General IRTC40 User manual

8:1 SCANNING
IR THERMOMETER
WITH
TRICOLOR LCD
USER’S MANUAL
IRTC40
Please ead this manual ca efully and tho oughly
befo e using this p oduct.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 –6
Key Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 –7
What’s in the ackage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 –8
roduct Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 – 11
Setup Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Activate Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Operating Instructions . . . . . . . . . 12 – 18
Conventional IRT Mode . . . . . 12 – 13
Scan Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 – 16
Operating Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 – 18
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 – 20
Maintenance Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 – 21
Warranty Information . . . . . . . . . . 21 – 22
General’s Return for Repair olicy . . . . 23
Guide de L'Utilisateur . . . . . . . . . 24 – 47
Manual del Usuario . . . . . . . . . . . 48 – 72
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INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing General Tools &
Instruments’ IRTC40—an 8:1 Scanning IR
Thermometer with Tricolor LCD. Please read
this manual carefully and thoroughly before
using the instrument.
The IRTC40 measures the surface
temperature of a surface or object from a
distance by using an infrared (IR) sensor to
quantify its thermal radiation. This non-
contact measurement capability allows you
to safely determine the temperature of very
hot or cold surfaces, inaccessible or hard-
to-reach objects and toxic substances. A
laser pointer identifies the target area being
measured. Readings are displayed on a
backlit LCD.
The IRTC40’s scanning function, which is
enabled by a three-color LCD backlight, is
an especially convenient and time-saving
feature. In many applications—such as
finding thermal leaks in a house or
detecting a batch of undercooked food—
the absolute temperature of a surface is
less important than the temperature of the
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surface re ative to surfaces around it.
Engineers call this difference 욼T, and
understanding 욼T is the key to using the
scanning function of the IRTC40.
Another way to think of 욼T is as one-half
the width of a temperature “window”
centered on a reference temperature. As an
example, for a reference temperature (Tref)
of 75°F, choosing a 욼T of 5°F would
establish a temperature window that spans
the 10° difference between 70° and 80°.
Any surface cooler than 70° would fall
below the cold edge of the temperature
window. Any surface hotter than 80° would
fall above the hot edge of the window.
What the IRTC40 does extremely well and
quickly is to place scanned targets into one
of three color-coded categories: green for
targets within the temperature window (Tref
p us and minus 욼T), red for targets hotter
than Tref plus 욼T, and blue for targets
cooler than Tref minus 욼T. The instrument
simultaneously uses sound to categorize
scanned targets by temperature. Targets
colder than the reference temperature ±욼T
generate a slow beeping sound and a
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display indication of LOW, targets hotter
than the reference temperature ±욼T
produce fast beeping and a display
indication of HIGH, and targets within the
“Goldilocks” zone—not too hot and not too
cold—yield silence and a display indication
of NORMAL.
The IRTC40 automatically enters
conventional (non-scanning) IRT mode
when you squeeze and hold the trigger for
three seconds. To enter scanning mode, you
set a reference temperature and a “setpoint
bandwidth” representing twice the value of
욼T. In practice, what most professionals
use as a reference is something they
consider at “normal” temperature—an
interior wall of a room, for example. Setting
the IRTC40’s reference temperature to this
value requires that you point the gun at the
reference object and press a button on the
front panel. Doing so causes that
temperature to appear at the right of the
term REF on the LCD.
In scanning mode, the setpoint bandwidth
can be set to any of three values—
1°F (0.5°C), 5°F (3°C) or 10°F (5.5°C).
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The bandwidth you choose should be
appropriate for the application. Typically, the
narrowest setpoint band (1°F/0.5°C) is used
to monitor the temperature of processes
requiring precise quality control (food
preparation, for example). The two wider
bands ±5°F (3°C) and ±10°F (5.5°C) are
used to detect deviations from normal that
are more tolerable (a small heat leak
through a crack in a wall that would be too
expensive to repair, for example).
KEY FEATURES
• In scanning mode, LCD backlight color
(red, green or blue) and beeper speed
(fast, silent or slow) indicate—with no
need to check readout—whether
temperature of target is above, within or
below reference temperature ± setpoint
bandwidth.
• Choice of three setpoint bandwidths:
1°, 5° and 10°F (0.5°, 3° and 5.5°C)
• Ideal for making relative temperature
measurements—such as in energy
auditing
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• Large backlit LCD automatically holds
reading when trigger is released
• Accuracy of 2% of reading or 3.6°F (2°C)
• To extend battery life, backlight shuts off
after 15 seconds of inactivity and
instrument powers off after 60 seconds
WHAT’S IN THE PACKAGE
The IRTC40 comes in a blister pack with a
wrist strap and two pre-installed “AAA”
batteries. A hard copy of this user’s manual
is inside the fold-over blister card.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
CAUTION!
The IRTC40 is a C ass 3R aser product that
emits ess than 5mW of radiation. Avoid
ooking direct y at the aser pointer. U.S. aw
prohibits pointing a aser beam at aircraft;
doing so is punishab e by a fine of up to
$10,000 and imprisonment.
The laser may cause discomfort if viewed
directly. Your eyes’ nature aversion reflex
will prevent you from looking at the beam
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long enough to cause harm. owever, keep
the IRTC40 out of the hands of children,
especially if you have pets.
Never stare at the laser beam through
binoculars or a magnifying glass.
Do not operate the IRT in the presence of
flammable or explosive gases or in
environments full of dust or static
electricity.
Do not operate near sources of strong
electromagnetic fields, such as arc welders
or induction heaters.
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Fig. 1 shows all of the controls, indicators
and physical features of the IRTC40. Fig. 2
shows all of the icons and text that may
appear on the LCD. Familiarize yourself with
the locations and functions of the controls
and the meanings of the display icons
before moving on to the Setup and
Operating Instructions.
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9
/OFF
button
LCD
°C/°F/SET button
Laser pointer exit
IR sensor and lens
Measurement trigger
Battery compartment
L ser
identific tion/
certific tion/
w rning/s fety
l bels (on left side
of gun)
(OPEN)
Fig. 1

Fig. 2
1. Relationship of currently scanned
temperature to reference temperature
± setpoint bandwidth
2. Indicates measurement is taking place
3. Battery charge indicator
4. Temperature readout
5. Indicates reference temperature is at
right
6. pointers to selected setpoint
bandwidth, stenciled on housing directly
below LCD. Options are OFF, 1°F (0.5°C),
5°F (3°C) and 10°F (5.5°C)
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