solar mask charge

[burntmebonce]

Just want to pick you're brains I have a cheap ish mask that I think I got off Ebay it spend its down time in its bag but I have noticed each time I use it I end up with with mild arc eye just wondering if it could be down to the fact that it never gets left in the light long enough to charge up

 

[mike 109444]

If you are unsure if it is triggering then sit in front of the tv with mask on, while looking at the tv aim it's remote at the mask. You should notice the mask goes briefly dark (and now you can't see tv brightly) The reason is the IR from the remote should trigger the mask. Don't forget to take the mask off before going to make a cuppa cos you might trip over the dog Also the spark from a flint ciggy lighter should also trigger mask.

 

[shenion]

Even if the mask was dead and didn't respond; you should not get arc eye. The IR/UV protection is always on. If you get exposure issues, the the mask may be missing the required coatings.

Are you sure its arc eye or just sore eyes?

I have gotten issues with reflections off my clothes that bounce off the inside of the mask.

 

[burntmebonce]

My eyes get itchy and start to run

 

[Jan]

Is it a pure 'solar' activated model or does it have a battery? How long have you had it? The cheap solar panels used in cheap masks can wear out given enough time.

 

[ibrooks]

I don't believe there are any "pure solar" masks - they all have batteries. It's sort of like a car starting you need a lot of current (relatively speaking) to change the state of the LCD so without huge cells (the entire front of the mask) they aren't enough on their own so there's a battery to help. Once it's changed there's always at least several seconds of intense light for the cells to soak up and replenish the batteries.

My mask will change if I hold it up to the fluorescent light in the workshop. I usually do it as a test the first time I start welding on any given day as a rough and ready test of the mask and a check that I haven't left it in grinding mode which I use for the plasma cutter.

Does your mask change when you start welding? When the batteries are going dud in a mask you can often tell as it takes a second to darken during which you get flashed and end up with a bright dot in front of your eyes for some minutes. Generally this will only happen on the first arc as it'll then charge the batteries for the rest of the session - they failure mode for the batteries tends to be that they won't hold a charge for a long period which will get progressively shorter. Leaving the mask on the windowsill when not in use will prolong it's life in the early stages (long enough for you to shop around and get a replacement) but eventually the length of time the batteries will hold a charge will drop into the seconds range and you'll find that leaving it sat whilst you are setting the next weld up is long enough for them to be flat again and in the extreme you'll find the thing switching back and forth whilst you are welding.

Iain

 

[Jan]

If there's a battery in my mask it's well hidden inside the module - which I've had out to check. There's definitely nothing about any battery in the destructions. At least it works now and darkens far too fast for my eyes to detect any arc.

 

[norlander]

My eyes get itchy and start to run

arc eye is hell-its like having grit in your eyes-I've only had it once and that was over 40 years ago and I never forgot it-so I'm guessing that you have not had it unless the itching and runny eyes is a mild form of it??-but those symptoms sound more like an allergy-but I'd get that checked out by a pro- I'm no expert.

 

[ibrooks]

There's definitely nothing about any battery in the destructions.

There never is - you're not meant to replace them. On the vast majority of masks they are inside the module which is then filled with potting compound so even if you can crack the cartridge open without breaking it it's almost impossible to replace the batteries.

Iain