Spektra Halo conventional setup?

[TattoosByRob]

So I have a Halo ( brand new) that is less than a year old and I cant seem to figure it out. My first frustration is it will not stop spitting pigment out the top of the tube, no matter what colour or grommet/nipple (silicone or rubber), no matter the bend or no bend on the bar, no matter one or two rubber bands the things just shakes like crazy. I've tried all the stroke wheels (the 4mm is insanely unstable) and it happens with them all, lining, shading, no matter what at one point or another the pigment sneaks right up the bar and all over. My second frustration is the minute I turn out the give just enough for it to have any the give knob just keeps turning out as I use it. I've been tattooing for a long time and use many machines and none have made me as frustrated as this, perhaps someone can shed some light and help me out with some advice here so I can love my machine lol

[cruzta]

okay for the give knob backing out i used this Vibra-TITE VC-3 Threadmateyou apply it the male threads let it dry then screw in the give knob and your set .and you can screw in and out and it stays useable for quite a while. you can also use teflon tape works ok. as for the spitting if you tryed all that ...sounds like its a tube/tip issue .

[JoeyJimz]

My first question would be how high you are running your machine. cause i have never experienced that but then again i don't run my machine high like a jack hammer.. That knob is only good for one thing... Give or no Give... that is all but if your machine is spitting like that u probably are running ur machine high, And using hard nipples.. Use soft ones don't bend ur needle bars not ness.. Bend your needles down instead from the solder joint just slightly this should solve ur problem

[nivek]

Voltage ? Im guessing you like a lot of hang ?

[JoeyJimz]

I love a lot of needle hand when i line and a decent amount when i shade or color. But lining for sure I'm not into dragging the tube tip across the skin. I like seeing my needle and what I'm doing.

[TattoosByRob]

Yeah I have a fair amount of hang, and probably run it between 8-10v, I use disposables so perhaps that accounts for the lack of absorption of the vibrations

[eduki]

I was also a bit disappointed with them at first, vibrates like a bitch with disposables and I was wondering if all that about the Halo was just hype. Something changed when I started using heavy grips. I had also that splitting experience, now using soft nipples, just a small bend at the top of the needle, and very important to me bending the needle close to the soldering too.
It changed for better a lot, but still not using them when I need precision, I realized that start covering a defined area, like start shading from a line, it's difficult to see or not where are you starting from. At least not like other machines I have, where you can see and tattoo very precisely where are you going. Not my favorite, but it works very nice for a nice black and gray or blending colors in my opinion

[JoeyJimz]

10v damn no wonder its spitting thats jack hammer status man slow it down

[Seanaskew19]

I have no such problems with mine on the shorter stroke cams even the longer stroke cams it just a bit of vibration but this was solved by using my 30mm steel grips. slight bend at the solder and further up the bar and one elastic band (i have the spektra bands) and the harder grommets that i always use. I have never needed to go over 9v but have just ran it at 10v and still no problems wether give or no give (i personally never use give apart from a quarter of a turn for lining).

From what you have said there doesn't seem to be anything unusual about the way you set it up (but do try the steel grips if you can and keep to a max of 9v) so maybe theres an issue with the machine itself as the give knob is not staying still?

[Butternuts]

I see a lot of people complaining about the noise and vibrations of these machines. I've never experienced any of that with mine?? I honestly think some people are just running their machines way too high. I couldn't imagine tattooing anything at 10 volts with a Halo.

[eduki]

I never ran mine higher than 8.5,it vibrates but I don't consider them noisy.

[S_Trofatter]

SoundS like you need to send it back, I. Sure do would sort it out pronto

[TattoosByRob]

It all boiled down to user error and the power supply, Thanks for the input everyone

[demonica]

I have 3 Halo's and none of them ever spit ink... Put a small bend about an inch back from the point where the needles are soldered to the bar, I don't bother with more than 2 turns of give, sometimes the but that slides that the n eels ha attaches to is very stir so give doesn't work, strip it down and careful wet and dry sand until they slide smoothly and easily. Also find that 9.0v works for just about anything, just change the stroke wheels and give really.