Auto darkening welding helmets and LED illumination

[workingonit]

Hopefully this might help someone when purchasing a new auto welding helmet or an LED light to illuminate welding targets.

Recently had an experience that seemed to show not all auto welding helmets have sufficient 'sensitivity' adjustment when using what I assume are the latest LED illuminating technologies.

Last weekend I was MIG welding in a vehicle footwell. I needed some good light close in on the target area. Grabbed the portable lithium 18volt power pack LED that I normally use for this task, 5 bulbs placed in a broad circle - but no light because the on/off switch failed. Grabbed another similar 5 bulb unit, about 10 years old, that I've also used when MIG welding, plugs into the 12 volt cigarette lighter - but would you believe, it had a broken wire in the lead, again no light.

The kids in the last year or so had given me two new 240volt plugin LED lights - first, a hand held single head 6x4 array, bulbs all confined to a tight square - second, a tripod mounted dual head, each with a 6x12 array in a tight square. Lots of good light from both units, but I couldn't get within half a metre of my job before the visor went dark, even when dialed to remove as much sensitivity as possible, The helmet was reacting to reflected light off the target area, and not to the LED bulbs directly.

Grabbed the other two helmets I keep spare. No problems. I could dial the sensitivity to suit, with some scope for further adjustment.

I note that the helmets with sufficient sensitivity adjustment had their dials on the outside - these were my Michigan and HRD branded helmets. I won't identify the brand with insufficient adjustment, other than to say all it's adjustment dials were very small and mounted inside the helmet in the forehead area. Maybe attempts to compact the electronic switches leads to less sweep and less scope for range adjustment?

Youtube showed people hot gluing headlights to their helmets, but often this casts hand shadows over the work. I find light sources off helmet much more versatile. Have wondered about a light source directly on the hand gun nozzle, sufficiently back from the heat.

Anyway, I fixed my old LED lights and can keep using the less sensitive helmet for the moment.

[CU55TM Disco]

I was of the understanding that Auto Darkening Helmets actually detected HEAT to activate the auto darkening.

[workingonit]

I was of the understanding that Auto Darkeing Helmets actually detected HEAT to activate the auto darkening.


My understanding is not certain. I thought the sensors were either tripped by increased UV from the arc, or intensity of light if not UV itself. By twiddling the sensitivity dial you can trip the auto darkening function on and off just looking at flourescent lights a few metres away, which are not 'hot' in lay terms. At about 5 minutes the youtube talks of Infrared as being the trigger - so maybe flouro lights emit some IR which I guess would be classified as a source of heat. And he explains IR is emitted when metal grinding, hence the helmets 'grinding' mode stops auto darkening (and saves battery life) - learnt something I think.

Based on the youtube vid my main point must evolve to some helmets don't seem to have a broad enough IR sensitivity range?![smilebigeye]

[Homestar]

Not sure on what triggers them, but it’s like a lot of tools - you get what you pay for. I have a few helmets too - a couple of cheapies that served me well but I came unstuck when I bought my TIG. Welding at low amperage levels the cheap helmets just couldn’t cut it and kept flashing me no matter how I adjusted them. It’s a known issue that I thought I’d get away with, but no.

A new, very expensive helmet now resides with my welder collection - it’s absolutely brilliant compared to the cheapies and has much better adjustability and also a much larger viewing window. A 1.5 times magnification lens completes it so I can see what I’m doing really well now. It’s like chalk and cheese compared to my old ones. 👍

[workingonit]

... I came unstuck when I bought my TIG...

I've just bought a AC/DC pulse TIG. Haven't gone through the excitement of unboxing it yet!

My helmet boxes have TIG displayed as part of the suite of applications. Guess I'll soon know if this is true. When buying my last helmet the salesman pointed me to a helmet that has a window with none of the green tint, but was $300 or $400. Maybe he will see me again...

[Disco-tastic]

The helmets are triggered by IR. If you point a tv remote at them and press a button they will darken.

[Disco-tastic]

Gav, why is TIG different? Is it the HF start?

I have a cheapy auto darkening helmet and it feels like I get a tiny flash each time - I understood that wasnt unusual and as the helmet filters the UV light it wasnt a major danger (though that may all be BS!)

[Homestar]

When you are using a TIG at low amperages or in pulse mode a cheaper helmet struggles. They don't have the adjustability to cope with these things.

And yes, cheaper helmets take a fraction longer to darken, giving you that slight flash you are seeing. My good helmet doesn't do this either.

[roverrescue]

I’m sure other companies have the tech
My Miller Digital Elite (and other Miller modes)
You can select X-mode

From their site

“X-Mode
Electromagnetically senses the weld to eliminate sunlight interference and continuously detects the arc even if sensors are blocked”


My old helmet use to flash me, was terrible in situation as described by OP and grinding was impossible ....

X-mode is faultless - nonflashing, can have a any brightness of light onto the job
(Even full sunlight) and as soon as you pull the trigger or strike arc it darkens every time

Have to use the “cut” function when plasma cutting else X-mode darkens
Can grind in X-mode unless grindings are coming directly towards helmet

Game changer especially if you do any outside work

S

[Disco-tastic]

When you are using a TIG at low amperages or in pulse mode a cheaper helmet struggles. They don't have the adjustability to cope with these things.

And yes, cheaper helmets take a fraction longer to darken, giving you that slight flash you are seeing. My good helmet doesn't do this either.Hmmm. I dont weld enough to warrant spending hundreds on a helmet. Since buying the welder last year all ive got around to doing are a few practice runs and welding up a handle for the welding cart! :wallbash:

[W&KO]

Speedglass as the only ones i buy for work.....pretty sure they are the leader in the field.

I should follow up and see if their lastest auto lease is available, will hopefully mean the boys wont have to wear tinted glasses under the helmet while welding high end stainless

[Toxic_Avenger]

If you have cheap eyes, get a cheap helmet.
Better quality does not have this problem. My speedglas doesn't at least...

If you get really stuck, keep an old pipeliner helmet on hand. Will never go flat, and cost about 20 clams. Whack a shade 9 or 10 glass in it, and just flip the little lens down right before you arc up.

[Disco-tastic]

If you have cheap eyes, get a cheap helmet.
Better quality does not have this problem. My speedglas doesn't at least...

If you get really stuck, keep an old pipeliner helmet on hand. Will never go flat, and cost about 20 clams. Whack a shade 9 or 10 glass in it, and just flip the little lens down right before you arc up.I remember watch a video comparing cheap vs expensive, conparing reaction times and UV/IR filtration. The gist was that the more expensive helmets had better visibility but from a safety standpoint they were both ok. From memory it was by aVe but i cant find it anymore.

[W&KO]

I remember watch a video comparing cheap vs expensive, conparing reaction times and UV/IR filtration. The gist was that the more expensive helmets had better visibility but from a safety standpoint they were both ok. From memory it was by aVe but i cant find it anymore.

When welding 253MA all day my boiler makers reckon there is a big difference.....considering they have to wear additional tinted glasses under the helmet and even on max. delay/timer (when the screen goes clear) at the end of the weld isn’t long enough in relation to the glow of the weld.

DIY’er at home probably not as big a problem.

[Disco-tastic]

When welding 253MA all day my boiler makers reckon there is a big difference.....considering they have to wear additional tinted glasses under the helmet and even on max. delay/timer (when the screen goes clear) at the end of the weld isn’t long enough in relation to the glow of the weld.

DIY’er at home probably not as big a problem.Yeah if you do it everyday youd get the better helmet. Ive done less than an hour total of welding in the last year so im definitely not a heavy user!

If its going to hurt my eyes i wont use it anymore. I wish i could find that video as its one of the main reasons i was ok eith the cheaper helmet.