synchrowave 200 start problem

[Raydog59]

I have a new to me synchrowave 200 that sometimes takes 3-5 mashes on the foot pedal to start an arc when on TIG. I have set the spark gap to .008 and the contacts look to be in good shape. Pedal works fine once the arc starts so I think its OK? Any ideas??

[ryanjones2150]

The arc just doesn’t start at all? Or the HF doesn’t fire? What mode are you in? Sometimes my syncrowave 200 will have trouble getting the HF to fire after it’s sat up for a while, but I attribute it to being in this hot and humid environment. I would expect the points to have developed some schmootz from just sitting up, but it would be hard to tell without taking them out.

Have you tried stick welding when you have that kind of trouble?

[Raydog59]

The arc doesnt start at all. in TIG EN mode. It stick welds like a champ. You get all set up and ready to weld and hit the gas pedal and nothing,mash it 4-5 times and it will fire up. ???

[Helios]

My Sync 250 sometimes does that. Dunno why. I've found that a) decreasing arc length before starting, and/or b) briefly tapping the tungsten to the workpiece before starting to equalize their voltage -- sometimes helps. Or maybe it's how I hold my mouth...seems like the planets all have to be aligned right to start the arc sometimes. (It's done this since the unit was new.) I've just learned to live with it.

[ryanjones2150]

I agree, learning how to hold your mouth is pretty important, but it’s different for every machine. Maybe you have a left handed foot pedal.

When you mash the pedal and the screen doesn’t start, can you hear the HF at least trying to fire? Flip over to AC and see what happens.

[MMW]

Not familiar with that machine but does it have a preflow setting? Have you popped the covers on machine and foot pedal and blown it out? Clean hf points? Can you hear the hf light when pedal depressed? You should also be able to see the spark at the points once you depress the pedal. Looked inside pedal for something loose? Checked all connections? Just throwing things out there.

[Raydog59]

MMW, I have popped the covers, blown it out, cleaned and set the gap on the points but i have not looked at the foot pedal. i'll check that next. Thanks!

[jjohn76]

To MMW's point, pre-flow?

[Raydog59]

JJohn, I dont think so? it has a purge settingand a postflow adjustment but no preflow that I know of?

[Raydog59]

OK, so I've ran my machine today and it stick welds fine, tig either AC or EN tig it just doesnt start right every time. Sometimes have to mash the pedal 4-5 times to get it to start,sometimes it will go on the first time. When it doesn't start there is no activity,no sound,no gas flow. I took the foot pedal apart and blew it out. It seems to be working correctly? There is only a micro switch and a potentiometer in the pedal. Could it possibly be an intermittant potentiometer? Anybody else ever have this problem? It's just really agravating when you get all set up and ready and nothing!