Another Optrel e680 query

[jarv]

Look lads (and lasses) I'm sorry to be going over old ground, but I have a problem with my shield and although I have searched through the various threads, (and elsewhere on the net) I can't seem to find a clear answer. So Apologies in advance!
I have the above satellite helmet, which I've been using for about 2 years.
Last week after using it for about 5 hours, I felt that I had slight arc eye in the evening. During the course of the week - say 3 out of four days I experienced the same thing - tonight I'm suffering and I would say prob won't be welding tomorrow. I could do with sorting this out fairly promptly!
The lens seems to be working normally - but it's obviously got something wrong.
I have never adjusted the settings since I bought it (apart from using the grinding setting every now and then).
I have turned the house upside down tonight (through squinted eyes!) trying to find an instruction book or manual - but no luck.
What are your thoughts?
Is there a battery to replace? I can't really see why settings need to be adjusted, especially as everything WAS fine a few days ago. So I'm at a bit of a loss. All the sensors etc are clean and everything APPEARS to be working. When not in use, I keep it in a motorcycle helmet bag. I have never sat it in sunlight or attempted to recharge the batteries in any way.
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[pedrobedro]

Should have gone to Specsavers. You don't get arc eye through a shield glass, even on it's base setting or clear glass will stop UV which is what burns your conjunctiva (the skin over your eyeball) causing the pain like bad sunburn. You are either straining your eyes or you are catching yourself unawares with no shield or if someone else is welding near you they have caught you by surprise.

 

[jarv]

Nope! No one else welding there.
I've been welding for many years and not had arc eye since I was a teenager. I I understand the dangers of "catching yourself out" thats why I ignored it in the first instance. At first I put it down to a possible error.
I often weld all day - all week and have no problems whatsoever.....that is until a few days ago.

 

[Country Joe]

Strange one this. I've got exactly the same shield, and it does the same to me. So much so that I don't use it, and use my old crap one instead.
Happened about a year ago, and each time I've tried it (maybe 5-10 times) since then, it's given me pain!
Mrs Joe has since pointed out that it has a 2 year warranty, and as I'm still inside of that (untill mid-Feb next year) I've been meaning to send it back.
I remember, as you've probably already done, trying all settings, but finding the same result every time.
I'm going to try to find the receipt and return address now, so if I have any joy, and find out what it was, I'll let you know.
All the Best,
CJ

 

[jarv]

Thanks for that.
I woke up this morning 04.00 with bad eyes.
Couldnt work today... bit of a worry because I can't think what it could be.
Unfortunately mine is outside the 2 yr warranty.
Its a great shield - usually!

 

[hotrodder]

As said the UV/IR filtering is passive and not reliant on shade settings/mask switching etc. The 'flash' from a lens not switching is still bloody uncomfortable but should only be a momentary thing like some joker shining a bright torch in your face etc

Optrel... (user manual available here)

Several LCD's and special filters provide permanent shade 14 protection from dangerous UV and IR radiation, even in the unlikely event of total filter failure

quoted from about halfway down this page Similar info for speedglas lenses on page 2 here.

I've never had arc eye so can't compare with the feeling of tired eyes/eye strain but i find with auto lenses a long day can result in more eye strain than with a passive lens- perversely tends to be worse with high end lenses as they typically have a lighter standby shade i.e. while the switching speed is fractions of a millisec it's enough to have an effect but more like the result of reading a book in poor light than waking me up in the middle of the night levels of discomfort

No chance that something new in the workshop is reflecting light (burnt my ears and back of my neck from that one before) or that the mask is 'leaking' i.e. gaps between the lens and shell or similar? Wearin a pair of safety specs under the hood would rule out those sorts of things

I wouldn't let the mask being out of warrenty stop you contacting Optrel if everything else has been eliminated (including old eyes). Might be something they're aware of like the switching time going wrong or something they want to investigate. IIRC (and i may be making this up) Speedglas were replacing lenses regardless of warrenty a while back after a spate of complaints about random things like forklifts confusing the lens

 

[jarv]

Thanks... for your replies.....

Cheers Hotrodder - I've emailed them tonight.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Meanwhile I'll have a look at the owners manual using your link!

 

[jarv]

UPDATE:
Food for thought for those who own, or those considering buying an Optrel shield... it may be worth bearing in mind that the customer service at this company is looking pretty bad at the moment!
Emailed them on 25th Nov hoping for a prompt reply regarding my problem - because it is obviously stopping me from using the shield - but so far no reply.
I have emailed again today.
Pretty poor.

info@optrel.com

 

[Country Joe]

I sent mine back to the supplier (as they advised me to) on the 26th of Nov(arrived on 29th), and having heard nothing, gave them a ring this morning.
They said they'd tried it and it seemed ok. They then said that as it's a solar shield, it shouldn't be kept in the dark.
I even tried leaving it out in the sun for an hour or so a couple of times prior to welding, long before sending it back, and as it doesn't really live in a dark box, I doubt if it will be that.
I have to ring them again tomorrow, so they can "double check" to see if it's faulty.
I don't expect, doing just run a short run of weld to test it, would have much effect, as I usually weld for quite a while when I use it.
I shall ring again tomorrow, and let you know the result.

All the Best,
CJ

 

[jarv]

Thanks CJ.
Trouble is - the consequenses of "testing" it yourself are not acceptable!
Looking forward to hearing what they say;

 

[Country Joe]

Thanks CJ.
Trouble is - the consequenses of "testing" it yourself are not acceptable!
Looking forward to hearing what they say;

They don't seem to have much to say:-

Wednesday 08/12

Rang the supplier, just to ask what was happening, and had they re-tested it. A guy called Mike was who I had to speak to, but it turned out not to be a good time to call, as he was busy with a customer. Later on, when I finally got through, he said they had received it, but didn't realise where it had come from, (didn't read the covering letter?) so hadn't done anything. Said he'd ring back later, but didn't in the end.


Thursday 09/12

Gave them another ring today, as yesterday the guy had been busy with someone, and the upshot is, I should be getting another in the post tomorrow.
All credit to them, really - as it's hard to understand the problem without welding for a while, (and waiting a couple of hours to feel the results) and it does darken as you'd expect.


Tuesday 14/12

Gave them another ring today, they now say they sent it yesterday, but can't remember who with, (Post office/Parcel Force/Other Courier?) but ring them again in half an hour and he should be able to let us know.
Kept on trying to get through, but was going to an answering machine, after ringing for a while. Probably easier to ring tomorrow if it doesn't come through.


Wednesday 15/12 (Today)

The post has come & gone again today, and still no sign of it. Just rang again & spoke to a guy called Luke, who says he can find no trace of any optrel e680 having been sent to us, by any method. He says he'll ring us in 15 minutes.
Of course they didn't, so we rang them back and got Mike again! He now says "everything is all stacked up at the couriers", but says he still doesn't know who he sent it with. In the same conversation, he now says it was only sent yesterday!
I assume that means staying in a few more days, or maybe a couple more weeks!
Starting to feel a bit tired of this, rang them back, and got given a tracking number for DPD, which didn't work. Rang back again, to let them know it wasn't a DPD tracking number, and they now say they've sent it with City Link, and it'll come tomorrow! So maybe only one more day to wait in for - but I've thought that a few times in the last 2 weeks. It seems as if the automatic response is "sent it yesterday", regardless of what the truth may be.
I definitely won't be using this supplier again.
There have been a couple of other attempts to contact them, that I've not included, as it always results in "we'll ring you back", which so far, they never have - it seems as if you have to do all the waiting in, and make all the phone calls, just to be lied to.
If it does come tomorrow, I shall update the Forum as soon as it does arrive.
All the Best,
CJ

 

[john224]

re courrier

Hi now you said it city link i wouldnt put to much hopes up at it arriving tomorrow thursday 16th,,, My mate workes at the main city link hub and he said to me today that they have thousends of parcels stacked up at all depos waiting to me dilivered and the warehouse in scotland top end ( glennroth )) i think he said hasent even been working for over a week as they still have over 2 foot of snow there and carnt get any lorrys in or out of the yard and they have got lorrys stacked up with parcels stored at several different places,, He said to night that coventry dpt was about at a week behind with the dilliveries as well as the bad weather now they have got all the XMAS parcels as well,,,,

 

[Country Joe]

It arrived just now! (2.30)
Says on the slip it came with, that it was only sent yesterday!
Came via a courier called "Aspray".
I'm free to go out again! No more waiting in for it to arrive!
Just off out to see what it's like.
All the Best,
CJ

 

[jarv]

Decided to post an update on my Optrel problem.
After still having had no response to my three emails - I sent this message today.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Sirs, I am interested to find out whether anybody is concerned with my query.
I first contacted you on 25th NOVEMBER- but have had no response.
Am I to assume that my £185.00 welding shield is scrap?
This has to be the worst "customer service" I have ever encountered!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think I answered my own question - so I don't really expect any reply!
Just thought I'd point this out so none of you waste your money buying what is supposed to be a quality product - but has proven to be an expensive mistake.
(AND it looks like I'm not the first to say this.)
After a couple of weeks of no response I had to buy another shield - I couldn't wait any longer - so a lesson learned. Very disappointed to be honest.

 

[Country Joe]

Hi Jarv,
That's not good!

I feel a bit guilty to have to say that mine is now completely different to the dodgy one I had before. If they didn't look identical, you'd find it hard to believe they're the same - so much so, that it makes me wonder if there wasn't a problem with some batches of them for a while, or quality control had a few periods of slacking off?

I'm still almost loathe to say anything too soon, just in case it suddenly starts playing up like the other one again, which would then make me assume that they just don't last, regardless of how well they're looked after.

Anyway, regardless of wether mine is about to break or not, no reply is not any good as far as customer service is concerned.
I would suggest ringing instead, but after my recent dealings by phone, (admittedly not directly with Optrel) that can be very frustrating too. To the point that I was going to give up on it, despite the warranty still being in date, as it was turning into such hard work.

In fact, do they even have a phone number in the UK? The only one I can see on the box is in Switzerland.
You never know, your last e-mail may have been blunt enough to get their attention. Past results might suggest otherwise, though!

I trust the new shield works as it should? Not another Optrel, I'm guessing?

Starting to sound like one man's desperate scrabble for positive ways to look at it, now!
So I'll go!

All the Best,
CJ

 

[jarv]

Update:

First of all - I have to admit to an error - so apologies all round.
My helmet is not an e680... it's a Satellite. (The e680 is the newer version). Sorry if I mislead anyone here.. it was unintentional.
Although they look very similar, the e680 has replacable batteries - the Satellite does not - and also the lens on the newer one is slightly larger.

I received an email from Mick at Weldspares the morning after my last email to Optrel. (posted here a couple of days ago).
Weldspares.co.uk are the UK distributor for Optrel. He asked for my number and shortly after gave me a ring to discuss.
My query had (finally) been forwarded to them. It's a shame it took a s#itty email to finally get things going.
He told me that I could not possibly get arc eye when using that shield - a statement that I am struggling with to be honest - because I AM definately getting it when I use it - and NOT when using the 50. euro shield that I purchased as a replacement. (?) Strange.
He seemed helpfull enough, and said he would contact the office in Switzerland and ask for advice regarding sending it back for a test - even though it was now out of warranty. I explianed that my original query sent to them was not a warranty issue / claim - but was a request for help or suggestions as to why this problem had occured.
He also said that they may want to charge me for testing it. mmm.
Thing is... what are my alternatives - throw it in the bin? ...... I'll wait and see what they say.
Currently waiting for a reply.

 

[pedrobedro]

Send it to me, I'll test it you for free and tell you if it gives me arc eye. I'm pretty confident it can't as the UV will not penetrate even on minimum setting. My cheap helmet has been playing up and not darkening immediately but I am still flash free.

 

[Drains]

Here's an idea.

Get some UV reflective paint, or better (cheaper) - a UV pen. Mark up a piece of white card, turn the welder on on one side, card on the other, do a quick visual on the difference between the effect of the arc on the paint/ink from your satellite and the other mask.

It should be pretty clear if one is letting through more UV light than the other. It's not very scientific, but at least it should be a cheap and cheerful indicator of whether anything untoward is going on.

 

[Country Joe]

Jarv,

I think you said somewhere, that somebody told you that your warranty ran from the date of manufacture, as opposed to date of purchase.

Just found a PDF that says different:-
http://www.spawelding.co.uk/online-store/welding-helmets/optrel-helmets/281-optrel-sperian-e680-headshield.html

Quite near the bottom of the PDF.

All the Best,
CJ

PS. You have a PM