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Technical Auto-Darkening helmet resolution and lag?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Shakedown St., Jan 19, 2018.

  1. Sporty45
    Joined: Jun 1, 2015
    Posts: 1,168

    Sporty45
    Member

  2. vtx1800
    Joined: Oct 4, 2009
    Posts: 1,709

    vtx1800
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    My wife and I both weld, the first helmet I bought was from Orschelens (like Tractor Supply) if I remember right it was KT Industries? , then a cheapie from Horrible Freight, as well as an even more expensive one she got from a swap meet welding supply vendor. we now have two Lincoln helmets, hers (I think) has the latest and greatest technology, mine is the day be fore yesterdays, we won't go back
     
  3. 1-SHOT
    Joined: Sep 23, 2014
    Posts: 2,693

    1-SHOT
    Member
    from Denton

    The more light sencers are better. With 2 you can block them but with 4 of more you don't have that problem.
     
  4. saltracer219
    Joined: Sep 23, 2006
    Posts: 1,071

    saltracer219
    Member

    I really like my Jackson Boss
     
  5. alanp561
    Joined: Oct 1, 2017
    Posts: 4,609

    alanp561
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    OK. Let me get this straight. Nothing is faster than the speed of light so, if you're driving down the road at night at the speed of light and turn on your headlights, what happens?
     
  6. Einstein's BS relativity theory falls apart sometimes. That's why you can't travel at the speed of light. But since the relatively concept says the light bulbs are traveling at the speed of light so the speed of their light begins at the velocity of the bulb.

    You travel on a small train going 100 mph, that train is on a bigger train going 100 mph, on a third train going 100 mph, on a fourth train going 100 mph pretty soon your little train is covering ground at 500 mph. At this point you can add zeros to mph or staking trains and get way faster than the speed of light.

    The equator spins at about 1000mph, fly due west for 5000 mile or fly due east for 5000 miles takes the same time?

    Another way to put it ,
    If - if a frog had wings he wouldn't bump his ass on the ground every time he tried to fly.
     
  7. alanp561
    Joined: Oct 1, 2017
    Posts: 4,609

    alanp561
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Gonna be one hell of a train wreck
     
    RMR&C and 31Vicky with a hemi like this.
  8. Blue One
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 11,459

    Blue One
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Alberta

    I just got a new welding helmet.
    Best one I’ve ever had.
    The auto darkening is super fast and the battery life will be really good because it only uses power when you weld.
    You don’t have to turn it on or off it’s automatic.
    I can also see better when welding than any other helmet I’ve ever had.

    It’s light and the headgear is really comfortable.
    It also has a really neat ratchet feature that keeps it from falling down in front of your face when you don’t want it to.

    It’s an Esab Sentinel A50

    4A86FC53-F14B-4101-9B41-9FEB607DEF62.jpeg 5E899BC5-22B7-49BB-A963-D24C9344872D.jpeg
     
    Beanscoot likes this.
  9. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,592

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    My good friend just bought a new Eastwood 200 amp tig so I got a chance to try it out
    Now not thinking ahead I didn't take my helmet with me so I used his cheap auto darkening helmet.
    I found out his would give me a flash and made it hard for my eyes to adjust to start welding.
    So we ran back to my house and grabbed mine then all was good.
    I asked him if he had notice the initial flash and he said he did and was just trying to adjust his welding time as to watching what was going on.
    When he tried my speedglass he could tell the difference.
    Now I am sure there other brands the react the same but I do know his cheap helmet is junk.
     
  10. HotRod Jones
    Joined: Jan 30, 2014
    Posts: 24

    HotRod Jones
    Member
    from Spokane

    I used the Speed glass for several years and now have a Huntsman and the way I found to defeat the speed of light is to close my eyes when I start the arc. I can close my eyes and open them again really fast before anything goes bad wrong and my eyes and head feel sooo much better at the end of the day. It is low-tech, but it works. That's my old school solution.
     
  11. Beanscoot
    Joined: May 14, 2008
    Posts: 3,053

    Beanscoot
    Member

    I bought an expensive Optrel years ago but it failed after a couple of years due to the internal impossible to replace battery failing. They don't even tell you that there is a battery in it.

    So now I have a cheapy which is adequate.

    Make sure you don't get a helmet with an impossible to change battery.
     
  12. 1946caddy
    Joined: Dec 18, 2013
    Posts: 2,059

    1946caddy
    Member
    from washington

    I use the "old hood" with a gold lens when pipewelding on a positioner with MIG spray and pulse. The clarity is excellent and allows for really good puddle control. Of coarse on large pipe, I may be running setting like 33/300 on MIG. For metal at 1/4" or less, the auto darkening hoods are the preferred method usually because of the constant starting and stopping. On TIG welding were the start of the arc is critical, you can't beat the auto hoods.
    The gold lenses work great for watching solar eclipses. WP_20180120_23_01_14_Pro.jpg
     
  13. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,263

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I split the case on my Optrel, and replaced the battery. It is now 15, and still going strong.
     
  14. Engine man
    Joined: Jan 30, 2011
    Posts: 3,480

    Engine man
    Member
    from Wisconsin

    The company didn't want to buy auto darkening helmets at first so I bought my own Optrel because it had all of the adjustments to use it for welding, cutting and grinding. I had to keep it locked up. Then the company safety director decided all welding helmets had to be auto darkening so the manager bought two Miller units. They went through batteries pretty fast. Seemed like every time I tried to use one, the batteries were dead. They didn't like getting wet if we had to weld in the rain. They also didn't like having heavy things dropped on them. It wasn't so bad when they broke a $20 helmet, but the $250 helmet getting destroyed required the employee be drug tested.

    My Optrel didn't need batteries as it works off the light from welding. One annoying thing was that it's so sensitive that a forklift with a yellow strobe light driving by would cause it to darken.

    One employee insisted on a Speedglass helmet. I had an occasion to use it once when he was having trouble welding a hydraulic pipe and it was slow to darken.

    It was hard to break that habit too but we often had several people welding at the same time so getting flashed a few times helped break the habit.

    You only get one set of eyes. $350 for a welding helmet is cheap.
     
    pat59 likes this.
  15. Yankeewhite
    Joined: Dec 28, 2008
    Posts: 7

    Yankeewhite
    Member
    from ks

    I just started a welding class. How are the Lowes Kobalts vs. Harbor Freight?
     
  16. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,592

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    My speedglass don't have any delay.
    I just replaced the batteries for the first time.
    Dad and I bought this helmet back in the late 90s.
     
  17. Beanscoot
    Joined: May 14, 2008
    Posts: 3,053

    Beanscoot
    Member

    "I split the case on my Optrel, and replaced the battery. It is now 15, and still going strong."
    I'm usually pretty good at getting things apart that are tricky or not meant to be taken apart, but on this unit I cracked the glass when I tried. I wish it had worked, I was pretty young and really enthusiastic about the new technology and the quality helmet.
    The battery is "potted" inside with rubbery tar, and quite a bear to get out without damage to the unit.

    When manufacturers make stuff this way it really irritates me.
    Despite the fact that some helmets are marketed as "Solar Powered" etc., and no mention is made of an internal battery, they indeed have one that is recharged by the arc or other intense light.
     
  18. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,263

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I am a hardware engineer (think computer stuff), and routinely have access to the proprietary tools necessary to handle stuff like this.

    And yes, it was not the easiest thing to do. I am told that the newer ones are easier.
     
  19. Beanscoot
    Joined: May 14, 2008
    Posts: 3,053

    Beanscoot
    Member

    I "fixed" mine in pre-internet days (for me).

    Now I have this wonderful new technology. Do you think it's worth searching for a new module on ebay or similar to replace the broken one in the old Optrel helmet?
     
  20. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,263

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I'd replace the helmet.
     
  21. Shakedown St.
    Joined: Sep 15, 2017
    Posts: 129

    Shakedown St.
    Member
    from Boston, MA

    Well, I finally tried on a friend's auto-darking helmet at the shop last Friday. Miller Classic Series. I see what everyone is talking about now, very convenient.

    However, not sure if it's a cheapo but I noticed one thing while Mig welding. The sensor kept flickering from light to dark, while I was in the middle of a weld.

    I increased the sensitivity, but kept getting flashed to no avail. Perhaphs I should dish out for the really good helmet, but always want to make sure it won't be a bad purchase. For now at least, think I'm sticking with conventional.
     
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2018
  22. The only time I ever experience that is if the lenses and sensor it completely filthy or some thing gets between the arc and the sensor. Some thing like a frame rail, or a clamp, or other unavoidable obstruction. Generally a small shift in position stops it. It's pretty rare. Other than that it could be the battery or cell wearing out. I've worn out 4 so far, but I've been welding at least a little bit almost everyday since the 80s
     
  23. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,592

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    What was your fiends response to your experience with his helmet?
    If the cup of the gun covers the arc mine can do that so I change the sensitivity setting.
     
    Shakedown St. likes this.
  24. Shakedown St.
    Joined: Sep 15, 2017
    Posts: 129

    Shakedown St.
    Member
    from Boston, MA

    He figured out I didn't like it when I was back to the standard hood by the end of the day, and laughed. :D

    The Millers were purchased by the shop a few months ago, by the request of a few of us. Two other guys swear by the auto-darkening, they must ignore the flash when it shows up. It's more annoying than anything, just when I'm trying to focus with constant flickering when the arch goes dark for a brief second.

    Dirty sensors maybe, only tried on one for size and have two others MC's I can test out. Increasing the sensitivity on the Millar Classic only delayed the time it went from dark to light, but did not speed up it's response time from light to dark.
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2018
  25. Mike Colemire
    Joined: May 18, 2013
    Posts: 1,428

    Mike Colemire
    Member

    Has anyone used the helmets with the wider viewing lense? They got the regular front view plus side viewing also. Eastwood has one for like $199. My problem is seeing anymore. I'd like to find something that has a wider view. If I'm out in the open it's not to bad, but trying to weld under something or if it's where the light isn't real good I'm screwed anymore. Think they call it old age.
     
  26. Mike Colemire
    Joined: May 18, 2013
    Posts: 1,428

    Mike Colemire
    Member

    I just bid on a Speed Glass helmet on Ebay, has to be better than what I got.
     
    saltflats likes this.
  27. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,592

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    Sounds like you should try a different brand helmet.
     
  28. Fabber McGee
    Joined: Nov 22, 2013
    Posts: 1,286

    Fabber McGee
    Member

    No helmet will have an adjustable reaction time, all will be 1/15,000th of a second or sometimes much faster. What you're adjusting is sensitivity. A small tig weld will not make a lot of light, so it needs to be set for very sensitive. If it was that sensitive all the time, it would darken with someone else's grinding sparks or even just the overhead lights in the shop.

    I have a Miller hood that worked fine it's first 10 years then after sitting a few months while I was using the Radnor I replaced it with (bigger lens) it wouldn't work anymore. I suspect a dead battery. Sitting in the sun for a couple days didn't fix it.

    The Radnor was fine for several years, then eventually got too slow on arc strike and would flash me about half the time. Probably not dangerous because it had standby darkness of about 5, but very annoying. Bought a Lincoln last spring, very happy so far. Very big window is handy for trifocal glasses.

    If you use a gold lens be very careful that it is not scratched anywhere. A glass lens has the tint inside the glass, a gold lens is coated and if it's scratched it will leak light. I didn't lie them because their shiny coated surface caused reflection on the back side of the cover plate and sometimes I would see as many as 3 arcs. Also very annoying.
     
  29. hemiboy
    Joined: Apr 21, 2005
    Posts: 249

    hemiboy
    Member

    I teach welding at high school level. We have, for the past 10 years, used the 3M Speedglas helmets. No problem with lag, lack of function- and they are durable! A few years ago I was welding on cranes, underneath the deck in a limited space- occasionally I experienced the joy of no helmet turn on. The reason was that the helmet sensor was blocked by the machinery. I've only experienced this in that situation. Overall, the "instant on" work very well.
     
  30. Gearhead Graphics
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 3,890

    Gearhead Graphics
    Member
    from Denver Co

    I've gone through a lot of hoods in my young age. The old reliable fixed shade helmet will never let you down, the batteries are never dead and being out in sunlinght wont screw with the sensors.
    I got a cool looking skull auto dark off ebay, absolute junk! I literally had to blink my eyes as I started an arc as it took that long to darken, a day of welding in it and I had sore eyes.
    Harbor fright, actually their helmet isn't that bad. totally worth the money, batteries last a long time. its adjustable and fast enough for most welding.
    I finally broke down and got a Miller Digital Elite, I LOVE this helmet, you can grind with it, weld with it (arc and gas) and its got an x-mode that allows you to weld in sunlight and it darkens like it should.

    Really, the HF hood is plenty for most people. but if you can, pony up for a better one. The miller fits so nice and just feels great on my noggin. I got it because I kept doing the close my eyes to tack weld and getting burnt lids and arc burnt eyes. I can wear the miller to work and grind and all that, and its not that inconvenient. No arc burnt eyes or lids since it.
     
    Shakedown St. likes this.

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