Using the Orion's User Preferences

Beep Toggle

The Orion generates many audible beeps to signal the user of various events. These beeps can be toggled on and off by selecting the “Beep Toggle” option from the User Preference Menu. It is recommend to keep the audible beeps on to remain aware of the Orion's current status. By default, audible beeps are on.

When this option is selected, one of the two following messages will be displayed:

Screen Contrast

The Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) is set at the factory to be clearly visible when viewed straight on. Variances in temperature, altitude, or user preference may require a contrast adjustment.

When the Screen Contrast item is selected from User Preferences Menu, the following dialog appears:

Use the Adjust Wheel to change the contrast. Press the Menu Button or Run/Stop Button when finished. The new contrast setting is saved even when the Orion is turned off.

Warning Message Toggle

The Orion has various warning messages, such as when no gas is connected, that can be toggled to display or not to display. It is recommended to keep warning messages toggled on to ensure effective and safe operation. By default, warning messages are on.

When this is selected, one of the following messages is displayed:

Safety Lockout Timer

The Orion has a safety timer that will put the Run Screen into Stop Mode after a certain amount of inactivity. Actions that cancel the timer's countdown include pushing buttons, turning the adjust wheel, and welding. Additionally, the timer has no effect while in any of the menus. When the timer expires due to inactivity, a series of quick beeps will signal that the timeout has occurred. To cancel the Stop Mode, simply press the Run/Stop Button to put the welder back into Run Mode.

When this is selected, the Run/Stop Timer dialog appears with the current setting highlighted:

A number of different times can be chosen, or the timeout feature can be turned off. When a setting is picked, the following message is displayed:

Preflow Argon Accelerator

When the argon (or other inert) gas is not flowing out of the stylus, the argon just inside the stylus' hull can be displaced by the regular atmospheric gases. These gases are precisely what the argon is attempting to remove. To ensure weld quality and repeatability, the Orion is equipped with the Preflow Argon Accelerator feature. This feature increases the argon flow time right before a weld whenever a weld hasn't occurred for a set number of seconds. The next weld, if done within the set number of seconds, will have the normal pre-weld argon flow time. This guarantees that regardless of the pre-weld argon flow setting, every weld will be shielded by the proper amount of argon.

When this is selected, the Preflow Type dialog appears with the current setting highlighted:

10 or 20 seconds can be selected before preflow acceleration occurs, or the feature can be turned off. When the setting is changed, the following message is displayed:

NOTE: The preflow accelerator injects 1.5 seconds worth of argon through the stylus. The normal pre-weld gas flow time can also be set to 1.5 seconds, in essence canceling the effect of the accelerator.