[croshaul]

I bought an HTP invertig 221 to do some aluminum welding with.This is the first time I have had the ability to set my balance and frequency. If I set my balance at 65% does it matter where I set my EP and EN?

[noddybrian]

As I understand it your welder can set EP & EN at separate amps so while 65% is a good starting value in balance this assumes using equal current - it should weld fine but once you have some experience with it you may choose to use different settings - hopefully if Oscar or some of the other 221 users chime in they can give you more specific advice - while he uses a Miller I believe Zank the bicycle guy posted some settings with regard to independent amplitude a while back - maybe check his posts.

[Oscar]

The most important thing for you to understand is that Balance is with respect to time, and EN/EP in the independent amplitude is with respect to amperage. So if you do adjust the EN/EP percentage, yes it will matter (depending on your settings) because it is not the same exact thing as balance, even though some of the effects may be similar.

[croshaul]

Thank you Oscar,could you run a scenario for me?

I set my balance @65%
EP @ 70
EN @ 60

[Oscar]

Thank you Oscar,could you run a scenario for me?

I set my balance @65%
EP @ 70
EN @ 60

It doesn't work that way, and even if it could, it would be pointless [to reduce both EN and EP halves of the waveform]. Here's why.

Take the base amperage setting to 100A for the sake of simplicity because it makes calculating percentages that much easier.

On the EP side you will have 70A. On the EN side you will have 60A. So what would the base setting of 100A do if you're reducing the amplitude of both halves of the waveform? Absolutely nothing because neither halves of the waveform will have an absolute amplitude of 100A. So what you're left with is 70A as the real max amperage on the EP half, and the EN side will be a little bit less. How much less? Let's look at it as a percentage of the max the EP side will give:

60A/70A is the same as ~86%. So the EN side can be effectively described as ~86% of the EP side. The equivalent [and much more sensible IMO] setting would be:

Base amperage: 70A
Reduce (set) EN to 86%.

To reduce both amplitudes is simply redundant because you end up scaling the whole operation down anyways. This is in effect how the 221 is configured. When you go through the menu, you get to one of the settings first (can't remember if it is EN or EP), and then you get to the other one. If you lower the first one, and then lower the second one, the first one automatically defaults back to 100%, because of the redundancy of reducing both, and it leaves the second one in effect.

[croshaul]

Thank you Oscar,You answered a question that I stopped asking, about the percentage defaulting back to 100%.I need to try and understand all that you gave me, I'll get it..Thanks

[Oscar]

Thank you Oscar,You answered a question that I stopped asking, about the percentage defaulting back to 100%.I need to try and understand all that you gave me, I'll get it..Thanks

No problem. Unless its a very specific application where tens if not hundreds of trial runs have occurred, you wont have to mess with the independent amplitude settings. You especially won't (shouldn't be) experimenting with them on the actual part that is to be welded. You can easily ruin the part.

[croshaul]

I hear you,Thanks