High frequency settings

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Can someone help me with these knobs. I'm trying to weld aluminum but I don't know how to set these high frequency setting all I know is that the switch should be on continuous for aluminum but I don't know where the knobs should be set as. Where should the phase shift be pointing and the intensity so I can get a high frequency start Attached Images
Reply:Hi Elpewee,Is your pic of a P&H welder?
Reply:Hey! I've got one of those P&H 's!Todays terminology about "High Frequency" referrers to changing the AC cycles. I don't think those old transformer machines were really capable of doing that very much.
Reply:I've never seen a high frequency "phase shift" control knob on a welding machine before so really don't know what to tell you about how to set it.   As far as the "intensity" setting goes it's always been my understanding that you try and run that set as low as possible to avoid electrical interference with other equipment.  In other words turn it up just enough to where it will cause the arc to jump the air gap and start reliably but no more.I think you're just going to have to play around with the phase shift knob and see what effect it has on things.   Since in DC welding the high frequency is only used to start the arc (and then cuts off) my guess would be that the "phase shift" adjustment really only comes into play when having the high frequency set to continuous for AC welding.   Maybe it's a crude form of "balance" control that can be used to cut down on the + side of the AC sine wave and keep the heat off the tungsten.  I found this manual to an old P&H machine that has those controls.   Maybe you can dig some info out of it.http://welding.tpub.com/TM-5-3431-213-14/index.htm
Reply:Here's a better copy of a manual that looks to pertain to your P&H welder.  I skimmed thru it pretty quick but couldn't find any info on what that phase shift knob did or any guidelines on how to set it.  It does how ever tell you how to test it and replace if necessary.   http://campkahler.com/files/p&h-dar-300-manual.pdf
Reply:Originally Posted by ElpeweeCan someone help me with these knobs. I'm trying to weld aluminum but I don't know how to set these high frequency setting all I know is that the switch should be on continuous for aluminum but I don't know where the knobs should be set as. Where should the phase shift be pointing and the intensity so I can get a high frequency start
Reply:Hello Elpewee, if I were to make an educated guess about the phase shift knob I do believe that it is an AC balance control, but with a different title from those of more modern machines. So by rotating it clockwise or counter-clockwise you might see greater cleaning or penetration in the AC mode. As to the intensity knob for the high frequency control, you only need it to be set high enough to provide good arc ignition without electrode contact. The high frequency intensity knob does not have any direct effect on the cleaning action of the arc in AC. Good luck and best regards, AllanLast edited by aevald; 12-30-2014 at 11:00 PM.aevald