Blind Motor Timer Operation: Part 2

Timer Operation Of Blinds - Part 2: Controls & LCD Display

PLEASE NOTE: These instructions are for our G series motor timers, part number MCGT-1W-RF (1 ch) and MCGT-5W-RF (5 ch).

In part 1 of the blind motor timer instructions we discussed how the MCGT-1W-RF wireless wall mounted timer can be used to activate our radio equipped blind and shade motors using RF (Radio Frequency).

In part 2, we will become familiar with the layout of the controls and features of the display.

At this point the battery should have been inserted into the battery compartment, which will power up the timer unit.

You should see some characters on the LCD display, as shown in the picture on the right (the actual characters may be slightly different).

1. Blind Motor Timer: Details of the LCD Display

The close-up of the timer LCD display is shown at left. Starting at the top, these are the features:

• low battery warning indicator only appears if the internal button battery is getting low. The event memory settings will be retained when you change the battery, if you change the battery within 1 minute and do not touch the metal clip on the battery holder.
• The day of the week is shown in 1 of the 7 blocks allocated for this purpose.
• The label HOURS (and MINUTES) flash once per second in normal operating mode.
• The hours character display reads from 00 to 23 (24 hr clock).
• The minutes character display reads from 00 to 59.
• The Up and DOWN symbols show motor direction (both visible if stopped).
• The operational mode display reads Manual, Auto, or Auto (random), depending on selection.
• The channel display only appears on 5 channel timers.

2. Blind Motor Timer: Setting the Mode of Operation

The timer has 3 modes of operation, adjusted by a 'long press' (longer than 2 seconds) of the mode button (circled in red):

• Manual (MAN on display). This mode acts like a regular wall switch.
• Automatic (AUTO on display). This mode will activate shade motors according to programmed times.
• Automatic Random (AUTO with graphic on display). This mode activates blind motors according to programmed time events, adjusting the time by a random amount.

In the Automatic Random mode it will activate blind motors according to the programmed time events, but it will adjust the activation time by somewhere between 15 minutes before or after the actual programmed time.

3. Blind Motor Timer: Setting the Clock

Please place the timer in MANUAL mode before attempting to set the time with the following instructions; in the picture below, the red circle on the button indicates which one is used in each step:

Here are the detailed instructions:

• The first step for setting the clock is to make sure it is in MANUAL mode, as per the settings in step 2 above.
• To enter the clock setting mode, hold the setting button down for 3 seconds (aka long press), until the HOURS display starts flashing, then adjust it to the current time.
• Press the 'time set' button to cause the MINUTES to flash, then adjust to current time.
• Press the 'time set' button again to cause the DAY of week display to flash, then adjust to the day.
• Long Press the 'time save' button to store the time setting in memory. It will flash the entire display 3 times, then stop.
• Press the 'time set' button to exit the setting mode. The small HOURS and MINUTES labels will flash once per second, indicating normal operation mode.

Timer for blinds and shade motors can be purchased in our online store, click here to view in a new window

This completes the time setting procedure; the next article (part 3) will discuss assigning a motor to the timer.

PART 1: Timer for blinds - Removing the Cover, Inserting Battery

PART 2: Timer for blinds - Controls and Layout (YOU ARE HERE)

PART 3: Timer for blinds - Linking to a Radio Motor

PART 4: Timer for blinds - Creating Timer Events

We sincerely hope you enjoy using these advanced motors; if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time!