Questions about tig settings

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I'm fairly new at trying to weld aluminum with my tig. I have a Miller Syncrowave 300 (with pulser).I have some questions about what some of the dials and settings do.1. What does the AC Balance do and what should I do with it2. Crater fill3. Start Current4. High Frequency Intensity (What does this do)Pulser.....   How can/or will it help with the aluminum weldingThanks for any help you can give me.
Reply:Have you bothered to download the Miller machine manualand other freebies on the basics at Miller's site?    All that stuff has a bunch in it that will help you, as much or morethan expecting an internet forum to hold your hand thru every singleproblem that you'll be encountering.Blackbird
Reply:http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/Here is a good place to start. At the top of the page, hit "contact us", you will get an RKI that can answer specific questions you have. I had some questions about my Maxstar 150 STH that weren't covered in the manual, Miller answered them quickly.
Reply:Hello kevinstj, a couple of quick responses: the balance control adjusts which side of the current that the AC stays on longer, the DC+ or DC-, or whether it is balanced. Longer on the DC+ side and you will see more cleaning action in the arc/puddle, longer on the DC- side and you will realize more penetration in the base material. Additionally you may see more violence on the tungsten end when it is set towards the DC+ side and a calmer tungsten end when it is set towards the DC- side. You may wish to start with this in it's theoretical neutral position which is generally indicated by a mark positioned around the outside of the dial.      Crater fill is a feature that tapers the arc off slowly so that you have an opportunity to fill the crater to avoid large end-of-bead craters which could promote cracking, not necessarily needed when you become experience with the foot pedal/other remote controls which can be used in a similar manner.     Start current: I am not specifically familiar with the Syncrowave 300, but other machines with this feature allow you to set a specific start current when the arc is initiated to provide for better bridging of two pieces when tacking or starting a bead. Once the higher current has been initiated it will remain on for few seconds or less and then switch off to allow for your pedal or remote heat position to be enabled and allow you to control the amperage in that manner.      High-frequency intensity: this allows you to use a minimum level of high-frequency to start the arc, excessively high levels of this carrier current will not do anything to promote better welding and may possibly cause problems with other electronic equipment in the welding area or cause damage to electronics that might be associated with the item that you are welding on. There's a somewhat short explanation for these features, if you take the opportunity to check-out the other information that the other poster's have included you will find out a lot more of the specifics and their uses and functions. Happy reading and good luck on your challenges. Best regards, Allanaevald