duty cycle

Anyone know where I can buy a machine to measure my duty cycle? I tried asking the artists in my area but they all order from supply houses that only supply to shops.

Yea....Radioshack. Now try to figure out how to hook it up to a tattoo machine to get a proper readout.

any good voltmeter that has tach dwell etc will do the job. To hook it up... Lift hood, hook clip cord to cars battery. Set machine down on block some where wheres its stable. Now take meter and hook it up to the machine. Have somebody place foot on accelerator as you stick finger into No.1 spark plug wire.. Betting you will cycle a lot of Duty.

Radioshack thanks. I'll figure it out

legacy do you even know what duty cycle is ? do you even know what aera it is supposed to be in 30, 50, 70 ect. do you even know how to adjust your duty cycle?

yes I do.

But whether I know or not is irrelevant to the question. All I asked was where to pick the machine up.

well from reading other post i see you've been to that site with all the info, that sells them. they are the only company that makes a meter for tattoo machines that i know of.

Well I have the Ems 200 from them but the thing always craps out on me and I gotta wiggle the nob. Possibly defective? But at any rate I was just curious as to if anyone knows of any other places to buy one. If not I will exchange it.

i would contact them for an exchange. i know it will suck being without a powersupply but you should have a back up

Come on guys..give this technical bullshit a break!...I have forgotten more about tattooing than either of you know and I don't even give a fuck about duty cycles or menstrual cycles or any other fuckin cycle EXCEPT MY HARLEY!!!!!!!!!!!! You are BOTH forgettin one very important fact....We are TATTOO ARTISTS...not scientists...I have seen beautiful masterpiece tattoos done with a cassette motor a bic pen and a goddamn sharpened guitar string!! ...IN the back of a van usin D batteries as a power source!! Get over yourselves and concentrate on THE ART!!!!!!!!! DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

^ ' ' ' ' ' NO SHIT ! ....THANK YOU

The ems IS the only machine I know of with this built in. The Beginning of my frist post WAS acurate however.They changed some common names to protect the inocent. Tach Dwell Hertz Voltage......oops... they USE that one? Good luck

One should have a thorough understanding of one's tools. I know very talented artists who would be totally out of business if they didn't have someone to tune their machines for them. That's sad. The origional reason for most people to take the artistic approach to life was "freedom". Being self sufficient. So, when you have to send your machine back to get it adjusted, how free or self sufficient are you? It is a relatively small devise with an electrical field and a magnetic field. The geometry must be correct for the machine to run at optimum performance. All arts contain a certain amount of science that is necessary to their operation. This art has many sciences that must be considered.

its a doorbell

Not that simple. But even if it was, it is still necessary to understand that doorbell enough to fine tune it to work efficiently for the task at hand. Saying it's just a doorbell is easy enough...and in theory, it isn't TOO FAR from the truth...but do you understand it enough to make it run perfectly, is the question?

yes i do ,...ever since i spent the first year of my apprenticeship building machines from scratch ,coils and all, for glen tackett. And you do not NEED to know the duty cycle to tune a machine properly .........................................well maybe you do.

I have bought many machines from many people. Every time I bought one from someone who said they didn't need to know these things, I always had to re-tune them. Yes, you can guess, to a certain extent. Yes, you can twist springs to compensate for a poorly tuned machine, or throw o-rings on them....but I like mine to run PROPERLY without such alterations. It is a matter of preference, and the more you know your tools, the better the end result, is generally the case.

which is precisely why i feel it is necessary to have a meter.

You guys are so obsessed with your knowledge... and make no mistake I admire you for it...but out of all the artists I know ..and I know hundreds fuck maybe thousands...I think maybe...MAYBE a handful know what device you speak of and what it does...Come on 95% of us out there ,although we don't know EVERYthing about the science of magnetics and all that other bullshit I find as boring as hell...we manage to get by pretty fuggin good without it....I'll leave the super tech world of high machine science to you guys and concentrate on my artwork...see ms to have worked for most of us.. we seem to be able to get those pesky things runnin and keep em .purrin quite well enough to do some pretty decent tattoos with em without the knowledge You guys have As I said I admire you guys...got a lot of respect for ya!!....I admire NASA astronauts too but wouldn't wanna be one!!! SEE YA.....TAz

Eikon sells a power unit that will show your duty cycle if its that important.All it comes down to is how far the front spring is from your contact(GAP) .Depending on your technique on putting ink in will matter what that gap will be.Along with alot of other stuff.I have the power unit but never pay attention to the duty cycle.

If ya can't tune by ear and common sense..............?????... I am like murphy...I have the eikon ...never use it,don't particularly like it...but when I did use it I paid no attention to the duty cycle ...I paid attention to the skin I was working on and the sound and feel of my machine...best power supply I ever had was a 12 volt car battery hooked to a $15 car battery charger wired to a 2 dollar radio shack potentiometer.....I know that will bring some memories and smiles back to you old school fucks like me!!! I just think this technological crap has gone too far! For gods sake they still do tattoos in Samoa by pounding sharpened bone combs into the skin with a piece of wood! Its tha ART boys and girls...its the skilled hands holding the tool, not the tool!!!........ Fuck I'm just gettin too old and grumpy!...................TAz

nah you're not too old or grumpy Taz check this shit out. This whole time that's all the fuck i needed to hear bro. You just gave me a dam breakthrough. Thats all i've been thinking the whole time: a skilled artist creates a masterpiece with whatever he has available. But all the dam hype was making me doubt my true beliefs.... next time i want my duty to cycle i'll just eat some prunes or taco bell or some shit....

Murphy...thats just throw.... NOT duty cycle at all.

Thanks John ...where da fug ya been??????????????...TAz

actually been writting quite a bit here....you must be blinking as your eyes cross my posts old man:)

Duty cycle has to do with A LOT more than point gap. In fact, point gap has almost NOTHING to do with it. It is what makes a machine hit harder or softer, and it not being within the proper perameters is why millions of artists are ripping people's skin to shreds and can't get ink to stay....or can't shade smoothly...or make blown out lines. I use an eikon meter just because it is about the best clean power supply on the market aside from a messy battery setup, but I don't need the meter unless I am tuning machines....which, if done properly is done about every two years.

Wow! ANOTHER wrong post? Hitting harder or softer ALSO has NOTHING to do with duty cycle. Duty cycle is ONLY how long the needles stays foward in relation to back! Its just TIMMING . Same as points in a car. If they stay out longer than in.....you can get serious needle drag in skin. Other way around and shitty results. Many variables to adjusting this from spring manipulation to cap microfarads. There IS an optimal duty cycle for all machines and it IS nice to know what they are doing. However...most who are familiar with thier machines do not need to know this and can feel it and KNOW when its running sweet.

Please notice...I did NOT say what optimal was. Knowing this. along with the diff. machine speeds between liners, shaders and coloring machines. AND developing the skill and knowledge as to the speed, throw,and powers needed to adjust to the mirad of different needle groupings, are just a FEW of the many reasons a sound apprentiship IS needed. So far this only pertains to tattoo machines....Needles, needle groupings, bars, grommets,power supplies, autoclaves, spore testing,ultrasonic's, chemicals,aftercare,laws, inks, etc. etc. etc. are a few more things that take education. After ALL this...........The tattooing nightmare begins, Why wont my color stay, why did I turn this guy to hamburger , how do I do this and how do I do that. All of its much more difficult than the First part of this thread! Yep....tattoos are cool and tattooing even cooler..But to think you can run to ebay, buy a machine and just come here for a little instruction and your a tattooist is ludicrous!

Changing the duty cycle on the machine will indeed change how punchy or soft it hits.

FFFFFUUUUCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shut up already!!!!! LOL!!!!!!

all this just from me asking if anyone other than eikon makes a power supply with a meter.............holy moly i gotta remember to only ask the questions I really really really want answers to.

Fuckin troublemaker!! LMAO!!!!

What else would you expect when hitting the information highway???? lol

i'm with taz fuck duty cycle

If duty cycle has nothing to do with the gap between the contact point and the front spring why does it change when you move the screw up or down.It all comes down to how many times the needle moves up and down in a certain time period.If there is a small gap it is more if it a large gap it is less.I think you should look at some of my work before you acuse me of ripping people apart.

Its actually back spring tension as aposed to front spring hardness.And what i am trying to say is that when you alter your contact point and make the throw different you are also altering the the spring tension.So you are changeing the duty cycle.If you go to the eikon web site.It tells you the same and they are making power units with duty cycle read out.I dont care any way.Take Care.

Thats NOT duty cycle but speed. BIG difference.Duty cycle is exactly what I said. How hard they hit is simply power. Again...NOT duty cycle.

I am surprised at how many artists do not know what duty cycle is????? Dont believe me..... Call EIkon! I'd give you a bunch of leads thats would clarity and help you but not on here. A magazine for machine builders that again I would not name here. I am taking it that you know which one I am talking about. I would suggest subscribing. If you already have...I would suggest reading.

i do sucribe to the magazine in question, and do read it. (hint) green monster. i also tune my machines on the meter but not all of my machines run right tuned to eikons specs. and i think most artist will agree. i basically use toe meter to get in the ball park then fine tune by ear and feel.

Mr Murphy...where can I see some work man????...TAz

Oh hell! I am such a dumbass...sorry Brian...The Geritol just kicked in...How embarrassing!!!...TAz

I must have missed something here...I read back and couldnt see where anyone ripped any one apart?

MILLIONS of artists are ripping the flesh of thier clients?

You can actually purchase and EMS Power Supply from Eikon device which has a duty cycle read out!! "The duty cycle display shows how much back spring pressure your machine has in relation to front spring hardness.This is vital to know when you are tuning a machine and will let you see at a glance if you need to change springs" Hope this helps!!! Eikondevice.com OR to order 18004278198

However they won't sell to ya unless you are in a shop!!!!

yeah I have to contact them cause as you know Taz I have a studio setup in my house..I wonder how thats gonna work out for me...Do you think that since I am approved by the health dept. that they'll sell it to me?? I know, I know, I gotta contact them...if not ...there's always Ebay...lol

gimme a buzz on private e-mail legacy

Dammmmmmmma !!!!!!!! U people are so stupid , duty cycle is back spring tension , the tension on the front spring is a result of the back spring tension, if u want a higher duty you add a bit of tension or if u want to lower the duty u just lower the back spring tension , and to say u dont care for it is stupid and shows your a hack in a shop that knows jack shit about a machine , claim its so hard to tune but u go by sound , a machine can sound great and lay ink like shit !!!!!!!! If it was that easy why apprentice , most hacks in shops. Buy them tuned cause they cant , BUY a supply online on ebay or $50 !!!! They have them besides eikon , online , ebay GO LOOK , fuck those assholes that act like its so hard an dont want to help , your lucky cause they know nothing anyway , go torrent Eikons mags and read !!!!!!!! Then torrent other dvds its all FREE !!!!!!!! Torrents , learn your self like many artists have , fuck sweeping floors for years to learn what u could have by your self in a fast or kinda fast time , year the most , couple months realy , is no magic way as u can see most dont know or care for duty cycle they tattoo with it no matter how it is like a cassete player machine , so tune and go take pros money , fuck them hacks they no very little and u can see that by there replys , its over for thease shmucks , disposable tubes tips and all clean shit now so they cant say shit about a infection from a home artist , same shit , we just dont charge a mill for a tattoo like them and we know more cause we learned are self , i know more than most shop people its unbelivable how dumb they are , yet they are in a shop , spelling is over rated !!!!!!!!

LOVE THE REPLY TAZ!!!!!!AWESOME!!!!!! Posted by TAz from IP: 207.192.207.158 on 04/03/06 midwest Come on guys..give this technical bullshit a break!...I have forgotten more about tattooing than either of you know and I don't even give a fuck about duty cycles or menstrual cycles or any other fuckin cycle EXCEPT MY HARLEY!!!!!!!!!!!! You are BOTH forgettin one very important fact....We are TATTOO ARTISTS...not scientists...I have seen beautiful masterpiece tattoos done with a cassette motor a bic pen and a goddamn sharpened guitar string!! ...IN the back of a van usin D batteries as a power source!! Get over yourselves and concentrate on THE ART!!!!!!!!! DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!