a simple view of this computer control system. In order to get the most out of your new enlarger it is a good idea to understand the nature of the control system.

The control system consists of two computers. One is in the colorhead, the other is in the enlarger chassis. The colorhead controller allows the Starlite to be one of the most productive colorheads on the market, maintaining constant filtration and density, exposure times and print counts, and compensation for different paper types, among many others.

The enlarger control system, or autofocus computer, lets the machine focus and size your prints automatically, even with different easels and lenses.

When these two computers are brought together, the result is a powerful darkroom printing machine: the Sentinel Enlarger.

The user need not worry, however, about learning to use two computers! The Sentinel's two-part control system is integrated together into one. All this is controlled by an easy-to-learn keypad, which is fully backlit for use in the dark.

This section outlines how the ZBE Sentinel control system is operated by the darkroom operator.

USING THE SENTINEL COMPUTER SYSTEM

The keypad which controls the enlarger features a number of keys dedicated to operations

frequently used in routing printing. These include keys for setting color filtration, print density and exposure time, starting exposures, sizing a print, etc. This makes most operations with the enlarger a simple matter of a few keystrokes.

However, there are many more features built into the Sentinel Enlarger. If each and every

feature had a button of its own, the keyboard would become too large and complicated to use conveniently, especially in the dark. To make things easier, these features are accessed through a menu -driven software system.

Please read the following to become familiar with how the ZBE Sentinel system is operated.

GENERAL USAGE OF DEDICATED KEYS

The operation of the Sentinel's keypad is simple. To change any value accessed by one of the dedicated keys ( , , , , , , etc.), simply press the appropriate key, enter the desired numeric value, then press .

For example, say you want to change the exposure time to 12.5 seconds:

1. First, press . A cursor will blink next to the time displayed on the keypad.
2. Type the number of seconds, then tenths of seconds.
3. For 12.5 seconds, type '1' , '2' , '5'. The decimal point always stays at one place.
4. When finished, press . The new value is now entered in the computer.

All number entry in the computer system is done in a similar manner. If a value has a decimal point in it, the decimal will be fixed at whatever number of places that particular value requires. Entering zeros will move the number to the desired position if no fractional value is needed.

If, during the entry of a number, you enter an incorrect value and want to change it, entering a few zeros will cause the number to blank back to zero, allowing a new entry.

KEYPAD LAYOUT

GENERAL USAGE OF MENUS

The menu system of the Sentinel Enlarger is organized into sections, called sub-menu s. Each sub-menu , accessed through the main menu , contains a group of items which are related to one-another. For instance, all of the functions needed to initially set up the Sentinel Enlarger for autofocus operation are grouped in a sub-menu called "SENTINEL CALIBRATION." This sub-menu appears as one of the items in the Sentinel Main Menu.

Finding the item you want in the menu system is quite simple. The keys involved are listed below and the function of each is explained as it pertains to the menu system.

: Puts the user in the Sentinel Main Menu from which all other menus are accessed. When in a menu list, pressing this key will advance the selection to the next item.

: Select previous item in the current menu list. the

: Select the next item in the current menu list. This is the same as pressing while in a menu .

: All of the items in each menu are numbered. Pressing a number key will move the current selection to the item with that number. For experienced users, this is a faster way to get the desired item.

: Activates the menu item currently selected. If that item is a sub-menu (such as "SENTINEL CALIBRATION"), that menu will now be displayed.

: Exits the menu system and returns to the main screen display.

The current selection is always displayed on the top line of the display, with a '->' prompt next to it. The next available selection is shown on the bottom line. In the text of this manual, the word "select" means to position the -> prompt next to a menu item. The words "go into" mean to access that indicated item by positioning the -> prompt next to it and then pressing .

As an example of how this system works, suppose you want to setup a new negative carrier for autofocus operation. The function for this purpose is in the Sentinel Calibration menu mentioned above.

1. First, press for the main menu . The Sentinel's Main menu will now be on the screen.
2. Use either to move your selection to "SENTINEL CALIBRATION."
3. Press to go into that menu . The Calibration menu will now be displayed.
4. Move your selection to the item "SETUP CARRIER" in this menu .
5. Press to activate that item. The computer will now run the procedure for setting up a new negative carrier for the autofocus system.
   

This was only an example, we don't want to actually setup a carrier now. Press to return to the main screen.

Understanding the menu system in the Sentinel Enlarger will make using the machine easier and more productive. It is worth the time to run through the menu s and familiarize yourself with how they work and what they offer.

SENTINEL ENLARGER MENUS LAYOUT

GETTING STARTED

BASIC OPERATION

This section covers topics necessary for the basic operation of the Sentinel Enlarger. Such topics as focus lamp control, entering color filtration and density settings, and print sizing / cropping are covered here from point of view for the first-time user. In this section, we assume that the Sentinel is already mechanically assembled and the first-time electrical tests have been performed.

1. TURNING THE POWER ON

The main power for the entire Sentinel Enlarger system is controlled by a single switch, located on the right-hand side of the Starlite 55 Colorhead.

When power is turned on the Sentinel's colorhead, the Starlite 55, will go through a calibration procedure. During this procedure, which takes about ten seconds, the display on the keypad will display an opening message.

When the Starlite finishes, the Sentinel will take over, the keypad reading "PRESS ANY KEY TO BEGIN REFERENCING." At this time, press a key on the keypad after checking that the baseboard area under the lens stage is clear of any items which would collide with the stage as it moves to the bottom of the column. (grain focuser, etc.) Any cords or cables should be kept away from the base of the column, as well.

During operation of the Sentinel, if access to the inside of the Starlite is desired, the door may be opened with main power on. Safety switches in the Starlite will kill the power to the colorhead, leaving the Sentinel power on. When the door is closed, the Starlite's power will turn on again, and it will perform its ten-second calibration procedure.

2. LENS SETUP

If the Sentinel is being used for the first time after being assembled, the Autofocus/ Autosizing operation will require that the lenses be set up. This is a one-time procedure, so skip this section if your enlarger is already set up. The Sentinel will not operate properly unless each lens being used is set up according to the following procedure. This initial lens setup procedure entails focusing the enlarger at a small, then at a large, magnification. From the magnification information entered for each of these two sizes,the system will be able to automatically focus at any print size along the column. The procedure is as follows:

1. At the main screen, rotate the lens turret to select the lens to be setup, wait to hear the double click from the keypad.
   
2. Remove the easel if you are currently using one. Select Easel, "NONE" in the Easel Selection menu . (Press , then use or to select the "SELECT EASEL" menu option, and press . In this sub-menu , select "NONE" from the list, and press again.)
   
3. Place the ZBE setup film in the 4 X 5 glass carrier and install the carrier in the enlarger. Select the 4 X 5 glass carrier from the Select Carrier menu . (Press then use or to select the "SELECT CARRIER" menu option, and press . From this sub-menu , select the "4x5 G" carrier from the list and press again.)
   
4. Make sure that the Security Lock is off. This item is controlled in the Sentinel Preferences menu . (Press , then use or to select the "SENTINEL PREFERENCES" menu option, and press . From this sub-menu , select "SET SECURITY LOCK", and press again. If the display reads that the lock is on, press to toggle it to the off setting. Press when done.)
   
5. Select "SETUP LENS" from the calibration menu . (Press , then use or to select the "SENTINEL CALIBRATION" menu option, and press . From this sub-menu , select "SETUP LENS", and press again.)
   
6. When prompted, enter the lens focal length. This is used as name reference only; the true focal length will be calculated automatically.
   
7. Use the two sets of , 's and to jog the enlarger into focus at a small size, which is any position in the lower 10 inches of travel of the enlarger. (The right-hand set of , 's are used to run both Negative and Lens Stages up or down on the column for sizing. or under the Numeric keypad section move only the Negative Stage for fine focusing.) When setting up large lenses, do not jog to a size that is smaller than magnification = 1.8, doing so will cause the focal length to be calculated inaccurately.
   
8. Use a grain focuser to achieve perfect focus, moving the Negative stage with or in the numeric keypad for fine focus. Single taps on these keys are useful for very fine positioning. Once on exact focus, press .
   
9. The display will now prompt you to enter the magnification ratio. Measure the magnification using an accurate ruler or scale. Measuring in millimeters makes calculation of magnification easier. A transparent ruler works best for easy reading. Measure the distance between the appropriate alignment marks on the setup film. Using the wrong marks will yield an incorrect measurement, due to lens distortion. Suggested marks for various lenses are:
   
   o For 135mm to 150mm lenses use the 100mm marks.
   o For 80mm lenses use the 50mm or 10mm marks.
   o For 50mm lenses use the 10mm marks.
   
   Accurate measurement of the magnification will make or break the lens setup. Place the ruler on the baseboard, aligning it to left the edge of the marks projected onto the baseboard, then read the distance to the left edge of the other mark. If your ruler is marked in one millimeter increments, try to estimate the distance to a tenth of a millimeter, that is the accuracy necessary for a good setup.
   
   Enter the resulting magnification ratio. The magnification is the measured distance on the baseboard, divided by the distance indicated on the setup negative.
   
   For example, you may be setting up a 150mm lens at about 1.9:1, you will be looking at the 100mm marks projected down on your ruler. You may clearly measure the distance as 190mm., but you must take a guess down to a tenth, and you may see that the measurement is closest to 190.5mm. In that case the magnification you enter is (190.5mm/100mm).
   
   After this magnification ratio is entered, the display will read "FOCUS AT LARGE SIZE," then press .
   
10. Jog up the column to position within the top 10 inches of travel.
    
11. Focus to grain sharp, as in step 7, and press .
    
12. Measure the magnification again and enter the value. This is the same procedure as in step number 8.
    

After the large magnification is entered, the focal length is calculated and the enlarger goes through a Referencing procedure. After referencing, the lens setup is complete and the lens will focus at all points along the column. If the enlarger does not focus properly or if the magnification displayed on the keypad is not accurate, do the lens setup procedure again. Be particularly careful about measuring and entering the correct magnification. Even if the setup was done in perfect focus, a slight error in measurement can cause it to be out of focus.

3. LAMP ON/OFF CONTROL

The Starlite lamp may be turned on or off using the LAMP +/- key. When the lamp is turned on, the bulbs will light and the shutter will open simultaneously. If the Starlite is in Filtered Light mode, the light output will change to the color settings specified in the upper left area of the keypad display. If the colorhead is in White Light mode, the output will change to a bright white light used for focusing or composing a print.

To toggle between Filtered Light mode (for printing) and White Light mode (for focusing), use . If this key is pressed while in Filtration mode, the White Light mode will be selected. At this time, the lamp will turn on and the output will change to white light. The lamp will now stay on until or is pressed. If is pressed, the head will return to Filtration mode; the light output will return to the specified color. The lamp will then extinguish, the Starlite is now ready for printing. If is used, the lamp will simply turn off and the head will remain in White Light mode with the upper left area of the keypad display reading "FILTERS OUT."

NOTE: In Filtered Light mode, there may be a delay between the time when is pressed and when the lamps actually go out. This is due to the Starlite making fine adjustments to the color output. This delay, which is usually a few seconds, is normal.

4. ENTERING A COLOR FILTRATION

, , and are used to enter color filtration values. Simply press the appropriate color key, use - to type in the desired color correction (CC) value, then press . When is pressed, the lamps will turn on and the head will adjust to the new color, after which the lamp will automatically go out. This will usually take a few seconds. The Starlite is now ready for printing, that is, the filters are in proper position.

As an example, suppose we want to enter a filtration pack of Cyan 0, Magenta 30, and Yellow 30:

1. From the main screen, press . A cursor will appear next to the 'C' in the upper left of the display.
   
2. Type the desired numeric value for Cyan, in this case, . At this point, you may either press or another color key
   ( or ) to lock in the new value for Cyan. In this case, press .
   
3. The cursor will now move next to the 'M' to the right of the Cyan display. (The Starlite's lamp will come on briefly as the Cyan value is locked in by the computer.)
   
4. Enter a numeric value for Magenta. In this case it is 30, so press then . When finished, press , since we want to enter a value for that color as well.
   
5. The lamps will come on again as the Magenta setting is locked in. The cursor will now move next to the 'Y' to the right of the Magenta display.
   
6. Enter a numeric value for Yellow, in this case 30. Press and .
   
7. Since this completes our color entry, press . The lamps will come on again as the Yellow setting is locked in. When the lamps extinguish, the colorhead filtration is ready for printing.
   
   

5. ENTERING DENSITY

The Starlite 55 Colorhead features Neutral Density control which allows it to control the intensity of its light output internally. This allows the Sentinel Enlarger to make prints of different sizes without probing the light at the baseboard or having to change lens aperture or exposure time. This is normally done using lens aperture, but the Starlite can do this accurately and automatically. The Starlite's density value is printed out in the main display below the color filtration.

The density value, like the color filtration values, is in standard color correction units (CC's), with 30 points = one f-stop. The entering of a density value is similar to color entry: press , type the numeric value, then press . or in the numeric pad may also be used to increase or decrease the density by one CC. When the density value is entered, the colorhead's lamps will turn on and the intensity of the output will be changed to new density. If the Starlite cannot change to the new density value, the exposure time will be changed to compensate. Such a case would involve a density value which is either too bright or too dim for the Starlite to output accurately.

6. SIZING AND FOCUSING CONTROL

The Sentinel is a full-featured autofocus and autosizing enlarger. For proper operation of this system, the lens being used must be set up. (See Part B: LENS SETUP.) In Autofocus mode, the enlarger will stay in focus at all points up and down the column. The stages may be moved either by entering a print size or magnification, or by using the right-hand set of or to jog the machine UP or DOWN. or are useful for making fine adjustments when doing custom cropping of a particular print.

There are two modes of operation for the Sentinel, the Autofocus mode and Manual-focus mode. To change from one to the other, use . The upper-right area of the keypad display will read "MANUAL" in the Manual-focus mode, or "SIZE:" in the Autofocus mode.

In Autofocus mode, the right-hand , , are used for jogging the enlarger onto the desired printsize as they are in Manual-focus mode. may also be used in Autofocus mode. or below the numeric keypad are inoperative in Autofocus mode as focusing is accomplished by the Sentinel Enlarger's control system.

In the Manual-focus mode, sizing and focusing the Sentinel is the same as in the lens setup procedure. The right-hand , 's are the main zooming and sizing control keys, while , below the numeric keys are used for focusing. is used somewhat like a Shift key on a typewriter to increase the speed at which the enlarger moves and may be used with either set of , 's.

The other option for sizing in Autofocus mode is to directly enter the desired print size or magnification ratio. To do this, press . The keypad will display a prompt for the entry of "SIZE:". Press to toggle between magnification or print size entry. When entering a print size or a unit of measure, "in" for inches or "mm" for millimeters, will be displayed to the right of the number entry and may be toggled by pressing . In either mode, enter the numeric value desired, then press . The printsize displayed here is calculated from the negative size currently entered in the system; the units of measurement are independent of the neg size. Whether jogging with or or directly entering a print size, the "SIZE:" display will be updated as the enlarger moves.

For purposes of computing a print size, or for the machine to jog to the correct size, the system must be told the size of the negative (or distance between cropping marks). This is a simple menu entry. To do this, press , select "NEGATIVE SIZE" from the main menu , then press . A prompt will the appear for entering a new negative size. This number will be multiplied by the current magnification ratio to determine the print size. This entry may be done in either Inches or Millimeters using at this prompt.

If you have the size to density preference set to active in the Starlite Preferences menu you will notice that the light comes on and changes a few seconds after the enlarger stops at a new position. This is the size to density correction in the Starlite adjusting the lamps' density up or down to achieve a constant print density regardless of what size the enlarger is at. This automatic correction only happens when the Size-to-Density Correction is set to "active" in the Starlite Preferences menu. The Size-to-Density Correction feature acts like an "imaginary user" taking a Density Probe reading after each size change. This feature makes it unnecessary to probe or re-test for changes in print size. Note that if, for some reason you want to use the D-Probe immediately after a size change (for flesh-tone matching, etc.) you must let the Size-to-Density correction take effect first (it takes a few seconds) before taking any probe readings. (Taking a probe reading too soon will cause both the Size-to-Density correction and the D-Probe to compensate for the same size change, causing a large over-correction. If this happens, simply re-probe to correct the situation)..

7. KEYPAD BACK LIGHT CONTROL

The Sentinel's keypad is fully backlit for use in the dark. However, during the handling of photographic paper and while printing, the light from the keypad may not be desired. To extinguish the keypad's lighting, just press . This will toggle the backlights off and on.

In addition to the on/off control, the intensity of the backlighting may be adjusted. A small knob is provided under the right end of the keypad unit for this purpose.

8. CARRIER LOADING

The negative carriers for the Sentinel slide into the slot just below the Starlite. The carrier may be inserted into the front or the left side of the enlarger. All carriers supplied with the Sentinel are hinged in the back and feature magnetic closure for non-slip negative holding.

At times during printing, the carrier may difficult to access due to the height of the enlarger's negative stage, especially when doing large prints. To alleviate this problem, the Sentinel features a programmable Load Position. To program this Load Position, move the enlarger to the desired location where carrier loading is to take place. Then, in the main menu , select "CALIBRATION" and press . From the "CALIBRA-TION" sub-menu , select "SET LOAD POSITION" and press . The Load Position is now set and may be recalled at any time during normal operation by pressing and simultaneously. The enlarger will move to the programmed carrier Loading Position. When loading of the carrier is finished, will return the enlarger to its previous position.

9. VIEWING THE AUTOFOCUS SETUP

Press to display the current Lens, Carrier, Easel and Negative size currently in use. Use this feature for double-checking which Carrier and Easel are selected. This can be useful if the enlarger is not focusing correctly because the correct Carrier or Easel is not selected.

10.SAVING A JOB TO MEMORY

The Sentinel has 200 job memory channels that can be used to store specific print jobs. The information stored for each job is the following: D,C,M, and Y, exposure time, Emulsion number, f-stop, print size/magnification, negative size, lens, easel, and carrier. The f-stop is used only for the operator's reference and is not used by the computer in any calculations. To save a job, press . You will be prompted for a job number; enter a five digit number of your choice. If that number is already in use you will be asked if you would like to over-write the old job information. Next, you will be prompted for an f-stop value. You may enter a f-stop value if you wish, it will be displayed when the job is recalled.

While doing test prints, it is a good habit to save the job after each exposure to ensure that the latest data is always saved.

11. RECALLING A JOB FROM MEMORY

To recall or load a job that was previously saved press . You will be prompted to enter a job number. If the computer cannot find a job by the number entered, the display will show "DOESN'T EXIST, TRY AGAIN." When the job is recalled the light will turn on and the filtration will be put in and the recalled f-stop is displayed for a few seconds. If the correct lens is not currently selected, you will be prompted to move the correct lens into position. The enlarger will move to the new printsize. Then the display will go back to the main screen and the light will turn off. The enlarger is now ready for printing.

12. MAKING A TEST EXPOSURE

Making a test exposure with the Sentinel is similar to other enlargers. The Sentinel has the capability to remember print setups, so that once a test print is successful, it need not be done again. A procedure for making a test print is outlined here:

1. Insert the negative into the carrier and install the carrier into the enlarger.
   
2. With the colorhead in Filtration mode, turn the Colorhead lamp on by pressing to get White light. Use or to crop the print to the desired composition. When finished, turn the colorhead lamp off by pressing again. This will return the colorhead to the Filtration mode.
   
3. Enter the desired first-time print data for Cyan (usually zero), Magenta, Yellow, and Density.
   
4. Enter the desired exposure time.
   
5. Just before making the actual print, save the setup under a job number in the Sentinel's memory. This way the setup will be saved if the machine is used while this test print is in process (perhaps for another test exposure).
   
6. Place the paper in position and make the print by pressing .
   

This is one round of the test printing process. Several tests may be required to achieve a perfect print. Once the perfect print is made, this final setup should be saved so that it may be recalled from memory if reprints of the negative are required in the future.

SENTINEL PREFERENCES

1: SET LOAD POSITION

Memorizes position for carrier loading.

2: SET TOP LIMIT

Memorizes enlarger top limit if lower than factory setting.

3: CLEAR TOP LIMIT

Clears limit set above.

4: SET BELLOWS LIMIT

Memorizes maximum bellows extension limit.

5: CLEAR BELLOWS LIMIT

Clears limit set above.

6: ENTER ENLARGER ID NUMBER

Sets number used to identify enlarger on lab network.

7: SET SECURITY LOCK

Toggles security lock mode for doing Sentinel calibrations and preferences.

The Sentinel and Starlite both have a set of options called "Preferences" which can be set to meet the specific needs of your lab. These preferences are accessed in the Sentinel Preferences and Starlite Preferences menus. The Sentinel preferences relate to the enlarger movement up and down the column and the Starlite preferences relate to the colorhead operation. The Sentinel preferences you should consider during initial setup are the following:

1: SET LOAD POSITION

2: SET TOP LIMIT

7: SET SECURITY LOCK

Before these preferences can be setup, you must turn off the security lock. The Set Load Position preference is used to memorize the position you would like the enlarger to move to for ease of carrier loading. To set the position, jog the enlarger up or down the column using or . Then select the Set Load Position option. Now when you press and simultaneously, the enlarger will move to that position while you load or unload the carrier. When finished with the carrier, press and the enlarger will move back to previous position, ready for printing.

The Set Top Limit preference is used if the enlarger is setup in the darkroom such that it can hit the ceiling when run to the top of the column. To prevent this, jog the enlarger to a position at least three inches below the ceiling, then select the Set Top Limit preference to memorize the new top limit. For information on other Sentinel preferences, please refer to the Sentinel preferences chapter in the Reference Section of this manual.

The Starlite preferences you should consider during initial setup are the following:

1: SIZE TO DENSITY CORRECTION ACTIVE

2: DENSITY SLOPE DIRECTION Z POSITIVE

3. TIME TO DENSITY CORRECTION ACTIVE

These preferences must be set properly before you align the Starlite to a video analyzer or else the Starlite will not function properly with the analyzer. To change a preference, press , when the appropriate preference is displayed, press the number keys to change the preference and then press to lock in the new preference. Press exit the menu .

The Size to Density Correction preference applies to the Starlite receiving print size information from the Sentinel and adjusting the light output to maintain constant print density as the print size changes. When Active, this preference will cause the Starlite to adjust the light intensity automatically when the enlarger moves to a new position. Approximately 4-6 seconds after the enlarger stops moving, the lamps will come on, dim or brighten and then go off. NOTE: the adjustment will not be made if the colorhead is in Filters Out mode or the enlarger is in Manual-focus mode. This preference should always be active unless you specifically want to make size density changes manually by making test prints.

The Shutter preference disables or enables the internal rotary shutter. This should always be set "ACTIVE" unless there is a problem with the shutter.

The Density Slope Direction is a very critical preference selection. This determines whether the density values used in the Starlite increase or decrease with increased light output. For example, if your video analyzer increases the density number for a darker print, say from 64 to 70 density points, then you should set the density slope direction to positive so an increasing density value increases light output and thus increases print density/darkness. Most video analyzers use positive slope. If you are not using a video analyzer choose the mode that you will be most comfortable working with.

The Time to Density Correction preference ties the exposure time to the density value so when the time is increased the density value is increased. Also, if a density value is entered that is either too bright or too dim for the colorhead to achieve the time will be adjusted up or down to achieve the desired density. This mode should be set to Active, in most cases, especially when a video analyzer is used.

The Maximum Lamps Power preference sets the maximum amount of power that will be applied to lamps. The range is from 60 to 99%. If set to 99%, the lamps will be allowed to run at the maximum possible power level. However, a power level of a few percent less will greatly increase lamp life. The factory setting is 90%. If you want the absolute greatest amount of light output, you should set this preference to 99%. For information on other Starlite preferences, please refer to the Starlite preferences chapter in the Reference Section of this manual.

CARRIER SELECTION

To select a carrier offset use Sentinel Main menu option, "SELECT CARRIER." Before using a new carrier, the carrier must be setup using the Carrier Setup procedure (See next section). Select the appropriate carrier from the list shown in this menu function. The carriers are listed by format size for convenient reference. Use or to move up and down the list, or press - to jump to the corresponding carrier in the list. Press when the correct carrier entry is selected.

CARRIER SETUP

Each carrier must be setup for proper Autofocus operation. The one exception is the 4 X 5 glass carrier, we recommend you do not change the setup for this carrier and keep it as the Zero Offset carrier that is always used for lens setups. Each carrier may have a slightly different thickness from it's bottom surface to the emulsion surface. A difference of as little as a thousandth of an inch can make a difference in grain sharpness. To correct for these variations, setup the carriers using the following procedure:

1. Select the shortest lens available (the 50mm lens you've already setup).

2. Install and select the carrier you wish to setup.

Select easel "NONE" using the Select Easel item in the main menu and remove any easel from the baseboard.

At the main screen jog the enlarger to 3 inches below it's maximum height, in Autofocus mode.

5. Select Setup Carrier from the Calibration menu .

6. Select the appropriate carrier from the displayed carrier menu .

7. Tap - and use a grain focuser to achieve a grain sharp image.

8. Press when grain sharp.

The Carrier Setup procedure is now complete.

EASEL SELECTION

When changing the easel being used with the Sentinel Enlarger, that change must be entered in the Sentinel's computer. This is simply a matter of selecting the current easel from the list using the Select Easel item in the main menu . When in this menu item, you will be presented with a list of available easels, starting with "NONE" and then letters

'A' through 'H'. Selecting "NONE" will load an easel offset of zero which means no easel is being used.

For accurate autofocus and autosizing each easel must be designated with a letter and setup using the Easel Setup procedure (See Sentinel Calibration menu section).

EASEL SETUP

Before a new easel is used with the Sentinel Enlarger, it must be setup to allow the autofocus system to properly calculate the image position when the easel is in place. To program an easel follow these steps:

1. Select the shortest lens available (the 50mm lens you already setup).
   
2. Install and select the 4x5 glass carrier with the ZBE setup film.
   
3. Select easel "NONE" using the Select Easel item in the main menu.
   
4. At the main screen jog the enlarger to 3 inches below it's maximum height, in Autofocus mode.
   
5. Remove any easel from the baseboard.
   
6. Place a large piece of white paper on the baseboard and mark where the 10mm alignment marks from the Autofocus setup negative are projected onto the paper. Do this carefully, using very fine lines.
   
7. Now select "SETUP EASEL" from the Calibration menu .
   
8. You will be presented with a list of easel "NAMES" to choose from. Select 'A' if it is the first easel, and press . Write the letter 'A' on your easel for future reference.
   
9. Place the easel on the baseboard.
   
10. Place the paper with the marks on the easel.
    
11. Now use and to jog the enlarger up or down until the 10mm marks exactly line up with marks you made on the white paper.
    
12. Press when the marks are perfectly aligned.
    

The Easel Setup procedure is now complete. This easel may now be selected from the Select Easel menu item, in the Sentinel main menu , when its use is desired.

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