Welding machine with car jump start functionality

I've been thinking about this issue with my engine powered welder lately, too. The lowest voltage setting on the CV side is 16 VDC. That's not much more than the 13.8 VDC on a standard vehicle's battery. Since my welder is in the back of my truck, I figured I would always be covered in the case of a dead battery.

Any CV power supply is just a DC power source, so it makes sense to me that you could just dial in the correct voltage & there you go. I may be missing something, though.

Why not just jump your truck from the welding machine battery.

JTMcC.

Hello,

"John L. Weatherly" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:>

yes that is true, with every CV DC power source and enough current it is theoretically possible to use it for car jump start and especially a Motor-Generator- Combination has the needed voltage stiffness.

The super cheap do-it-your-selfer arc welders are mostly CC transformers with a very poor voltage stiffness. For example they have a open circuit voltage of 70 V and a arc welding (current flow) voltage of only 2 V because of the strong decreasing U-I-Characteristic and that is not the great deal for car jump.

I think the voltage of your welder DC 16 V is okay for 24-V- Trucks but for 12-V-Cars it is in my opinion too much because there is the danger of damaging the electronics in the car resp. the overvoltage protection in the car radio and inside the "control system for the lambda probe" is acting. On the other hand in spite of CV the voltage under load circumstances lowering enough for doing "car jump".

One reason why I prefer solutions from the manufacturer is that all other is too much "home brewed". It begins with the proper battery jumper cable connection to the welder and ends with the proper current adjustment without knowing the voltage-current-characteristic.

But in emergency cases creative ideas are needed :).

Best Regards from Germany Michael Kreienberg

P.S.: Sorry for poor English.

The Zena welder I use is also 150 amp 13.8 volt jump start. The nice thing is that it will sense the voltage of the car being jumped. I have put in a voltage control unit that allows me to step up the voltage in .9 volt increases . I can go from 13.8 to about 28 volts.

There's an idea. Kind of a bitch to access, but better than lack of mobility.

Thanks

Hey, don't sweat it. Your English sounds better than mine & I'm a native!

If the welder/gen is a permanent mount set it up like an rv so both batteries can start the vehicle and either power source can charge the batteries but during extened use only one battery can be over drained Do to budget cuts the light at the end of the tunnel has been extingushed, fixture removed, sold, tunnel closed all environmentals cut and affected personel have been reassigned/ terminated. MANAGEMENT