I've forgotmten how to check my OCV's

Date 10-07-2011 00:13

Hello justahand, set your meter to DC voltage and touch/attach +/red lead of the meter to the + terminal and the -/black lead to the - terminal while the machine is not welding. If it is an engine drive, force it to kick to high idle before testing the voltage. The reading that you get will be the OCV for the machine. Hope that helps. Good luck and best regards, Allan

By okie11

Date 10-10-2011 00:24

whats a good setting for downhill (pipeline)

By hillbilly delux (***)

Date 10-12-2011 12:27

Depends if your beading or capping and the machine your running. My personal tendancy is to turn ocvs up if I'm running beads and turn them down if I am capping or on the fireing line. The higher the ocv's tends to lean towards a more watery like puddle and lower ocv's tend stack more. The more you lower your ocv's the more risk you run in traping trash or impurities in the weld so there a fine line in which you will have to find out for yourself what works for you. I would start with factory recomended settings and then go from there.

By okie11

Date 10-12-2011 19:21

good to know thanks abunch

By Rafter_G_Weldin (***)

Date 10-07-2011 01:57

i set my meter to 600 volts

By 803056

Date 10-08-2011 02:10 Edited 10-08-2011 02:12

Do not check arc voltage if you are using GTAW with the high frequency on continuous mode. HF will destroy the voltmeter. Even if the HF is set for"Start" only, the meter will be destroyed as soon as the welder strikes the arc. Turn the HF off before using the voltmeter.

There is no need to set the voltage range to more than 100 volts. The maximum OCV is around 80-84 volts as dictated by the NEMA. The intent is that the maximum OCV should not be high enough to electrocute the welder if he inadvertantly becomes part of the electrical circuit.

Al

By pocket change (**)

Date 10-10-2011 02:13

I have always fired the machine let it run for 15min. Turn the coarse adj to max and turn fine to max. on high idle. then connect amp meter pos to pos & neg to neg on most sa200 it should read 93 output current voltage. I run mine at about 91-93 depending on what I am doing on the pipeline. then I will re check after I have run some rods. That is just a crash course in field setting ocv. adjust by turning set screw on gov. dont know if that is the correct way but the way I do it.