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    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">Leave it to Windy to be about a
      generation ahead of the rest of us on all things RE once again. 
      Cheers to Windy<span class="moz-smiley-s1"><span> :-) </span></span><br>
      <br>
      I still own a Battery Weld 2000 from the 90s, which is a MIG
      machine that runs on 24 v dc.   The limit is the battery.  It can
      blast at over 200 amps, if you have enough battery to keep the
      voltage up.  I used to run a 18 v golf cart battery string, so I
      wouldn't have to use the on board resistor bank for lower amp
      welding.  My DC welds start getting messy about 12" into the weld,
      as the battery voltage drops and changes the equation.  <br>
      If you're doing a lot of welding, I would use an AC machine and
      inverter, as its much better controlled.  Just this week, I tested
      a Magnum 4024 PAE with my Lincoln 180, 240 vac MIG machine.  The
      inverter could handle it, but once again the batteries were the
      limit, and my experiment did not have enough battery behind it to
      keep the inverter on for very long.  4 Golf cart batteries would
      be the minimum.<br>
      My local industrial battery company has a carbon rod setup, and
      they short the battery to weld the lead connectors to the battery
      posts.  That's the preferred method for adding or removing lead
      connections at the battery posts, although I'm not sure if OSHA
      would approve. They open all the battery caps, so that they don't
      build up too much hydrogen to explode....Sketchy?  <br>
      <pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">R.Ray Walters
CTO, Solarray, Inc
Nabcep Certified PV Installer, 
Licensed Master Electrician
Solar Design Engineer
303 505-8760</pre>
      On 11/23/2013 11:38 AM, Allan Sindelar wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote cite="mid:5290F610.5070502@positiveenergysolar.com"
      type="cite">
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      Forwarding from Windy.<br>
      <div class="moz-forward-container"><br>
        -------- Original Message --------<br>
        <br>
        Sure you can solar weld! Afterall, some of us have welded from
        battery power when we preferred NOT to.
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>   :0)     <<  that's the HONK of a Solar Bozo
          (Emeritus)</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>But seriously, Back in the 1930's to 50's when thousands of
          farms and ranches had wind power, 32V was the standard voltage
          for the 2-3kW systems. Among the many tools and appliances
          available, it was common to have a 32V welder. I used one of
          them back in the 70's. I was nothing but a box with a coil in
          it. The coil wasn't for inductance, just for resistance. It
          was steel wire maybe 1/8" thick with taps to give a choice of
          current. For max. current, the coil would be completely out of
          circuit.</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>The guys I shared the shop with abandoned their buzz box
          'cuz the DC was so smooth.</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>Towers are still standing on welds I did in the late 70's
          using 6011 and 7013 rod (if I remember right).</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>I had a cell failure early on, and my system was 30, not
          32V. Worked fine for years. </div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>I'm quite sure 24V would work, at least for smallest rods.
          It certainly works for MIG welding. Century made a 24V
          "Portable MIG" to use on 24V diesel vehicles and farm machines
          for field repairs. They were made in 70's and 80's. Nice, 'cuz
          they are light-weight / no transformer. I used one on my PV
          system until I moved recently. I had 3-4V of line loss and it
          still worked fine with .030 wire. Again, it has steel coils
          with taps for control.</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>If you want MIG, search for a Century Portable MIG.
          Otherwise, get the smallest sticks and try 24V. I think I
          tried it, or heard that it's not quite enough V. 36V is MORE
          than you need. If you do 36, use undersized cable because
          you'll need resistance anyway!</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>Searching … 24V MIG is in remote storage with hen's teeth
          and unobtainium. </div>
        <div>but discussion at</div>
        <div><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://forum.ih8mud.com/tools-fabrication/416445-snap-24v-portable-mig.html">http://forum.ih8mud.com/tools-fabrication/416445-snap-24v-portable-mig.html</a></div>
        <div>confirmed that you can do stick with 24V.</div>
        <div>AND somebody suggested this:</div>
        <div><a moz-do-not-send="true"
            href="http://store.cyberweld.com/twsgspgun10.html">http://store.cyberweld.com/twsgspgun10.html</a></div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>The spool gun looks like the modern way to solve the
          problem for professional use. Reviews there say it doesn't
          have speed control on the gun. So you need a resistance coil
          with taps, and you need a speed control.</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>I hope this helps!</div>
        <div>Windy</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
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                              face="Helvetica" size="4"><font
                                class="Apple-style-span" face="'Marker
                                Felt'" size="5"><span
                                  class="Apple-style-span"
                                  style="font-size: 18px; ">Windy
                                  Dankoff</span></font></font><span
                              style="font-family: 'Marker Felt';
                              font-size: 18px; "> </span><span
                              style="font-family: 'Marker Felt';
                              font-size: 18px; ">    Solar Bozo Emeritus</span></div>
                          <div style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal;
                            font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal;
                            font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;
                            font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br>
                          </div>
                          <div style="margin: 0px; font-family:
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                              face="Helvetica" size="3">      
                                Specialist in solar-electric
                              applications & solar water pumping</font></div>
                          <div style="margin: 0px; font-family:
                            Helvetica; "><font style="font-style:
                              normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight:
                              normal; font-size: 12px; line-height:
                              normal; font-family: Helvetica; "
                              face="Helvetica" size="3">               
                                Education   <>   Industry support 
                                <>    Since 1975</font></div>
                          <div style="margin: 0px; font-family:
                            Helvetica; "><font style="font-style:
                              normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight:
                              normal; font-size: 12px; line-height:
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                              face="Helvetica" size="3">                
                                                 
                                ---------------------------------</font></div>
                          <div style="margin: 0px; font-family:
                            Helvetica; "><font style="font-style:
                              normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight:
                              normal; font-size: 12px; line-height:
                              normal; font-family: Helvetica; "
                              face="Helvetica" size="3">              
                                 Founder, retired, Dankoff Solar
                              Products, Inc.</font></div>
                          <div style="margin: 0px; font-family:
                            Helvetica; "><font style="font-style:
                              normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight:
                              normal; font-size: 12px; line-height:
                              normal; font-family: Helvetica; "
                              face="Helvetica" size="3">      spin-offs:
                               Dankoff Solar Pumps  •  Positive Energy
                               •  Conergy USA</font></div>
                          <div style="margin: 0px; font-family:
                            Helvetica; "><span style="font-size: 12px; "> 
                                 Co-author, work in progress:</span> <u
                              style="font-size: 12px; ">The Handbook of
                              Solar Water Pumping</u></div>
                          <div style="margin: 0px; font-family:
                            Helvetica; "><u style="font-size: 12px; "><br>
                            </u></div>
                          <div style="margin: 0px; font-family:
                            Helvetica; ">
                            <div style="word-wrap: break-word;
                              -webkit-nbsp-mode: space;
                              -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;
                              font-size: 13px; ">12-minute TV interview:</div>
                            <span style="font-size: 13px; "><a
                                moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt3hKgriSbo&list=TLrXFKMLwzCwuUD5h52WCzKdWRR-Juk3XA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt3hKgriSbo&list=TLrXFKMLwzCwuUD5h52WCzKdWRR-Juk3XA</a></span></div>
                          <div style="margin: 0px; font-family:
                            Helvetica; "><font style="font-style:
                              normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight:
                              normal; font-size: 12px; line-height:
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                              face="Helvetica" size="3">                
                                                 
                                ---------------------------------</font></div>
                          <div style="margin: 0px; font-family:
                            Helvetica; "><font style="font-style:
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                              normal; font-size: 12px; line-height:
                              normal; font-family: Helvetica; "
                              face="Helvetica" size="3">   <a
                                moz-do-not-send="true"
                                href="mailto:windydankoff@mac.com">windydankoff@mac.com</a></font></div>
                          <div style="margin: 0px; font-family:
                            Helvetica; "><font style="font-style:
                              normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight:
                              normal; font-size: 12px; line-height:
                              normal; font-family: Helvetica; "
                              face="Helvetica" size="3">   Santa Fe,
                              NM          </font></div>
                          <div style="margin: 0px; font-family:
                            Helvetica; "><font style="font-style:
                              normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight:
                              normal; font-size: 12px; line-height:
                              normal; font-family: Helvetica; "
                              face="Helvetica" size="3">   home (505)
                              466-4280</font></div>
                          <div style="margin: 0px; font-family:
                            Helvetica; "><font style="font-style:
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                              normal; font-size: 12px; line-height:
                              normal; font-family: Helvetica; "
                              face="Helvetica" size="3">       cell
                              (505) 490-0313</font></div>
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                            Helvetica; "><font style="font-style:
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                              face="Helvetica" size="3"><br>
                            </font></div>
                        </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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