Adding a foot pedal to a 98233 (165A) tig

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Seeing as I Still cant afford a proper tig ....So I purchased  the 165A unit about 2 months ago and I can say I was happy with it so far ,but I wanted some sort of remote amp control as well as a way to free up my hand from the HF start button , It ended up being really easy  the hardest part was finding a 5k ohm pedal but after searching on ebay for a week or so i managed to find oneas well as a 7-pin bulkhead connector the same size as the one in the machine after that all you need is a 3pdt on-on toggle switch and a bit of patientsrun the three wires from the circuit board to the common row on the switch the lower row of the switch goes to the pedal and the pot on the machineMachine----------Pedal-----------Function                    From BoardGreen ------------Green----------HotBlack--------------Yellow----------WiperBlue----------------Red------------Ground                     At SocketBlack--------------Black----------HF StartBlack--------------Brown---------HF Startso now all you have to do is find a place to mount the switch I ended up putting it dead center and even with the top louver with it wired up like this you can use the pedal for remote  amp control and HF Start or use the dial on the machine with the pedal or a momentary switch mounted on the torch  for just HF Start so for around  $465 I have a welder with most of the things I need ...for nowIve got pics and will post them when my camera decides to cooperate  with my computerFire Power FP160 migHarbor Freight 165 amp tig w/ foot pedalLincoln AC 225Victor O/A
Reply:Great info! I am sure this is going to be very useful to many. Thanks!
Reply:Pics would be helpful as well.
Reply:Ok here are the pics1) Wiring diagram          the wires we are working with are         13(green)         14(black)           15(blue)         ch11-1(black),               ch11-3(black)2) The top circuit board (unplugged connector id the one we want)3) The 3pdt switch4) The new 7 pin bulkhead connector5) The switch and bulk head connector mountedsorry for the bad pics

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Fire Power FP160 migHarbor Freight 165 amp tig w/ foot pedalLincoln AC 225Victor O/A
Reply:Hi,I'm a noob to the forum, but not to welding. I just purchased the HF 98233 machine and was looking around the web to see if anyone had tried putting a foot control on it, and sure enough, here it is! Has anyone besides partsguy22 made this mod to their machine, and if so, how has it worked out? I have already purchased the parts required, with the exception of the foot control itself, which I'm having a hard time locating. If anyone has info on what pedal was used, where to get it, and what modifications, if any, are required to it, I would really appreciate hearing from you. I PM'ed partsguy a couple of days ago with some questions, but haven't heard back from him yet. I'm kind of surprised there hasn't been any activity on this thread since March. I'd have thought more people would be interested in making this change/addition to their machine.Also, if there are any tips, hints, warnings, or general comments regarding this particular machine, I'd welcome those too.This is a great forum - lots of knowledgeable and helpful folks here.Later,Pete
Reply:sorry i havent replied ..i found the pedal on ebay ..its for something like a everlast or longevity ..or any other chinese welder with a 5 wire hook up and a 4.7k ohm ...i have also added a 50k ohm in line with the signal wire to be able to set max amprage (it will knock it down to 40a max)Fire Power FP160 migHarbor Freight 165 amp tig w/ foot pedalLincoln AC 225Victor O/A
Reply:Looks like alot of research went into this pedal project. I can  tell someone knows there@#$%!I lack in the electronics department. I am impressed with your knowledge, which comes to my questionI have a Thermal arc 185 AC/DC inverter tig welder. They want close to $300 for a foot pedal.Not gonna do it! I'm not sure if I made a mistake buying a Lotus foot pedal off of Ebay for $69+ shipping . It seems to be of a pretty good qaulity for the price. The pins dont match up but I got in touch with Tyco electronics and found a matching male plug that will fit the welder, #206434-1.The pedal that I purchased has a 5 OHM pot that has 3 wires conected to it(red-yellow-green). Has a on/off pedal switch with 2 wires Black and Brown. TA185 AC/DC tig welder diagram: Pin# 1........chasis groundPin# 2.......contactor control/+24VDCPin# 3.......contactor control/GNDPin# 4.......not usedPin# 5.......potentiometer maximumPin# 6.......potentiometer minimum(GRN)Pin# 7.......amperage control wiper 0-10 VDCPin# 8.......not usedCan this pedal be wired in to fit this welder from the info I provided? If need be I can put up more info from the diagram schematic. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Reply:I don't see why not as long as the resistance of the pot in the pedal matches the machineyou would have to figure out which one of the three pedal pot wires go to which terminals in the pedal .ie what wire goes to the pot gnd ,pot power ,and the wiper then connect them to the corresponding pins on the machine and hook up the contactor pins to the on/off switch in the pedal.....you should even be able to skip all the internal (inside the maching) junk since you T/A has a pedal optionFire Power FP160 migHarbor Freight 165 amp tig w/ foot pedalLincoln AC 225Victor O/A
Reply:Pics of the Lotus pedal
Reply:CPC connector is from TA185 AC/DC  inverter welder

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Reply:thats the same pedal I haveso it seems you would connect as follows1---?2---brown3---black4---not used5---green*6---red*7---yellow*you might have to swap these two depending on how the machine is set up*Fire Power FP160 migHarbor Freight 165 amp tig w/ foot pedalLincoln AC 225Victor O/A
Reply:From what I researched according to my schamatic on my machine TA185:#1 no pin=ground #2 "" =contact switch black#3 "' =contact switch brown#4 ""=connected to #8 pin(pins soldered together#5 "" =green wire max pedal (OHM)#6 "" =red wire min pedal (OHMS)#7 ""=yellow wire middle pot wiper arm.#8 "" =connected to #4 pin (soldered to #4)
Reply:Partsguy22 Check this site supplier from China. check out the prices.http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/21...g_Machine.htmlMakes you wonder how much money is to be made off China industries but then again, maybe why our country is going down! (MADE IN CHINA!)Any way thanks for your reply and help!
Reply:That's the pedal I have also. I got it hooked up and tested it yesterday. Sweet! I would still like to add a range adjustment, but am not sure what value pot to use, and should it be connected in series with the wiper on the pedal pot?Thanks,Pete
Reply:i used a 50k but you could use something larger like a 100ki just wired it in as a variable resistorFire Power FP160 migHarbor Freight 165 amp tig w/ foot pedalLincoln AC 225Victor O/A
Reply:Should the range pot be spliced in to the yellow wire (wiper) on the pedal pot?
Reply:from what i remember i wired it into the red wire (volt supply)Fire Power FP160 migHarbor Freight 165 amp tig w/ foot pedalLincoln AC 225Victor O/A
Reply:OK, thanks, I'll give that a try.
Reply:how is the arc side of the welder? I have a miller mig but i'd like to learn to arc a little and some light mild steel tig'n would be good too. what limitations does the welder have as far as thickness of material it can penetrate?
Reply:I did it. Made the plunge and got the good ol' 98233, i like it so far, maybe more if it had a pedal, so i started looking for the parts you mentioned and came across this... any ideas before i order it?http://cgi.ebay.com/Harbor-Freight-T...3286.m20.l1116
Reply:Would a volume control pedal work for this? Or does it have to be one of the tig-specific pedals?
Reply:Partsguy22, (or anyone else who had done this mod)Thanks for your post, I just got my HF last week and would like to install your mod.  I do have a couple of questions, pardon my ignorance, I am brand new to tig welding and have bought this machine to learn the process.1. What function does the switch on the front panel actually do for the welding process and when would you use it?2. You mentioned a variable resistor,  where is it actually hooked up? a red wire was mentioned, did you cut the wire and intall it in between the two ends?  Also what pin does this red wire connect to in the welder, (I don't want to use the wrong one)3. Now that you have completed the process do you have an updated schematic or wiring diagram?Again, thanks for the work you did and sharing it here!

Dan
Reply:Well after a detailed review of the schematics and picking though the different posts this is my conclusion of the total process, Please correct me if I missed something or got it wrong.Synopsis of the modification:The internal potentiameter (output control pot) will be bypassed by an externally mounted switch to tranfer control to the added pedal. The standard torch 2 pin bulkhead connecter will be removed and replaced with a 7 pin part to accomodate the extra pins required for the pedal to work properly.  The pedal will effectively become the output pot and gas flow control and the switch on the front panel allows the user to switch between pedal or front panel pot output power control.I am still not clear about the purpose of the additional pot that is mentioned in earlier posting in this thread??


Reply:I think the pedal is to touchy so the add on pot changes it so that full throttle amps can be set to anything from 47 to 165 ampsFire Power FP160 migHarbor Freight 165 amp tig w/ foot pedalLincoln AC 225Victor O/A
Reply:

Originally Posted by partsguy22

Seeing as I Still cant afford a proper tig ....with it wired up like this you can use the pedal for remote  amp control and HF Start or use the dial on the machine with the pedal or a momentary switch mounted on the torch  for just HF StartTo answer my own question the 98233 has High Frequency arc start.  It isn't actually advertised and the instruction manual does not explicitly explain that it has that feature.  I bought the 98233 and it definitely has it.
Reply:Hi looking at this wiring diagram ,will this set up turn off the panel mounted resistor if so then how do you set max amps .I am interested in doing this to my tig  unit but was told that you are still ment to be able to set max amps through the main panel resister . Any one know if this is the right way or am I wrong .Can you wire in the pedal & still include the main amps control resistor in the front panel. Any one know the correct way of doing this. THANKS
Reply:

Originally Posted by ians welder

Hi looking at this wiring diagram ,will this set up turn off the panel mounted resistor if so then how do you set max amps .I am interested in doing this to my tig  unit but was told that you are still ment to be able to set max amps through the main panel resister . Any one know if this is the right way or am I wrong .Can you wire in the pedal & still include the main amps control resistor in the front panel. Any one know the correct way of doing this. THANKS
Reply:I've just started the rewire of my 98233 for the foot control. I have a few questions for anyone who may know.1. After removeing the two pin connector, does the black ground that came off of this connector re-attach to the seven pin?2. Does the red wire that was attached to this pin connect to the brown on the pedal?3. Is there a source/part number for the 50k ohm that is being added and where is this being wired in.Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Reply:Hey guys, check this out:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=370280641590Finally someone is selling a kit! Not clear if it's a clean install or not. At least you can get all of the parts from one source now.Chicago Electric 131 Dual MIG Welder 120Vhttp://www.gr8lakeinnovations.com2x Associates of Automotive Technology: Transmission Technician & Under Car TechnicianAssociates of Electrical Engineering Technology
Reply:would it possble to retake the two pics that are hard to see
Reply:would it be possible to retake the two pics that are hard to see
Reply:Does anyone have any more information and pictures on this HF TIG welder foot pedal? Those that made the switch, how has it been working for you?
Reply:Anymore updates , pic, videos etc etc with the foot pedal hooked up ?
Reply:i acutally scored one of these welder off ebay as a store retun for $115. dosent have the acdessories so ill need to upgrade the tig torch, pedal assembly. i already ordered a new ground clamp.any suggestions of a good torch upgrade for this unit?
Reply:Hey, guy's I just bought my HF Arc/Tig Model # 98233, I to want to do this pedal upgrade!Can someone tell me exactly which foot pedal they ordered, the switch they ordered, the pot they ordered, It seems that each of you have ordered a different pot as well.Maybe someone could post better pic's, I'd be very appreciative for clearer pic's.How much did you guy's spend for the upgrade parts ie pot/toggle switch, and foot pedal, and did you buy the parts from same seller and was it on ebay?Thanks Crazy Injun / Krzndn.P.S. Is there a way to adjust the output amperage for the Arc weld side?
Reply:

Originally Posted by krzndn

Hey, guy's I just bought my HF Arc/Tig Model # 98233, I to want to do this pedal upgrade!Can someone tell me exactly which foot pedal they ordered, the switch they ordered, the pot they ordered, It seems that each of you have ordered a different pot as well.Maybe someone could post better pic's, I'd be very appreciative for clearer pic's.How much did you guy's spend for the upgrade parts ie pot/toggle switch, and foot pedal, and did you buy the parts from same seller and was it on ebay?Thanks Crazy Injun / Krzndn.P.S. Is there a way to adjust the output amperage for the Arc weld side?
Reply:Replies? Anyone?
Reply:I'm curious, what amp rating was the 3pdt switch? It seems that most of the mini switches are 3-6A rated, and I wasn't sure if the full amperage goes through that switch or not. I assumed it didn't or your switch would have fried. Also, how did you connect the original HF start switch connector coming from the gun handle to the front of the machine when you replaced the front connector to a 7 pin? I assume that you somehow had to wire in those original leads from the gun switch to the foot pedal so that you could choose which HF start you wanted to use?Thanks a bunch!~Duhfactor
Reply:has anyone seen and of the foot pedals on ebay lasely? iam still looking for one. how much did yall pay for them?
Reply:ttt for more info
Reply:yeah does anyone have any links or the sellers name that was selling the foot pedals on ebay ?
Reply:it seems like no one knows anything anymore.............................
Reply:i think this will help you....http://www.mg42.us/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7208&start=0
Reply:thank you
Reply:Sorry for not responding I kinda forgot about this thread Now for some of the questions 1) the 3pdt switch is to switch between remote (foot) and on board amp control2) as far as max amp set that is what the additional pot I installed in the pedal i can dial it all the way down to 40a max  its wired like   red from machine ---->left term on pot  then  center term on pot ---->red wire on the pedal pot 3) the arc welder side still functions just fine  ,just switch to on board amp control and flip the arc/tig switch to arc 4) the 3pdt switch is switching very very low amperage ...were talking milliamps  5) I am not using the original torch i have switched it to a ebay #9Fire Power FP160 migHarbor Freight 165 amp tig w/ foot pedalLincoln AC 225Victor O/A
Reply:I'm curious as to why a 7-pin foot pedal is required when you are only talking about 5 wires in the circuit board. It is said 7-pin twice then 5-pin in what to get

I have seen tig pedals with 2-pin connectors which would match the original bulkhead connector, so why not use one of those and skip the rewiring? Thanks
Reply:is this the same pedal from the first post? $60 shipped?http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Riland-7...item35bb6efe40
Reply:I know this is an old thread, I'm tagging it to find it faster when I get to the mod on my welder.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:I'm hoping to bump this 9 year old thread as I really want to do this mod.  I recently bought an old blue box 98233 DC TIG Inverter welder from a friend for $100.  It was not used much and since I got it so cheap I'm willing to spend some more to tune it up and mod it.   I'd really like to do this pedal mod but unfortunately the pictures you (PartsGuy22) posted years ago were super blurry and out of focus.    I also can't seem to find a pedal that has anything less than a 10k pot but would be ok with changing that out if needed.  Is that the best way to go if I cannot find a 5ohm pedal? And is there any style or type of 5k pot that would be most ideal?  Secondly, can you please tell me of the two pedals below which one would be the best.  They are both very affordable at just ~$40 and seem well made in a metal housing.  One is a 7 pin via one cable, the other is a 3+2 five pin via two cables.   As I understand it you specifically got a 7 pin single cable type so that ...  "with it wired up like this you can use the pedal for remote amp control and HF Start or use the dial on the machine with the pedal or a momentary switch mounted on the torch for just HF Start."   but then you also found a 7-pin 7-pin bulkhead connector that has the same hole diameter in the front face of the welder, correct?  Do you also recall the hole size Im looking for? (obviously I can find out during disassembly but if you know it would help)https://www.ebay.com/itm/7-pin-TIG-W....c100005.m1851https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-3-Pin-TIG....c100005.m1851