NEW PowerPro 205 - no plasma cut - HELP!

[inthefrey]

Okay folks,

Turn on the NOOB lamp.

BRAND NEW PP205 - received it last Friday. Just got it hooked up this evening.
QUESTIONS:
Are there any specific settings on the PowerPro 205 that will cause the unit not to plasma cut? It won't even give me a pilot arc.
When set to CUT, the amp readings are all over the place no matter where you set the dial.
I never get a "CUT" light on the control panel.

My beautiful (worthless) manual says my unit has a switch for "air testing/cut". it does not.

When set to MMA, the stick welder works fine.
Can someone PLEASE tell me where all the knobs should be set on this thing! Is there some mystery switch?



HELP!

CHECKLIST:
* Good Power 241VAC (120 from each HOT lug to ground)
* Good grounds on work
* Good air pressure
* Pre and post flow set to MAX
* HF set to min-max (didn't matter where I set it)
* AMPS set to max, mid-range, etc - readings were not stable at all

WHAT AM I MISSING HERE??!!

Any help appreciated - thanks in advance,

inthefrey

[Titan winch]

Turn your Pulse setting switch to off ( plasma will alternate between readings with pulse on )
Set your air pressure to 65 psi static with flow around the 60 psi.
have Plasma Torch connected to negative connection on panel
With work clamp ( Ground clamp ) connected to Positive
Plasma switch overides all other functions on welder so no need to be concerned with anything except Post Flow
Cheers
Duncan

[zoama]

Here's a link to the manual http://www.everlastgenerators.com/do...PowerUltra.pdf you'll need a pdf reader like free file viewer. http://www.freefileviewer.com/

[inthefrey]

Problem solved - Worked the 1st time! I'll post the cutting video tomorrow afternoon! AbSoLutely awesome!

MANY, MANY THANKS! Just beat the rain!

REQUEST
Can someone PUH-LEEEEZE publish a better manual for this unit? Puh-leeeeeeeeeeze?

Turn your Pulse setting switch to off ( plasma will alternate between readings with pulse on )
Set your air pressure to 65 psi static with flow around the 60 psi.
have Plasma Torch connected to negative connection on panel
With work clamp ( Ground clamp ) connected to Positive
Plasma switch overides all other functions on welder so no need to be concerned with anything except Post Flow
Cheers
Duncan

[inthefrey]

Thanks Zoma - However, This is not the same machine as the link. It'll get me by! THANKS!

Here's a link to the manual http://www.everlastgenerators.com/do...PowerUltra.pdf you'll need a pdf reader like free file viewer. http://www.freefileviewer.com/

[zoama]

Thanks Zoma - However, This is not the same machine as the link. It'll get me by! THANKS!

It covers power pro and power ultra.

[sportbike]

Sounds like the insufficient paper manual strikes again.....

What do the folks tat don;t use the internet do with their welders?

Perhaps a suitable paper manual included in the box might enhance Everlast's reputation....the manuals are already written (as they are available on the website) and have to be only a line item on a PO away from being included in the box.

Seems most other PR and advertisement issues are attended to, but there are still jokes pertaining to descriptions of erections....

[sportbike]

Thanks Zoma - However, This is not the same machine as the link. It'll get me by! THANKS!

Your machine is the same as the pp256 now, with the exception of the max current. I believe it has all of the knobs and features as the 256 per your other post. Should operate the same way.

[performance]

Where'd the HF min max come from?
Manuals are posted online. Same as 256. NearlyAll the things are there and are mentioned, you just have to read the manual thoroughly. The online manual is not the same as the box manual.

Sportbike, it is doubtful few if any customers buy an Everlast that don't have access to the internet, otherwise, they would not hear of it. We have a few local dealers. Those guys know the manuals are online and can print them off for customers.

The causes of not finding the big red manual button link, or the link to the manual on each page, or the link to it under the resources tab or reading about it on the forum in posts like theseor listening to the sales rep tell you to download the manual online are largely a result of... any ones guess.

[sportbike]

Where'd the HF min max come from?
Manuals are posted online. Same as 256. NearlyAll the things are there and are mentioned, you just have to read the manual thoroughly. The online manual is not the same as the box manual.

Sportbike, it is doubtful few if any customers buy an Everlast that don't have access to the internet, otherwise, they would not hear of it. We have a few local dealers. Those guys know the manuals are online and can print them off for customers.

The causes of not finding the big red manual button link, or the link to the manual on each page, or the link to it under the resources tab or reading about it on the forum in posts like theseor listening to the sales rep tell you to download the manual online are largely a result of... any ones guess.

Mark, I'm just saying that the manuals in the box make the welder more of a typical Chinese product. It makes it difficult for buyers to believe that the manufacturing and specification of the welders is closely controlled by Everlast when the manuals included in the box are, per Everlast's own admission, garbage and should be disregarded. Statements like these certainly don't help to make customers feel that Everlast is in control of teh manufacturing or specification.

I printed an online manual for my 200DX and threw it in my toolbox when I first got the welder. i threw the supplied manual (and non-US standard ~20 amp electrical plug) in the garbage and went about welding.
I don't really care about the manual or the plug as I knew I was buying a Chinese welder.

It just doesn't make any sense to me for a company trying to establish legitimacy in the welding community to not have control over the instruction manuals and included accessories for the products they are trying to market (All 'typical' lower quality Chinese issues). Especially when pictures are posted of Duncan in the factory performing quality checks. Hell, Duncan could take the PDF's to a local print supplier and print off the manuals and hand deliver them to the factory for inclusion in the products being made for products.

Just makes the product a bit less "real" and more typical low quality Chinese to not have them included.

John

[performance]

There is a lot more logistics to it than it would seem. Try finding a local print supplier in China to get you what you need, on time while you are there. Even if printed here, transporting that much paper work would be incredibly difficult due to the sheer weight. One reason it is not in the boxes is our product is being updated fairly regularly. And we manufacture for several different countries at the same time, and each unit or variation would need its own manual, and language, while they are being manufactured concurrently. It's hard enough to keep the manuals online updated as it is. Re running several thousand manuals everytime we make a product change, is a nightmare for the factory from a logistical standpoint. We have discussed exactly what you are talking about, and will eventually do that when we feel we have accomplished all the imminent upgrades, and specifications that we intend to in the next year. But there are other things we have prioritized to get done BEFORE we attempt to do that.

[inthefrey]

There is a lot more logistics to it than it would seem. Try finding a local print supplier in China to get you what you need, on time while you are there. Even if printed here, transporting that much paper work would be incredibly difficult due to the sheer weight. One reason it is not in the boxes is our product is being updated fairly regularly. And we manufacture for several different countries at the same time, and each unit or variation would need its own manual, and language, while they are being manufactured concurrently. It's hard enough to keep the manuals online updated as it is. Re running several thousand manuals everytime we make a product change, is a nightmare for the factory from a logistical standpoint. We have discussed exactly what you are talking about, and will eventually do that when we feel we have accomplished all the imminent upgrades, and specifications that we intend to in the next year. But there are other things we have prioritized to get done BEFORE we attempt to do that.

I would humbly suggest that a valid, operation owners manual would be paramount to sales growth. I had a friend ask me yesterday about this welder and what I thought of it. (this was before the plasma cut incident last night) I told him that the reviews were really good. However, the manual for it was junk. I told him that there were various models that looked very similar to my model online but, I was having trouble finding the one with enough similarities.

Folks, I'm a broadcast engineer by trade - not a welder. I've been doing the same thing for 26 years. I would humbly say I'm one of the best in the business. I've been blessed with being able to figure out how to "make it work" in all situations, weather, countries or war zones. If you've watched any television over the past 20 years, you've watched video I've transmitted. There are probably not too many on this forum that can tell me how to safely bypass a helix problem in a Xicom 400W TWT, sweep and tune 150' piece of WR75 waveguide for 14GHz or caluculate a link budget. However, there are plenty of nice folks here that can tell a welding noob how to configure his new PP205, with a bad manual, to plasma cut.

I'll be 53 this year and the last time I picked up a welding machine was 1985.

My son and I have been researching and reading the reviews on these chinese welders for about 2 months.

If this plasma cut issue is the only "learning curve" problem I have with this new unit, I'll be really pleased and will not hesitate to recommend it to other folks.

Thanks to all! I'll have a video of the cut work later tonight!

John(inthefrey)



EDIT:

I built the broadcast facility I'm working in now....
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/john-frey/42/711/a86

[sportbike]

There is a lot more logistics to it than it would seem. Try finding a local print supplier in China to get you what you need, on time while you are there. Even if printed here, transporting that much paper work would be incredibly difficult due to the sheer weight. One reason it is not in the boxes is our product is being updated fairly regularly. And we manufacture for several different countries at the same time, and each unit or variation would need its own manual, and language, while they are being manufactured concurrently. It's hard enough to keep the manuals online updated as it is. Re running several thousand manuals everytime we make a product change, is a nightmare for the factory from a logistical standpoint. We have discussed exactly what you are talking about, and will eventually do that when we feel we have accomplished all the imminent upgrades, and specifications that we intend to in the next year. But there are other things we have prioritized to get done BEFORE we attempt to do that.

Please don;t take my comment negatively, rather constructive critisism. Just trying to make the product better / more appealing to the masses.

[Titan winch]

I have been repeatedly asked by Oleg to supply the factory with the means to have the Manuals packaged with the units before shipping and i have refused to do this.
While i am not trying to make excuses for our lack of prepardness in this matter we really need to have our online manuals up to date and 100% correct before i will place them in for packaging.
I see little value in replacing one set of hard to understand /coprehend instructions with another set of inacurate instructions and functions.
As Mark has stated We have had some difficulty in keeping the paperwork up to date with the changes.
As a FYI the Factory has a lot of problems trying access the Everlast USA site as do i when i am there , We can however give them a Data stick for downloading the manuals when they are updated.

[zoama]

I have been repeatedly asked by Oleg to supply the factory with the means to have the Manuals packaged with the units before shipping and i have refused to do this.
While i am not trying to make excuses for our lack of prepardness in this matter we really need to have our online manuals up to date and 100% correct before i will place them in for packaging.
I see little value in replacing one set of hard to understand /coprehend instructions with another set of inacurate instructions and functions.
As Mark has stated We have had some difficulty in keeping the paperwork up to date with the changes.
As a FYI the Factory has a lot of problems trying access the Everlast USA site as do i when i am there , We can however give them a Data stick for downloading the manuals when they are updated.

Right on brother...

[Jake98]

There are probably not too many on this forum that can tell me how to safely bypass a helix problem in a Xicom 400W TWT, sweep and tune 150' piece of WR75 waveguide for 14GHz or caluculate a link budget.

I would take a stab at that, but you can't calculate a link budget without knowing the size of the sausage. Welcome to the forum John.

[inthefrey]

I would take a stab at that, but you can't calculate a link budget without knowing the size of the sausage. Welcome to the forum John.

Thanks!
Is that the same as asking how many posts a person has without knowing the length of the fence?

[inthefrey]

Just as a followup, the PP 205 is working very well and I am, so far, completely pleased with the quality performance of this unit. The initial problems I had were "learning curve" in nature.

[zoama]

Just as a followup, the PP 205 is working very well and I am, so far, completely pleased with the quality performance of this unit. The initial problems I had were "learning curve" in nature.

You mentioned a cut video in a previous post...

[inthefrey]

Well, the "cut" video was cleaning up some 4"x3/8" H-Beam I had given to me. It had a bunch of tabs welded on it on it that we took turns cutting off. I'll upload these as soon as I have time. (never realized how much a PIA my mini-DV tape camera was until I went to digital. DTE or Direct To Edit media is so much easier to upload when you don't have to encode it or play it back from tape!) Also, we were having so much fun with it that we forgot to record some of it. The plasma cutter function is really an awesome tool.

Not making excuses here but between family, church and work it's been a rather busy month with little time for fun stuff.