New Thermal Arc Arcmaster 185.......Need Help !!!

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I just got a new Thermal Arc Arcmaster 185. I would like to know from those who use this machine what are your settings for weld aluminum. Lets go with .125 thickness. I am using a 3/32 1 1/2 % Lanthinated tungsten. I would like to know your amps, AC balance,  AC frequency and argon settings.Thank You very much !!!
Reply:I don't use the TA 185, but I can give you the basic settings we teach students with on the Syncrowave 250's at the tech school. These will get you started. When you can make decent welds with these settings, all the advanced settings will do is help you. TRy and play too much in the beginning however and all they will do is make things more complicated.150-180 amps AC ( I tend to set the machine at 180 as I can back down faster than the students can. At 150 simply floor the pedal and get the puddle to form.), 60% DCEN roughly on balance, Freq is fixed at 60 hrtz on the Syncrowaves, 3/32" lanthanated with a blunt point ( what I use at home, tech school is old school and uses pure), 100% argon 15-18 CFH a bit less if using a gas lens like I do at home on mine. 3/32" filler, 1/8" alum 6061.No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:The manual should have a page or 2 cover some basic setting for general use. A basic guide line is one amp per ,001 of thickness and for Al add 30%. Ac balance put 70% and ac hertz leave at 60 for now, just keep it simple. As you learn what the adj. do and how they affect the weld then start messing around.
Reply:Remember that the balance setting on the machine is backwards.  It shows the Amount of EP, not EN.Ive welded a bit of aluminum with the same machine.  Now I have the 300 which is very similar.Put the switches on the right to pedal control for both.  Selector switch to HF Tig.  Process to the first setting (the verticle rectangle)- this is the switch with the 4 options on the left lower part of the panel.Keep the pulse off.Use preflow of .2 sec, hot start of 20, max amps of 150, balance of 35%, AC, frequency 100 Hz, post flow of 6 seconds.3/32 blue or gold tungsten sharpened to a point.  Argon at 15 cfh with the pedal depressed and gas flowing.Last edited by Drf255; 12-20-2012 at 05:40 AM.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:I've got that machine - the backwards balance setting is a bit annoying if you go back and forth between it and another machine.  For .125, I'll probably have the machine set on 175, and use the pedal for the rest, unless I'm going to be doing ONLY outside corners, at which point I'll probably set it at 150.  Preflow - .2 secondsHot start - 20Amps - 175Balance - 27%, assuming new, clean metalAC frequency - if you're just learning, I'd start at 90 Hz.  If doing an outside corner, or something where I want a wider puddle, I'll back the AC freq. down to 80 Hz.  On an inside fillet (where I want a nice tight, narrow arc), I like 138-139 Hz, but don't like 140.Who is John Galt?