- Thread starter mini-mad
- Start date
I've only ever had a solar one, I don't think it charges up as such so there is no fear of it running out, I just make sure the sensor receives some light before I start welding.
I store the helmet inside my house, the instructions say that frost/freezing temperatures can damage it so it's best not to store it in a garage/shed during the colder months.
I store the helmet inside my house, the instructions say that frost/freezing temperatures can damage it so it's best not to store it in a garage/shed during the colder months.
I've got a SIP with solar cell and two AAA batteries. The booklet says the batteries are good for 3000 welding hours. It has an auto turn off which operates after 15 minutes without action.
I really don't see what the solar cell is there for, and the manual doesn't explain very well. If it takes over from the AAAs when welding, so what? The AAAs are going to be on after welding for 15 mins anyway. If the life of the AAAs was even 300 hours, that's a lot of welding. If I could be sure the helmet would last for 300 hours of welding time, I'd be happy.
If the helmet used 4 AAs with a reasonable battery life, I'd think it was OK.
I don't think the solar cells charge the alkaline AAAs and the arc is detected by two sensors on either side of the window.
Maybe when the helmet is dark is uses a lot of juice and the AAAs are there for most of the time when the solar cells aren't working coz there's no arc. When there's an arc, the solar cells do the heavy lifting.
Unless someone knows better, I'm inclined to think that this solar powered business, is in most cases, a marketing feature which doesn't do that much but it only costs pennies to add the solar cells.
I really don't see what the solar cell is there for, and the manual doesn't explain very well. If it takes over from the AAAs when welding, so what? The AAAs are going to be on after welding for 15 mins anyway. If the life of the AAAs was even 300 hours, that's a lot of welding. If I could be sure the helmet would last for 300 hours of welding time, I'd be happy.
If the helmet used 4 AAs with a reasonable battery life, I'd think it was OK.
I don't think the solar cells charge the alkaline AAAs and the arc is detected by two sensors on either side of the window.
Maybe when the helmet is dark is uses a lot of juice and the AAAs are there for most of the time when the solar cells aren't working coz there's no arc. When there's an arc, the solar cells do the heavy lifting.
Unless someone knows better, I'm inclined to think that this solar powered business, is in most cases, a marketing feature which doesn't do that much but it only costs pennies to add the solar cells.
That article doesn't help a lot in my case, because I have to push a button on the side to turn it on.
Before it's turned on, it's definitely welding strength dark. When it's turned on and not triggered it lightens and it's reckoned to be strength 4, like about three pairs of sunglasses. When it triggers, its shade is much darker and depends on where the control is set.
As I said before, I think that at least with my helmet, if the solar cells do anything, it's supplying the extra juice while the arc is on. Maybe there are helmets which are supposed to work as the article says, but the talk of batteries which can't be replaced suggests that the designers may have had a bit too much confidence in their ideas.
Before it's turned on, it's definitely welding strength dark. When it's turned on and not triggered it lightens and it's reckoned to be strength 4, like about three pairs of sunglasses. When it triggers, its shade is much darker and depends on where the control is set.
As I said before, I think that at least with my helmet, if the solar cells do anything, it's supplying the extra juice while the arc is on. Maybe there are helmets which are supposed to work as the article says, but the talk of batteries which can't be replaced suggests that the designers may have had a bit too much confidence in their ideas.
the snooper
getting older by the day
- Messages
- 21,078
- Location
- Hull UK
i rekon the batterys just make sure it operates as you arc up then a said previously the solar power keeps it operating.
has anyone tried one without the battery ? do they still work
has anyone tried one without the battery ? do they still work
squizzel
Member
- Messages
- 68
Hi
They dont work without the batteries, they are needed to keep the electronics on and working. I had to do a small job not too long ago and found my batteries had gone. The shade was fixed to around a shade 5 to 6.
The sip mask as described by PTvor sounds exactly like my speedglas, i only chose that one because the work paid for it, but it works really well, they later replaced it with an air fed mask.So i got to keep the speedglas. The newer mask had a solar panel for the shade and was a cheaper mask. It was a lot slower to react but the solar panel worked in the same way. That used 2 AA batteries to power it up.
Mark
