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This is a compiled list of the most common questions I receive about power supplies.
Please check back often as I'm always adding to this list.
How long does it take for my power supply to charge?:
From completely dead to a full charge will take around two hours.
How will I know when my power supply is fully charged?:
The latest versions of the power supplies have a charge indicator on the display screen.
The older versions of the power supplies the LED indicator on the charger will be red while charging.
When fully charged the indicator will be green.
Will the power supply work in my country?
The power supply and charger will work all over the world. People are using these power supplies in over 50 countries.
I can't find my charger can I use any power cord I find laying around?
Using any power cord other than the one provided will void any warranty and most likely damage your power supply.
How will I know when my power supply is about to die?:
The newer versions of the power supplies have a battery life indicator on the display screen.
Older versions don't have indicator because the battery will last several days, all you have to do is plug it in when you're finished.
Can use my power supply while charging?:
The power supply can be used while charging and also be left plugged in and used when fully charged.
What is the battery life of my power supply?:
Typically people get around three days of use unplugged but some have experienced upwards of a week.
The battery life is determined by the amperage draw of your tattoo machines, the lower the draw, the longer the life.
What is the voltage range of my power supply?:
The power supply has a voltage range of 1.25v - 12.7v.
Which jack is for the clip cord and which is for the foot switch?
For all power supplies, the foot switch jack is always on the left and clip cord on the right.
The power supply will work with a foot switch if the cords are in the incorrect jacks.
The constant run mode will not work if the cords are in the incorrect jacks.
Should I be comparing your power supply to how my other power supplies work?:
No, you're comparing two entirely different things.
You're most likely comparing a rectified digital PWM power supply to my linear DC power supplies.
It's common to require less voltage while tattooing with a linear power supply.
Machine and operator issues can become more noticeable with a linear power supply.
Some tattoo machines may not be designed to run on a linear power supply.
I started using your power supplies now I'm chewing up my clients, what gives?
What you're experiencing is the difference between a digital power supply and a linear power supply.
You're most likely tattooing at the voltage you're used to and just need to turn the power down a bit.
I strongly recommend tattooing using your experience and intuition instead of a voltage meter.
Will my power supply run any tattoo machine?:
This is impossible to know, greedy companies are always making new machines that will only run with their accessories.
Some rotary machines have an internal diode that only allows the motor to spin in one direction.
If your rotary doesn't run on the power supply you may have to swap the positive and negative wires at the 1/4" input jack.
To do this, remove the metal housing at the input side of the RCA cord, de-solder and swap the position of the two wires.
Many people have had success with running reverse polarity machines this way.
This is just a suggestion and I'm not responsible for anything that may happen as a result of making this modification.
If you have a machine that won't run on my power supply, I suggest contacting the manufacturer of the machine.
Why doesn't my machine run properly on your power supply?:
This question probably means you bought a mass produced machine that's made in a factory.
Made by non-tattooers and funded by investors that have no understanding of tattooing.
Your best bet is to contact the manufacturer directly and ask them why they would make a machine that can't run off a battery.
Issues like this rarely occur with machines made by actual tattooers.
It's also possible that you're using a poorly tuned or malfunctioning machine or simply misusing the machine.
Machine issues are typically less apparent with cheap digital power supplies than linear power supplies.
If you're experiencing an issue with only one machine that's the answer.
If you're experiencing this issue with every machine keep reading this list then contact me for further diagnosis.
What do I do if my power supply doesn't turn on?:
Remove all the cords from your power supply including the charger.
Verify you are using the correct charger.
Using an incorrect charger can cause power issues and damage to the power supply.
First check to see if the charger is getting power by looking at the LED indicator on the charger.
With the charger plugged into the wall but not the power supply, the indicator should be green.
With the charger plugged into the wall and the power supply the indicator should be red when charging or green when full.
If the indicator is dim or doesn't light up at all, your charger may be faulty.
Unplugging the charger from the power supply and plugging it back in resets the internal fuse.
(FOR OLDER POWER SUPPLY VERSIONS)
The display screen of the older power supplies doesn't turn on until around 2.5v.
Turn the dial of the power supply clockwise several times to increase the voltage.
Most of the time people don't realize their power supply is turned below 2.5v and just need to turn up the dial.
If your power supply has a constant run button, press the button to check for power.
Next, connect a working foot switch and depress the foot switch to check for power.
Even if the volt meter isn't turning on, connect a working clip cord and try running a machine to check for power.
If none of these solutions work contact me for further diagnosis.
Why is my power supply getting warm?:
It's normal for a linear power supply to generate heat.
Why is my power supply getting hot?:
This is usually caused by a short in either a foot switch or clip cord causing a direct short from power to ground.
It can also be caused by a faulty machine or mass-produced rotary with an unconventional motor.
Some large manufacturers produce rotary machines that aren't meant to be ran from a battery.
Unplug all cords from the power supply and allow it to cool down.
Always use high quality cords and machines and check them often for signs damage.
Faulty cords can cause power consumption, odd power fluctuations and trip the battery's internal fuse.
If the power supply won't cool down, short the positive pin of the charge port to the negative ring of the charge port.
To short the charge port, connect the center pin of the charge port to the metal ring of the port with a metal object.
Doing this will trip the internal fuse and disconnect all power.
After the power supply cools down contact me for further diagnosis.
The volt meter on my power supply stopped working, did I cause that?
(FOR OLDER POWER SUPPLY VERSIONS)
Most likely not. These older meters are a consumer grade part and sometimes they can fail.
Once in a while they may lose their calibration causing the meter to read slightly lower or higher than actual voltage.
A faulty volt meter is covered under the one year limited warranty.
Since February 2022 all new power supplies use a OLED screen instead of the segmented LCD screen.
Why does my power supply seem like it's lacking power?
It's extremely rare for your power supply to have an internal issue.
In most cases a lack of power is caused by faulty accessories such as clip cords, foot switches and machines.
Try troubleshooting with a new foot switch, clip cord and different machines to see if the issue still persists.
If you still experience a lack of power contact me for further diagnosis.
Why is my power supply fluctuating?
The volt meter is tied directly to the machine input jack of the power supply.
Always use high quality cords and machines and check them often for signs damage.
Faulty cords can cause power consumption, odd power fluctuations and trip the battery's internal fuse.
A failing capacitor, poorly tuned machine or over-driving your machines can cause voltage fly-back.
Voltage fly-back is excess voltage in the clip cord that has nowhere to be dissipated.
Excess voltage in the clip cord may be reflected on the volt meter if severe enough.
Most often slight voltage fluctuations are simply caused by the volt meter rounding up or down.
This has no effect on the output voltage of the power supply.
In most cases large fluctuations are caused by faulty accessories such as clip cords, foot switches and machines.
Try troubleshooting with a new foot switch, clip cord and different machines to see if the issue still persists.
If you still experience voltage fluctuations contact me for further diagnosis.
What should I do if I break my power supply?:
Refer to the shipping and returns page for more information on repairing a broken power supply.
Please be honest about what happened to the power supply as it saves me time in repairs.
I bought my power supply second hand and it's not working properly, can you look at it?:
All repairs to a power supply not purchased directly from me have no warranty and will be repaired at your expense.
Should I try to repair my power supply myself?:
Absolutely not, this is potentially hazardous and will void your warranty.
​
By purchasing any products from Freedom Electric LLC
or using any products made by Freedom Electric LLC,
the user understands that Freedom Electric LLC is not responsible
for any damages or loss whatsoever incurred by products made
by Freedom Electric LLC. All warranties, claims and repairs,
otherwise stated are at the sole discretion of Freedom Electric LLC.
For more information please contact.
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