Spektra Halo feedback thread

[rowdy]

Ok I emailed about it I got it on trade in the forum so I don't expect free in fact when I got the work done I did for free very happy I emailed what was wrong so we will see and one thing weird about it doesn't have the plastic washer mine other does. It's just a rubber grommet does this make a difference? And if so were can I find one to try to fix it that way?

[psych0ticmisfit]

Thank you Gaston for making such an awesome machine. It puts the ink in effortlessly, it lines great and its sooo light. love it. I will definitely be saving up for a second one.

In regards to the wiggle I experienced.... The thumbscrew is definitely too long like you said and its causing the tube to wiggle. so i put two more washers to keep it from wiggling until i can file down the screw a bit.

[PAWNJOB]

Ok, I think I'm finally ready to give my review.

1- Overall look
I think it's great. Almost too small and plain at first sight (especially coming from a bizarre v2). But the more I use it the more I love it. This is how a machine should look, sleek and minimal. Super easy to wipe down (a nice contrast to the Bizarre!)

2- Weight
Two thumbs up. The lighter the better!

3- Performance, lining, shading coloring.
This machine really can do it all. It's a mean ass liner though! Lining is pretty much the sole purpose of this machine for me. Inside of the upper arm on a fat dude who lost a bunch of weight, no sweat. Tits, no sweat. Fat chick's mid-section, you get the idea. Fast torquey motor. Not my first choice for a color packer or shader though. This machine vibrates too much and it takes away a little bit of the tactile feel of tattooing. It is a good color packer though. But 2.5mm? No thanks, not my cup of tea. Does it run smoother, yes. But the 3.2mm is even a little too short for me. I prefer a long hang for a few good reasons. I'm not willing to give that up in order to achieve a smoother running machine or achieve the right hit for shading/cloring. I just prefer a smoother hit at a longer stroke length for shading/coloring. Or Lining for that matter, but it's worth putting up w/ the vibrations because of it's superiority as a liner at 3.6mm. The 4mm stroke is a bit too much for this particular machine.

IMO you need 2 liners, one finesse liner (smaller configurations and easy-to-tattoo/delicate areas - ex. the calf/top of foot) and one w/ some balls for tough areas. This one has balls.

P.S. Invest in some 1" SS Grips. Weight distribution and balance is incomparable and it really kills a lot of the vibes.

4- MotorBolt system with 1/4 turn lock and release.
Brilliant!!! This would be the end all be all if the Halos were my preference for coloring/shading. Not much need for different stroke length motors for me though because I stick w/ the 3.6mm for everything.

5- Capability of the machine to be sprayed directly with disinfectant or autoclaved.
Like I said, super easy to wipe down. I still spray disinfectant into a paper towel before wiping it down though so as to avoid getting it in the slide mechanism. And I have yet to autoclave it. Nice option but not that practical for me.

6- Anything else you may want to say about the machine.
Unfortunately this seems to be a finicky machine to get running correctly or at least consistently from one Halo to the next. I'm gathering from my experience and some other posts that getting the slide to fit each individual machine properly is a challenge. I'm on my 3rd version of the same Halo machine body. Immediately after purchasing it I had to send it back because it vibrated so much that it spattered all over and was uncomfortable to hold. It ended up that the slide was loose. FKI replaced it free of charge of course. The 2nd incarnation of the machine worked good for awhile but the motor began bogging down a good deal and progressively ran slower and slower until it was useless and produced extremely low torque. It was again fixed free of charge by the good folks at FKI and the motor was replaced for good measure. The cause of it's failure was cited as a misaligned bearing? Anyway, the machine is running well now but it has a different sound and feel than the last two versions. The needles frequently stop in the down position now. It feels like the return spring is having to work too hard. But other than that it runs well so fuck it, I'm content w/ it enough to where I'm not gonna send it back AGAIN.

7- Customer Service and anything we could to better assist you.
Customer service w/ this company is top notch. Quick friendly responses every time and they'll go above and beyond to make things right for you. This is a company w/ good ethics. I feel that they truly do their best to make you happy.

[fkirons]

Ok, I think I'm finally ready to give my review.

1- Overall look
I think it's great. Almost too small and plain at first sight (especially coming from a bizarre v2). But the more I use it the more I love it. This is how a machine should look, sleek and minimal. Super easy to wipe down (a nice contrast to the Bizarre!)

2- Weight
Two thumbs up. The lighter the better!

3- Performance, lining, shading coloring.
This machine really can do it all. It's a mean ass liner though! Lining is pretty much the sole purpose of this machine for me. Inside of the upper arm on a fat dude who lost a bunch of weight, no sweat. Tits, no sweat. Fat chick's mid-section, you get the idea. Fast torquey motor. Not my first choice for a color packer or shader though. This machine vibrates too much and it takes away a little bit of the tactile feel of tattooing. It is a good color packer though. But 2.5mm? No thanks, not my cup of tea. Does it run smoother, yes. But the 3.2mm is even a little too short for me. I prefer a long hang for a few good reasons. I'm not willing to give that up in order to achieve a smoother running machine or achieve the right hit for shading/cloring. I just prefer a smoother hit at a longer stroke length for shading/coloring. Or Lining for that matter, but it's worth putting up w/ the vibrations because of it's superiority as a liner at 3.6mm. The 4mm stroke is a bit too much for this particular machine.

IMO you need 2 liners, one finesse liner (smaller configurations and easy-to-tattoo/delicate areas - ex. the calf/top of foot) and one w/ some balls for tough areas. This one has balls.

P.S. Invest in some 1" SS Grips. Weight distribution and balance is incomparable and it really kills a lot of the vibes.

4- MotorBolt system with 1/4 turn lock and release.
Brilliant!!! This would be the end all be all if the Halos were my preference for coloring/shading. Not much need for different stroke length motors for me though because I stick w/ the 3.6mm for everything.

5- Capability of the machine to be sprayed directly with disinfectant or autoclaved.
Like I said, super easy to wipe down. I still spray disinfectant into a paper towel before wiping it down though so as to avoid getting it in the slide mechanism. And I have yet to autoclave it. Nice option but not that practical for me.

6- Anything else you may want to say about the machine.
Unfortunately this seems to be a finicky machine to get running correctly or at least consistently from one Halo to the next. I'm gathering from my experience and some other posts that getting the slide to fit each individual machine properly is a challenge. I'm on my 3rd version of the same Halo machine body. Immediately after purchasing it I had to send it back because it vibrated so much that it spattered all over and was uncomfortable to hold. It ended up that the slide was loose. FKI replaced it free of charge of course. The 2nd incarnation of the machine worked good for awhile but the motor began bogging down a good deal and progressively ran slower and slower until it was useless and produced extremely low torque. It was again fixed free of charge by the good folks at FKI and the motor was replaced for good measure. The cause of it's failure was cited as a misaligned bearing? Anyway, the machine is running well now but it has a different sound and feel than the last two versions. The needles frequently stop in the down position now. It feels like the return spring is having to work too hard. But other than that it runs well so fuck it, I'm content w/ it enough to where I'm not gonna send it back AGAIN.

7- Customer Service and anything we could to better assist you.
Customer service w/ this company is top notch. Quick friendly responses every time and they'll go above and beyond to make things right for you. This is a company w/ good ethics. I feel that they truly do their best to make you happy.

Thank you for your feedback

[vodu]

finally I have mine! can't wait to use it! so far so good!

Envoyé depuis mon GT-I9100 avec Tapatalk

[bmerck11]

my white halo might be my new everyday liner, its that dam good!

[fkirons]

Brian Post some pics if you can. I just have that one picture that Kayleigh took.

[serial1313]

my white halo might be my new everyday liner, its that dam good!

Did you paint it or what?

[vodu]

Gaston, do you have a CPS/Volt chart of spektra halo?

[fkirons]

Gaston, do you have a CPS/Volt chart of spektra halo?

CPS or Hertz do not apply to rotaries as the circuit is constant. SO whatever the machine throws at you ignore it but you should see cycle being close to 99 or 0.
Regarding voltage, I say anywhere from 5-12V. 8.5 being the happy medium. enjoy!