NTwoO
More skill with grinder than welder
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Auto darkening helmets are known to stop working at some point due to the internal batteries running flat. The batteries are non rechargeable lithium batteries. The helmets usually contain 2 of these providing 6v to the mask. If these are not replaceable, then they seem to be at different locations in the optrel masks. My helmet is an Optrel p450, but other optrels seem to use a similar lens.
Searching the mask with a magnet showed me to the location of one of these. I replaced it and the helmet seemed to work again. Obviously the second battery was not completely dead yet. After scouring the net, I saw that they all seem to have 2 batteries, so the second location responding to the magnet was tried. This was unfortunately under the controller for the darkness. With caution I managed to open it up and remove the battery.
When opening the part under the intensity control cable, extreme care must be taken not to danmage the cable. When removing the battery, use a fine screwdriver or other tool to dislodge the friction soldered tabs. Forcefully removing the battery will break off the tabs resulting in a very difficult procedure to fix it.
The terminals were soldered together under the intensity control cables and the whole was sealed with epoxy. The two wires coming from the lens now contain two 3v lithium batteries (CR2320). Other 3v Lithium batteries should also work.
Hopefully this will help others with a similar mask.
Searching the mask with a magnet showed me to the location of one of these. I replaced it and the helmet seemed to work again. Obviously the second battery was not completely dead yet. After scouring the net, I saw that they all seem to have 2 batteries, so the second location responding to the magnet was tried. This was unfortunately under the controller for the darkness. With caution I managed to open it up and remove the battery.
When opening the part under the intensity control cable, extreme care must be taken not to danmage the cable. When removing the battery, use a fine screwdriver or other tool to dislodge the friction soldered tabs. Forcefully removing the battery will break off the tabs resulting in a very difficult procedure to fix it.
The terminals were soldered together under the intensity control cables and the whole was sealed with epoxy. The two wires coming from the lens now contain two 3v lithium batteries (CR2320). Other 3v Lithium batteries should also work.
Hopefully this will help others with a similar mask.