Digital Timer help needed please

[Reinhold]

I have a timer like the one pictured

Except I can't get the darn thing to work properly. It has 8 different on and off settings, I set each one for a minute on and a minute off just to test it out. Each setting is for all days of the week.

Then I set the time, and set the day and set it to auto and nothing happens.

I've tried setting it to on and off too and still nothing.

I think the problem is to do with the circles on the right side of the screen. Theres one thats completly black like in the picture and its always there, one that has a little v kinda at the very top and one that is empty.

The other two circles I can turn on and off, however I'm not sure what they do? I'm pretty sure each circle is on, off and auto but I don't understand? Since theres already the ON/AUTO/OFF button at the bottom. I've also tried different combinations of all the above.

Hope that wasn't too confusing and thanks for any help anyone can offer.

 

[ItsGrowTime]

Ive noticed that with these timers you have to change the "On/Off/Auto" to get it to kick in. This is hard to describe. Lemme try. If I want to turn the timer to Auto from Off, I have to go to On first, then Auto. Like you have to turn it On before you can turn it to Auto. Make sense?

 

[Reinhold]

Yeah, makes sense. I've actually been doing that but still it doesnt work. I turn it to on and the red light comes on and then turn it to auto but nothing happens it just stays on. What are the three little circles for?

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

[ItsGrowTime]

I just checked mine (a tad different but basically the same timer) and the black dot is lit and its on Auto and working normally. I also turned it to Off and the black dot stayed lit but it did turn off the CFLs. Its not the dots thats causing your problem. What are you testing it on anyway? Hate to ask the obvious but is your test equipment turned on?

 

[Reinhold]

Ya, Im testing it on a fan right now and the fan is currently running. The black dot is lit and always stay lit, I can turn it to off and the fan turns off and the black dot stays lit. Maybe its something to do with the time? I have the clock set to thursday, the only thing is the time is military time? its goes from 12 to 13 etc, I know theres an AM and PM so maybe thats something to do with it. Thanks for the help.

 

[ItsGrowTime]

Yeah Id definitely change it to regular AM/PM and set it accordingly. I'd probably also hit that reset button to start all over from scratch. Set the date and time first, then your on/off cycles. If that doesnt fix it probably a bad timer.

EDIT: Did you say when you set it to ON it still doesnt power the fan? If so, the timer is bad.

 

[Reinhold]

No, using the timer I can manually turn it on and off with the button and all works. Just cant get the timer to do it by itself and I don't know how to set it to AM/PM, when I reset the timer everything is flashed across the screen and I see an AM/PM but when I go and set the clock it doesnt appear. I hold the clock button down then the hour and minute button but like I said it goes from 12 to 13 etc.

Any idea on how to set the AM/PM? I don't have the instructions for it either so it kinda sucks, but its a brand new timer so there shouldn't be anything wrong with it hopefully.

 

[ItsGrowTime]

Unfortunately Im not going to experiment on my timer since it is in use in my veg closet but I may have saved the instructions and I will look when the lights come on in my flower room in an hour and update this post. Check back in an hour or so.

 

[Reinhold]

Ok, no problem man. I really appreciate all the help you've been. Maybe you can figure out what the three dots on the left are for then too. Thank you so much.

 

[ItsGrowTime]

Sorry but I couldnt find the instructions. I must have pitched them out after I got the hang of setting it. I didnt run into anything like you are experiencing.

I just tinkered with mine and couldnt find anything to change the black dot. Keep in mind that different timers have different capabilities but they may share an LCD. A different timer I have allows automatic operation based on dawn/dusk hours and time zones and things like that. Its possible that the more basic timers like this one have the same LCD as the more advanced timers but not the functionality?

Here's the pdf of the instructions. Look for the link. I didnt read it so it may have your answer in there. EDIT: Just read it...you have the military time version. There is a AM/PM version seperate.
http://www.sunleaves.com/detail.asp?sku=SSDDT100

 

[Reinhold]

Thank you so much for the help ItsGrowTime, although the instructions didn't directly help me they did spawn the idea which did lol

I was going about this completely wrong. I thought no matter the time that it was that if it was programmed it'd shut off based on what I put in. However, I actually needed to input a time based on the actual time thats set lol if that made sense. So I cant just turn it off for a minute by putting the setting at 0:01. I understand completly now lol still don't understand those circles tho.

I feel really dumb now.

 

[ItsGrowTime]

The instructions explained the circles. Read closer. Yeah 0:01 would be 12:01AM in military time, not one minute
Happy to help and glad you got it figured out!