Alpha AHP Tig 200X Dial/Digital setting?

Fido's Butt · Mon Mar 07, 2016 9:50 am

I emailed the company, but no response with this question (hope I'm in the right forum): The main amps dial setting and digital readout are way off----like 50 amps. I'm thinking I should go by the digital, but not sure. Have any of yoos guys had an issue like this with this machine? This is my first TIG machine so I'm not too aware of what amp setting should look like while in action.

Sandow · Mon Mar 07, 2016 12:07 pm

Fido's Butt wrote:I emailed the company, but no response with this question (hope I'm in the right forum): The main amps dial setting and digital readout are way off----like 50 amps. I'm thinking I should go by the digital, but not sure. Have any of yoos guys had an issue like this with this machine? This is my first TIG machine so I'm not too aware of what amp setting should look like while in action.

Mine is the older model so depending one when yours was made it may be pretty different but on DC welding mine reads the current amps which at idle means it reads starting amps. Pretty bad design in that regard... I'll usually put the pedal to the metal and look at the read out if I care what the setting is. Unless I'm welding with a torch switch though, I'm just going to regulate off the pedal anyway.

May well just be busted though. You might call the distributor and ask.

-Sandow

soutthpaw · Tue Mar 08, 2016 12:03 am

If you are using 110vac then the dial will not be accurate at all. Same applies for the up and downslope amps. It's calibrated for 220vac. So use the display readout on 110power. Multiply the dial setting by 0.7 and this will get you roughly what the actual setting is on 110vac. So if the dial is set at 100, it's actually at about 70amps. The only ways to not have this are either an all digital interface, or not have dual voltage.

Louie1961 · Tue Mar 08, 2016 4:32 am

Don't go by either. Use the puddle to guide your heat settings. I had one of those machines and especially on stick welding it was always like 40-50 amps too hot if I went by the digital readout. 1/8th 6011 rods needed to be run at 30 or 40 amps on the dial to get the puddle right, on other machines I would run them at 90 or 100 amps. Same with 7018. I would run those at 80, when normally everyone says they are a 120-ish rod. Its not uncommon for welders to vary like that.

Mike · Tue Mar 08, 2016 5:07 am

Welcome to the forum.

soutthpaw · Tue Mar 08, 2016 6:16 pm

Louie1961 wrote:Don't go by either. Use the puddle to guide your heat settings. I had one of those machines and especially on stick welding it was always like 40-50 amps too hot if I went by the digital readout. 1/8th 6011 rods needed to be run at 30 or 40 amps on the dial to get the puddle right, on other machines I would run them at 90 or 100 amps. Same with 7018. I would run those at 80, when normally everyone says they are a 120-ish rod. Its not uncommon for welders to vary like that.

I heard many stories from pro welders that say when they are taking a test for a job, often all the makings on the welder are covered up. You have to be able to set the machine based on the weld and arc itself

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LtBadd · Tue Mar 08, 2016 9:10 pm

soutthpaw wrote:I heard many stories from pro welders that say when they are taking a test for a job, often all the makings on the welder are covered up. You have to be able to set the machine based on the weld and arc itself

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I've never run into that, however you can bet the machine isn't setup correctly.

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