What's all these swithes then ? Clarke 151EN

Nick Simpson · Feb 23, 2008

I've been trying to use the power setting calculater on this website but don't understand the switches on my clarke 151EN I have 3 switches #1 = 1 & A, #2 = 1 & 2, and #3 = Min and Max, so do I have 6 power settings to enter into the calculater ? also how do you set these switches for differing amps ? the booklet included with the welder is crap, so it's more like the blind leading the blind with me at the wheel ??:full
Many thanks, Nick.

malcolm · Feb 23, 2008

Do you have a photo of the front? They always used to have a knob with 1, 2, 3 marked and a switch for min/max. Maybe they've changed if you have 3 seperate switches on yours. The settings were always in the following order (ignore the manual as it tends to be wrong):

1min
1max
2min
2max
3min
3max

That's 6 settings in total for calculator purposes.

rtbcomp · Feb 24, 2008

malcolm said:
Do you have a photo of the front? They always used to have a knob with 1, 2, 3 marked and a switch for min/max. Maybe they've changed if you have 3 seperate switches on yours. The settings were always in the following order (ignore the manual as it tends to be wrong):

1min
1max
2min
2max
3min
3max

That's 6 settings in total for calculator purposes.

You can get 8 combinations out of that lot.

Justme · Feb 24, 2008

malcolm · Feb 24, 2008

Three 2 way switches would be 8 combinations, though 2 will be disabled. Haven't seen that type of Clarke before though - maybe a really old one or a really new one.

Edit - here is one. Anyone else got one of these who knows the answer?

Nick Simpson · Feb 24, 2008

I have tried to add a photo but am unable, I could e-mail a picture to you if you like via private message link. If this helps in a small caption near the switches it reads :- Push A for positions 2 & 3, sorry if I'm being a bit dense but I just don't get it yet :mad:

Please help !
Thanks, Nick.

rtbcomp · Feb 24, 2008

Justme said:
How?

Switches A,B & C on (1) or off (0)

000
001
010
011
100
101
110
111

Reprobate · Feb 24, 2008

I think it works as so though havent done any measurements

1 - min/max
A 2 min/max
A 3 min/max

Confused the hell out of me too.

Nick Simpson · Feb 24, 2008

What the ???
I suppose then I have 6 settings, as above 2 settings each on 1, 2 and 3 ?? :confused:

malcolm · Feb 24, 2008

I'm assuming 6 settings in this order:

first switch - second switch - third switch
1 - either - min
1 - either - max
A - 2 - min
A - 2 - max
A - 3 - min
A - 3 - max

You could check the order of the switches by unclipping the wire feeder and measuring voltage from the tip to the earth clamp with the welder powered up and trigger pressed. Voltage should increase with increased settings.

Justme · Feb 24, 2008

rtbcomp said:
Switches A,B & C on (1) or off (0)

000
001
010
011
100
101
110
111

Was asking about the list Malcom had posted as your post seemed to be in reply to that IE 2 switches not 3.

Justme

RED1 · Feb 24, 2008

A penny drops!

Aha! Here's the front of my battered 100e which looks the same (ish):

...and more closely...

...Now as 2/3 are disabled unless "A" selected, I had been going on the basis of:

1/min
A/2/min
A/3/min
1/max
A/2/max
A/3/max

....which probably explains why I kept blowing through thin steel (1mm) on what I thought was the 2nd lowest setting :flame:

plus the dead narrow welds and low wire speed - as I'd actually been using 1st or 3rd power settings without correctly locating 2nd

However it looks like malcolm's recent post, which says the following, is correct:

first switch - second switch - third switch
1 - either - min
1 - either - max
A - 2 - min
A - 2 - max
A - 3 - min
A - 3 - max

Magic - that makes sense to me - BRILLIANT FORUM :hug:

Nick Simpson · Feb 24, 2008

Malcolm is correct,
makes perfect sense now,
Thank you.

storm monkey · Feb 25, 2008

Glad my 151TE has a 3 position twiddly knob! Even then they get the book wrong.

Phil

jakebullet · Jan 16, 2011

Hi, sorry to resurrect this post.

would the power settings be (in order from lowest) be
1-min
1-max
a-2-min
a-2-max
a-3-min
a-3-max?
cheers
jake

keith19 · Jan 16, 2011

In a word, Yes.

joejoe · Jun 4, 2018

Resurrecting this post as I've just tested the settings on a 100E mk2 and got the following :

First switch---Second switch--- Third switch---Voltage between tip & earth clamp
1__________either_________min_________19.4
A__________2____________min_________21.2
A__________3____________min_________23.2

1__________either_________max________22.0
A__________2____________max________24.2
A__________3____________max________27.0

So for some reason min 3 is higher than max 1.

Cheers.

Richard. · Jun 4, 2018

That’s not arc voltage I’m afraid.
There is no way a little 100 amp mig will give you 27 volts at the arc. If it would give you that it would be capable of spraying a 1mm wire. Those results will be open circuit.
If possible you need to measure it when welding to give true arc voltage and you’ll find the results are much much lower.

joejoe · Jun 4, 2018

Hi,
Yeah appreciated it will be open voltage, but does it still not show that the switch settings go from low to high in the order I have them listed?

Cheers.

Richard. · Jun 4, 2018

joejoe said:
Hi,
Yeah appreciated it will be open voltage, but does it still not show that the switch settings go from low to high in the order I have them listed?

Cheers.

Yeah this is true.
Measuring arc voltage will confirm for sure. At least you know roughly the differences between the steps
I’d guess the arc voltage range on a 100 amp set to be around 25% lower than the open circuit voltage you measured on each step.

What's all these swithes then ? Clarke 151EN

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