Hobart welder with 400 volts

admin

I got a 1957 Hobart welder with the willy's jeep engine rated for 250 amps that when the OCV (Rheostat) is turned all the way up, my Multimeter is showing between 350 and 400 volts DC at the output studs. Is this Insane or what At the 115v plug I'm getting between 112 and 115 volts DC. My Multimeter was set on auto.The only thing that comes to mind are that maybe the rheostat that im using is for a Lincoln sa 200 or 250 welder. Could this alter the volts that much?SA 200s : 1944 1945 1963 1965 1969 1981 SA 250 D3.152 DC only2004 Ranger 10,000Lincoln Pro Mig 135Miller Load BankHobart GPB 258 PipelinerHobart GPB 261 MainlinerHobart Airforce 250Everlast PA 200st
Reply:You need an old analog volt meter to measure generator output voltage.Your digital meter could be picking up ignition noise.Ive been using meters since the early 50s and use analog meters most of the time.I call digital meters Winky blinky meters.
Reply:Hi farmer37, I didn't know my multimeter could go faulty like that. I've measured my lincolns the same way, with two different multimeters that  I have and they have shown pretty accurate.I wonder how ignition noise could simulate like that?SA 200s : 1944 1945 1963 1965 1969 1981 SA 250 D3.152 DC only2004 Ranger 10,000Lincoln Pro Mig 135Miller Load BankHobart GPB 258 PipelinerHobart GPB 261 MainlinerHobart Airforce 250Everlast PA 200st
Reply:Early digital multimeters very much were affected by stray RF energy in both low and high frequency ranges. Not so much anymore except for maybe some of the Chinese garbage at low cost. Hard to beat an old Simpson "260" in the bakelite case even these days.SlobPurveyor of intimate unparalleled knowledge of nothing about everything.Oh yeah, also an unabashed internet "Troll" too.....
Reply:Yeah i got a craftsman thats fairly nice with the 400 amp AC and DC clamp, also has a temp prob.SA 200s : 1944 1945 1963 1965 1969 1981 SA 250 D3.152 DC only2004 Ranger 10,000Lincoln Pro Mig 135Miller Load BankHobart GPB 258 PipelinerHobart GPB 261 MainlinerHobart Airforce 250Everlast PA 200st