HF auto darkening helmet
 

This was kicked around a year or so, but I don't remember the consensus.
What does everyone think of them. My main concern is eye safety. I am
only an occasional user?

Thanks

Chuck P.

HF auto darkening helmet
 

On 2009-03-12, Pilgrim wrote:
This was kicked around a year or so, but I don't remember the consensus.
What does everyone think of them. My main concern is eye safety. I am
only an occasional user?

I am delighted with mine.
--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

HF auto darkening helmet
 

Ignoramus20387 wrote:
On 2009-03-12, Pilgrim wrote:
This was kicked around a year or so, but I don't remember the
consensus. What does everyone think of them. My main concern is eye
safety. I am only an occasional user?

I am delighted with mine.

Ditto.

HF auto darkening helmet
 

"Ignoramus20387" wrote in message
...
On 2009-03-12, Pilgrim wrote:
This was kicked around a year or so, but I don't remember the consensus.
What does everyone think of them. My main concern is eye safety. I am
only an occasional user?

I am delighted with mine.

If you are an occasional user, it will do just fine. As with any quality
piece of electronical equipment, I keep mine in a sealed cabinet, resting on
my gloves and hat when not in use. The headband cracks, otherwise, and the
heat and cold don't do it a lot of good if it's just hanging from a hook.
Plus there's always a danger of it getting whacked. Treat it softly, and it
should last a while. Go get some batteries in advance, as they always go
out right in the middle of an important project on a day and time when the
store is closed.

Steve

HF auto darkening helmet
 

I am curious how much difference there is between the LCD panels of
the different auto-darkening helmets. I've got one substantially
cheaper than the HF model, and I find trying to see to weld almost
impossible. I've spent quite a while adjusting how dark it is, and
there doesn't seem to be a sweet spot between "the spark is bright
enough to leave spots on my eyes" and "all I can see is the spark".

So I'm wondering if it's my eyes or my helmet. Hopefully my
helmet....

HF auto darkening helmet
 

On 2009-03-13, SteveB wrote:
If you are an occasional user, it will do just fine. As with any quality
piece of electronical equipment, I keep mine in a sealed cabinet, resting on
my gloves and hat when not in use. The headband cracks, otherwise, and the
heat and cold don't do it a lot of good if it's just hanging from a hook.
Plus there's always a danger of it getting whacked. Treat it softly, and it
should last a while. Go get some batteries in advance, as they always go
out right in the middle of an important project on a day and time when the
store is closed.

Steve, as much as I agree that Harbor Freight stuff is usually of
shoddy quality, there are some exceptions, and this helmet is one.
I have dropped it several times already.
--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

HF auto darkening helmet
 

"Ignoramus20387" wrote in message
...
On 2009-03-13, SteveB wrote:
If you are an occasional user, it will do just fine. As with any quality
piece of electronical equipment, I keep mine in a sealed cabinet, resting
on
my gloves and hat when not in use. The headband cracks, otherwise, and
the
heat and cold don't do it a lot of good if it's just hanging from a hook.
Plus there's always a danger of it getting whacked. Treat it softly, and
it
should last a while. Go get some batteries in advance, as they always go
out right in the middle of an important project on a day and time when
the
store is closed.

Steve, as much as I agree that Harbor Freight stuff is usually of
shoddy quality, there are some exceptions, and this helmet is one.
I have dropped it several times already.

Like I said, just keep decent care of it, and if you're an occasional user,
it will do. I've heard a lot of satisfied HF autodark users. Joe made the
comment that his isn't working too well, or he isn't doing something right.

I have a NexGen EQC. My second. The first was stolen. I welded for about
two days with my old Jackson, and went and bought another NexGen. I love
it, and have only a couple of minor complaints.

With autodarks, you usually get what you pay for, and on the high end stuff,
the only things that make the difference are personal things like how it
fits, how easy the controls are to work with gloved hands, quirky things
like the lights or sun triggering them.

I have seen pipeline welders with the crappiest plastic helmets with tire
tube headbands that could pass x ray every time. Sure, good equipment
helps, but knowing the basics helps a lot, too. I suggest that if anyone is
considering doing much welding that they get a good hood, and that can be a
used one. If it is only for occasional use, any old thing WITH THE PROPER
SHADE and other safety precautions will do. When a person progresses to a
certain level, they will know if they want to continue with what they got,
or move up. Tools have a lot to do with making things, but a good craftsman
can make nice stuff with just the basic tools and enough talent.

Steve

HF auto darkening helmet
 

"SteveB" wrote in message
...

"Ignoramus20387" wrote in message
...
On 2009-03-13, SteveB wrote:
If you are an occasional user, it will do just fine. As with any
quality
piece of electronical equipment, I keep mine in a sealed cabinet,
resting on
my gloves and hat when not in use. The headband cracks, otherwise, and
the
heat and cold don't do it a lot of good if it's just hanging from a
hook.
Plus there's always a danger of it getting whacked. Treat it softly,
and it
should last a while. Go get some batteries in advance, as they always
go
out right in the middle of an important project on a day and time when
the
store is closed.

Steve, as much as I agree that Harbor Freight stuff is usually of
shoddy quality, there are some exceptions, and this helmet is one.
I have dropped it several times already.

Like I said, just keep decent care of it, and if you're an occasional
user, it will do. I've heard a lot of satisfied HF autodark users. Joe
made the comment that his isn't working too well, or he isn't doing
something right.

I have a NexGen EQC. My second. The first was stolen. I welded for
about two days with my old Jackson, and went and bought another NexGen. I
love it, and have only a couple of minor complaints.

With autodarks, you usually get what you pay for, and on the high end
stuff, the only things that make the difference are personal things like
how it fits, how easy the controls are to work with gloved hands, quirky
things like the lights or sun triggering them.

I have seen pipeline welders with the crappiest plastic helmets with tire
tube headbands that could pass x ray every time. Sure, good equipment
helps, but knowing the basics helps a lot, too. I suggest that if anyone
is considering doing much welding that they get a good hood, and that can
be a used one. If it is only for occasional use, any old thing WITH THE
PROPER SHADE and other safety precautions will do. When a person
progresses to a certain level, they will know if they want to continue
with what they got, or move up. Tools have a lot to do with making
things, but a good craftsman can make nice stuff with just the basic tools
and enough talent.

Steve


The problem with the cheap HF type autodarkening is the speed of darkening.
All the helmets will stop the harmful rays without the helmet even being on.
But your eyes will get tired if you do a lot of welding. Some of the cheap
helmets are 0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000 seconds.
Mine is a Nexgen and I love it.

HF auto darkening helmet
 

"Calif Bill" (clip) The problem with the cheap HF type autodarkening is the
speed of darkening.
All the helmets will stop the harmful rays without the helmet even being
on. But your eyes will get tired if you do a lot of welding. Some of the
cheap helmets are 0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000
seconds. Mine is a Nexgen and I love it.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The HF helmet definitely darkens in less that 1/4 second, and I doubt that
ANY helmet is that slow. In 1/4 second looking at an arc, you would develop
a blind-spot-after-image that would make it impossible to see the puddle.
No one has reported that problem. I like my fifty buck HF helmet at lot.
With a $300 top-of-the-line helmet you probably get better head band and
nod-friction adjustment. Since you don't have to nod the auto adjust
helmets, that's not really very important.

HF auto darkening helmet
 

On Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:00:21 -0700, the infamous Pilgrim
scrawled the following:

This was kicked around a year or so, but I don't remember the consensus.
What does everyone think of them. My main concern is eye safety. I am
only an occasional user?

Most of us swore by them. A few swore at them for some faint line
(which many of us were unaware of until it was pointed out) in the
lens.

I don't recall safety (all built to ANSI standards) being an issue at
all.

--
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government
from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
--Thomas Jefferson

HF auto darkening helmet
 

In article , "SteveB" wrote:

If you are an occasional user, it will do just fine. As with any quality
piece of electronical equipment, I keep mine in a sealed cabinet

Do this ONLY with battery-powered auto-darkening helmets. Solar-powered
helmets need to be stored in a well-illuminated area, or else taken out and
set in the sun a few hours in advance of use.

HF auto darkening helmet
 

On 2009-03-13, Leo Lichtman wrote:

"Calif Bill" (clip) The problem with the cheap HF type autodarkening is the
speed of darkening.
All the helmets will stop the harmful rays without the helmet even being
on. But your eyes will get tired if you do a lot of welding. Some of the
cheap helmets are 0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000
seconds. Mine is a Nexgen and I love it.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The HF helmet definitely darkens in less that 1/4 second, and I doubt that
ANY helmet is that slow. In 1/4 second looking at an arc, you would develop
a blind-spot-after-image that would make it impossible to see the puddle.
No one has reported that problem. I like my fifty buck HF helmet at lot.
With a $300 top-of-the-line helmet you probably get better head band and
nod-friction adjustment. Since you don't have to nod the auto adjust
helmets, that's not really very important.

It does it in 1/20,000th of a second.
--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

HF auto darkening helmet
 

SteveB wrote:

"Ignoramus20387" wrote in message
...
On 2009-03-13, SteveB wrote:
If you are an occasional user, it will do just fine. As with any quality
piece of electronical equipment, I keep mine in a sealed cabinet, resting
on
my gloves and hat when not in use. The headband cracks, otherwise, and
the
heat and cold don't do it a lot of good if it's just hanging from a hook.
Plus there's always a danger of it getting whacked. Treat it softly, and
it
should last a while. Go get some batteries in advance, as they always go
out right in the middle of an important project on a day and time when
the
store is closed.

Steve, as much as I agree that Harbor Freight stuff is usually of
shoddy quality, there are some exceptions, and this helmet is one.
I have dropped it several times already.

Like I said, just keep decent care of it, and if you're an occasional user,
it will do. I've heard a lot of satisfied HF autodark users. Joe made the
comment that his isn't working too well, or he isn't doing something right.

I have a NexGen EQC. My second. The first was stolen. I welded for about
two days with my old Jackson, and went and bought another NexGen. I love
it, and have only a couple of minor complaints.

With autodarks, you usually get what you pay for, and on the high end stuff,
the only things that make the difference are personal things like how it
fits, how easy the controls are to work with gloved hands, quirky things
like the lights or sun triggering them.

I have seen pipeline welders with the crappiest plastic helmets with tire
tube headbands that could pass x ray every time. Sure, good equipment
helps, but knowing the basics helps a lot, too. I suggest that if anyone is
considering doing much welding that they get a good hood, and that can be a
used one. If it is only for occasional use, any old thing WITH THE PROPER
SHADE and other safety precautions will do. When a person progresses to a
certain level, they will know if they want to continue with what they got,
or move up. Tools have a lot to do with making things, but a good craftsman
can make nice stuff with just the basic tools and enough talent.

Steve

Absolutely a good professional welder can do wonderful work with crap
equipment. For those of us who are only hobby welders and don't get
enough practice to become that good, good equipment makes a big
difference.

HF auto darkening helmet
 

Cheep-O JUNK
"Pilgrim" wrote in message
...
This was kicked around a year or so, but I don't remember the consensus.
What does everyone think of them. My main concern is eye safety. I am
only an occasional user?

Thanks

Chuck P.

HF auto darkening helmet
 

Calif Bill wrote:
0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000 seconds.

Interesting that mix of units. :-)
0.25 for 1/4 while 1/25000 for 0.00004
How about using 250 m sec and 40 u sec (u for micro no Greek letters)
Sorry. These kind of things seem to jump out at me.
...lew...

HF auto darkening helmet
 

On Mar 12, 5:00*pm, Pilgrim wrote:
This was kicked around a year or so, but I don't remember the consensus.
What does everyone think of them. My main concern is eye safety. I am
only an occasional user?

Thanks

Chuck P.


I was JUST at a site about a month ago seeing a review on the HF and a
another of the cheapo helmets being compared to some of the 300.00 and
400.00 dollar units. For the life of me I can't find the link but the
consensus was that he liked the Cheapo one quite a bit better. I
remember something about the weight of the newer helmets being a
nuisance (although made VERY well) because they would eventually 'tilt
forward' on their own and coming down when he bent down to pick up rod
or whatever... The other thing was the comfort inside the helmet.
The adjustment in the helmet was more secure and the helmet seemed to
fit better. He noticed NO difference in FLASH between the two
helmets.

If I remember correctly, the only other helmet that beat out the
cheapo ones, was one with the air-tight rubber seal and Oxygen tank.
It was like $600.00 bucks or something though....

Cheers,

/FC...

HF auto darkening helmet
 

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
...
Calif Bill wrote:
0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000 seconds.
Interesting that mix of units. :-)
0.25 for 1/4 while 1/25000 for 0.00004
How about using 250 m sec and 40 u sec (u for micro no Greek letters)
Sorry. These kind of things seem to jump out at me.
...lew...

Because most people understand 1/4 and few relate 0.00004 as 1/25000.

HF auto darkening helmet
 

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
...

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
...
Calif Bill wrote:
0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000 seconds.
Interesting that mix of units. :-)
0.25 for 1/4 while 1/25000 for 0.00004
How about using 250 m sec and 40 u sec (u for micro no Greek letters)
Sorry. These kind of things seem to jump out at me.
...lew...

Because most people understand 1/4 and few relate 0.00004 as 1/25000.

How about the NexGen is X times as fast as the HF? I can wrap my brain
around that in an instant.

Steve

HF auto darkening helmet
 

On Mar 12, 5:00*pm, Pilgrim wrote:
This was kicked around a year or so, but I don't remember the consensus.
What does everyone think of them. My main concern is eye safety. I am
only an occasional user?

Thanks

Chuck P.

There are several grades of these, at least on the shelves at the
local store. I've had the one that ran about $20 on sale, about drove
me nuts. Really small viewing area and it was rather long on
darkening and lightening. I then got the one that runs about $80 list
on sale for about $40, this one was much better, much larger viewing
area, standard size cover glass, user-replaceable battery and more to
the point, almost instantaneous darkening and lightening. The
controls are external, too, not on the module inside the mask. The
head-fitting adjustments were better, too. Pay more=get more. I've
been using mine for gobbing and dobbing with TIG.

Stan

HF auto darkening helmet
 

"SteveB" wrote in message
...

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
...

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
...
Calif Bill wrote:
0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000 seconds.
Interesting that mix of units. :-)
0.25 for 1/4 while 1/25000 for 0.00004
How about using 250 m sec and 40 u sec (u for micro no Greek letters)
Sorry. These kind of things seem to jump out at me.
...lew...

Because most people understand 1/4 and few relate 0.00004 as 1/25000.

How about the NexGen is X times as fast as the HF? I can wrap my brain
around that in an instant.

Steve


That means I would have to more work into the post than it is worth to me.

:}

HF auto darkening helmet
 

"Mike Minever" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Calif Bill" wrote:

The problem with the cheap HF type autodarkening is the speed of
darkening.
All the helmets will stop the harmful rays without the helmet even being
on.
But your eyes will get tired if you do a lot of welding. Some of the
cheap
helmets are 0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000 seconds.
Mine is a Nexgen and I love it.

What helmet has a .25 second spec?

Seems that was what I remember the HF ones were when I looked a couple years
ago. Then bought my NexGen.

HF auto darkening helmet
 

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...

"SteveB" wrote in message
...

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
...

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
...
Calif Bill wrote:
0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000 seconds.
Interesting that mix of units. :-)
0.25 for 1/4 while 1/25000 for 0.00004
How about using 250 m sec and 40 u sec (u for micro no Greek letters)
Sorry. These kind of things seem to jump out at me.
...lew...

Because most people understand 1/4 and few relate 0.00004 as 1/25000.

How about the NexGen is X times as fast as the HF? I can wrap my brain
around that in an instant.

Steve


That means I would have to more work into the post than it is worth to me.

:}

Let's see. .25/.00004 = 6250

So, the NexGen is 6250 quicker than the HF (or whatever it takes for 1/4
second)

WHOA! That's worth a lot. A lot of time to figure, but more importantly, a
hell of a lot more time to darken and protect one's eyes.

Your values are skewed, Calif Bill.

I'd ask if this is correct, and my math is right, but your time is worth far
too much for the likes of me. Right?

Steve

HF auto darkening helmet
 

On 2009-03-15, SteveB wrote:

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...

"SteveB" wrote in message
...

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
...

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
...
Calif Bill wrote:
0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000 seconds.
Interesting that mix of units. :-)
0.25 for 1/4 while 1/25000 for 0.00004
How about using 250 m sec and 40 u sec (u for micro no Greek letters)
Sorry. These kind of things seem to jump out at me.
...lew...

Because most people understand 1/4 and few relate 0.00004 as 1/25000.

How about the NexGen is X times as fast as the HF? I can wrap my brain
around that in an instant.

Steve


That means I would have to more work into the post than it is worth to me.

:}

Let's see. .25/.00004 = 6250

So, the NexGen is 6250 quicker than the HF (or whatever it takes for 1/4
second)

WHOA! That's worth a lot. A lot of time to figure, but more importantly, a
hell of a lot more time to darken and protect one's eyes.

Your values are skewed, Calif Bill.

I'd ask if this is correct, and my math is right, but your time is worth far
too much for the likes of me. Right?

This is untrue. The darkening time of HF helmet is 1/20,000th of a
second.

i

Steve



--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

HF auto darkening helmet
 

"Ignoramus11807" wrote in message
...
On 2009-03-15, SteveB wrote:

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...

"SteveB" wrote in message
...

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
...

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
...
Calif Bill wrote:
0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000 seconds.
Interesting that mix of units. :-)
0.25 for 1/4 while 1/25000 for 0.00004
How about using 250 m sec and 40 u sec (u for micro no Greek
letters)
Sorry. These kind of things seem to jump out at me.
...lew...

Because most people understand 1/4 and few relate 0.00004 as 1/25000.

How about the NexGen is X times as fast as the HF? I can wrap my brain
around that in an instant.

Steve


That means I would have to more work into the post than it is worth to
me.

:}

Let's see. .25/.00004 = 6250

So, the NexGen is 6250 quicker than the HF (or whatever it takes for 1/4
second)

WHOA! That's worth a lot. A lot of time to figure, but more
importantly, a
hell of a lot more time to darken and protect one's eyes.

Your values are skewed, Calif Bill.

I'd ask if this is correct, and my math is right, but your time is worth
far
too much for the likes of me. Right?

This is untrue. The darkening time of HF helmet is 1/20,000th of a
second.

i

Steve



--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their
inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

Sorry. With the new figures, .25/.00005=5,000

So, the NexGen is 5,000 quicker than the HF or .25 second equivalent?

Help me out here, Iggy. My math is good, but I got a lot of dead cells in
all that grey matter.

Steve

HF auto darkening helmet
 

"Ignoramus11807" wrote in message
...
On 2009-03-15, SteveB wrote:

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...

"SteveB" wrote in message
...

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
...

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
...
Calif Bill wrote:
0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000 seconds.
Interesting that mix of units. :-)
0.25 for 1/4 while 1/25000 for 0.00004
How about using 250 m sec and 40 u sec (u for micro no Greek
letters)
Sorry. These kind of things seem to jump out at me.
...lew...

Because most people understand 1/4 and few relate 0.00004 as 1/25000.

How about the NexGen is X times as fast as the HF? I can wrap my brain
around that in an instant.

Steve


That means I would have to more work into the post than it is worth to
me.

:}

Let's see. .25/.00004 = 6250

So, the NexGen is 6250 quicker than the HF (or whatever it takes for 1/4
second)

WHOA! That's worth a lot. A lot of time to figure, but more
importantly, a
hell of a lot more time to darken and protect one's eyes.

Your values are skewed, Calif Bill.

I'd ask if this is correct, and my math is right, but your time is worth
far
too much for the likes of me. Right?

This is untrue. The darkening time of HF helmet is 1/20,000th of a
second.

i

Steve





http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/jan2002/collision.htm

Gives some knowledge on AD helmets. 3 years ago, I bet the HF helmet was
not a 1/20000 speed. My values are not skewed. Seems yours are. YOU need
to do research when buying something. I did, that is why I bought a NexGen.
Internet purchase for less than $200. I will spend what I need to for
safety. I spent $1100 for a new MIG welder and spool gun for Aluminum. Why
would I skimp on my safety? I am 65 years old, and still have all my digits
and eyes. So far so good.

HF auto darkening helmet
 

On 2009-03-15, SteveB wrote:

"Ignoramus11807" wrote in message
...
On 2009-03-15, SteveB wrote:

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...

"SteveB" wrote in message
...

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
...

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
...
Calif Bill wrote:
0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000 seconds.
Interesting that mix of units. :-)
0.25 for 1/4 while 1/25000 for 0.00004
How about using 250 m sec and 40 u sec (u for micro no Greek
letters)
Sorry. These kind of things seem to jump out at me.
...lew...

Because most people understand 1/4 and few relate 0.00004 as 1/25000.

How about the NexGen is X times as fast as the HF? I can wrap my brain
around that in an instant.

Steve


That means I would have to more work into the post than it is worth to
me.

:}

Let's see. .25/.00004 = 6250

So, the NexGen is 6250 quicker than the HF (or whatever it takes for 1/4
second)

WHOA! That's worth a lot. A lot of time to figure, but more
importantly, a
hell of a lot more time to darken and protect one's eyes.

Your values are skewed, Calif Bill.

I'd ask if this is correct, and my math is right, but your time is worth
far
too much for the likes of me. Right?

This is untrue. The darkening time of HF helmet is 1/20,000th of a
second.

i

Steve




Sorry. With the new figures, .25/.00005=5,000

So, the NexGen is 5,000 quicker than the HF or .25 second equivalent?

Help me out here, Iggy. My math is good, but I got a lot of dead cells in
all that grey matter.


Whoever said that HF helmet darkens in 0.25 seconds was wrong. It is
just untrue. It darkens in 1/20,000th of a second.

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

HF auto darkening helmet
 

On 2009-03-15, Calif Bill wrote:

Gives some knowledge on AD helmets. 3 years ago, I bet the HF helmet was
not a 1/20000 speed. My values are not skewed. Seems yours are. YOU need
to do research when buying something. I did, that is why I bought a NexGen.
Internet purchase for less than $200. I will spend what I need to for
safety.
Well, I have its manual in front of me, model 46092. It says that it
autodarkens in 1/20,000th of a second. When I use it, the feel is that
it does so instantaneously. I cannot properly measure that time
interval, but there is no sense of any delay when using the helmet. I
am not surprised that they could make it darken quickly, since it
likely involve some very simple circuitry involving a light sensor. As
soon as the light sensor goes over the limit, the helmet darkens, it
is simple. It would be actually more complicated to provide a 1/4
second delay.

I spent $1100 for a new MIG welder and spool gun for Aluminum. Why
would I skimp on my safety? I am 65 years old, and still have all my digits
and eyes. So far so good.

I spent a thousand on a used TIG welder and would not skimp on safety
either.

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

HF auto darkening helmet
 

Ignoramus30547 wrote:

On 2009-03-15, Calif Bill wrote:

Gives some knowledge on AD helmets. 3 years ago, I bet the HF helmet was
not a 1/20000 speed. My values are not skewed. Seems yours are. YOU need
to do research when buying something. I did, that is why I bought a NexGen.
Internet purchase for less than $200. I will spend what I need to for
safety.
Well, I have its manual in front of me, model 46092. It says that it
autodarkens in 1/20,000th of a second. When I use it, the feel is that
it does so instantaneously. I cannot properly measure that time
interval, but there is no sense of any delay when using the helmet. I
am not surprised that they could make it darken quickly, since it
likely involve some very simple circuitry involving a light sensor. As
soon as the light sensor goes over the limit, the helmet darkens, it
is simple. It would be actually more complicated to provide a 1/4
second delay.

I spent $1100 for a new MIG welder and spool gun for Aluminum. Why
would I skimp on my safety? I am 65 years old, and still have all my digits
and eyes. So far so good.

I spent a thousand on a used TIG welder and would not skimp on safety
either.


It's not worth arguing with the mindless HF bashers, they just think
HF=crap despite evidence to the contrary. They also confuse comfort with
safety since *all* auto darkening welding lenses provide UV and IR
protection regardless of their state of darkening. Even the lovely
Nexgen can be fooled by shadows blocking the sensors from seeing the arc
and fail to darken.

HF auto darkening helmet
 

In article ,
Ignoramus30547 wrote:

On 2009-03-15, SteveB wrote:

"Ignoramus11807" wrote in message
...
On 2009-03-15, SteveB wrote:

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...

"SteveB" wrote in message
...

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
...

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
...
Calif Bill wrote:
0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000 seconds.
Interesting that mix of units. :-)
0.25 for 1/4 while 1/25000 for 0.00004
How about using 250 m sec and 40 u sec (u for micro no Greek
letters)
Sorry. These kind of things seem to jump out at me.
...lew...

Because most people understand 1/4 and few relate 0.00004 as 1/25000.

How about the NexGen is X times as fast as the HF? I can wrap my brain
around that in an instant.

Steve


That means I would have to more work into the post than it is worth to
me.

:}

Let's see. .25/.00004 = 6250

So, the NexGen is 6250 quicker than the HF (or whatever it takes for 1/4
second)

WHOA! That's worth a lot. A lot of time to figure, but more
importantly, a
hell of a lot more time to darken and protect one's eyes.

Your values are skewed, Calif Bill.

I'd ask if this is correct, and my math is right, but your time is worth
far
too much for the likes of me. Right?

This is untrue. The darkening time of HF helmet is 1/20,000th of a
second.

i

Steve




Sorry. With the new figures, .25/.00005=5,000

So, the NexGen is 5,000 quicker than the HF or .25 second equivalent?

Help me out here, Iggy. My math is good, but I got a lot of dead cells in
all that grey matter.


Whoever said that HF helmet darkens in 0.25 seconds was wrong. It is
just untrue. It darkens in 1/20,000th of a second.

The likely way to achieve long darkening times is by choice of the wrong
liquid-crystal material in the electrically controlled filter, but 250
mS is still pretty long.

A photodiode, 9-volt battery, resistor, and oscilloscope should be able
to tell if HF tells the truth or not.

Joe Gwinn

HF auto darkening helmet
 

On 2009-03-15, Pete C. wrote:

Ignoramus30547 wrote:
Well, I have its manual in front of me, model 46092. It says that it
autodarkens in 1/20,000th of a second. When I use it, the feel is that
it does so instantaneously. I cannot properly measure that time
interval, but there is no sense of any delay when using the helmet. I
am not surprised that they could make it darken quickly, since it
likely involve some very simple circuitry involving a light sensor. As
soon as the light sensor goes over the limit, the helmet darkens, it
is simple. It would be actually more complicated to provide a 1/4
second delay.

I spent $1100 for a new MIG welder and spool gun for Aluminum. Why
would I skimp on my safety? I am 65 years old, and still have all my digits
and eyes. So far so good.

I spent a thousand on a used TIG welder and would not skimp on safety
either.


It's not worth arguing with the mindless HF bashers, they just think
HF=crap despite evidence to the contrary. They also confuse comfort with
safety since *all* auto darkening welding lenses provide UV and IR
protection regardless of their state of darkening. Even the lovely
Nexgen can be fooled by shadows blocking the sensors from seeing the arc
and fail to darken.

I think that 70%HF=crap. Much of their stuff is crap. But the helmets,
work well and are well regardded, not just by you and me.

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

HF auto darkening helmet
 

Ignoramus30547 wrote:

On 2009-03-15, Pete C. wrote:

Ignoramus30547 wrote:
Well, I have its manual in front of me, model 46092. It says that it
autodarkens in 1/20,000th of a second. When I use it, the feel is that
it does so instantaneously. I cannot properly measure that time
interval, but there is no sense of any delay when using the helmet. I
am not surprised that they could make it darken quickly, since it
likely involve some very simple circuitry involving a light sensor. As
soon as the light sensor goes over the limit, the helmet darkens, it
is simple. It would be actually more complicated to provide a 1/4
second delay.

I spent $1100 for a new MIG welder and spool gun for Aluminum. Why
would I skimp on my safety? I am 65 years old, and still have all my digits
and eyes. So far so good.

I spent a thousand on a used TIG welder and would not skimp on safety
either.


It's not worth arguing with the mindless HF bashers, they just think
HF=crap despite evidence to the contrary. They also confuse comfort with
safety since *all* auto darkening welding lenses provide UV and IR
protection regardless of their state of darkening. Even the lovely
Nexgen can be fooled by shadows blocking the sensors from seeing the arc
and fail to darken.

I think that 70%HF=crap. Much of their stuff is crap. But the helmets,
work well and are well regardded, not just by you and me.

I think the percentage is closer to 50% and dropping.

Some great values for home shop use:

HF digital calipers
Conventional micrometers
New digital micrometer
Possible the new digital torque wrenches
Refrigerated air dryer
Most hydraulic stuff
Sieg mills (X1, X2, X3)
Most air tools
Hammers
Wrenches
Mini pliers and cutters
Benders - tubing bender, ring roller, bar/strip bender
C clamps
Bar clamps

All of these items do very well under normal sane home shop use. Some
items will not withstand as much abuse as high end brands, but they hold
up just fine under proper use.

An example of this is their 36" aluminum bar clamps. I recently read
about a supposed woodworker complaining about those AL bar clamps and
how he destroyed them under "normal" woodworking use. I have a couple of
those same bar clamps and they have shown no signs of problems under
what should be heavier use for steel tubing fitup for welding. I expect
the person complaining is a gorilla who was trying to fusion weld wood
together with pressure alone.

HF auto darkening helmet
 

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...

"Ignoramus11807" wrote in message
...
On 2009-03-15, SteveB wrote:

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...

"SteveB" wrote in message
...

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
...

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
...
Calif Bill wrote:
0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000 seconds.
Interesting that mix of units. :-)
0.25 for 1/4 while 1/25000 for 0.00004
How about using 250 m sec and 40 u sec (u for micro no Greek
letters)
Sorry. These kind of things seem to jump out at me.
...lew...

Because most people understand 1/4 and few relate 0.00004 as 1/25000.

How about the NexGen is X times as fast as the HF? I can wrap my
brain
around that in an instant.

Steve


That means I would have to more work into the post than it is worth to
me.

:}

Let's see. .25/.00004 = 6250

So, the NexGen is 6250 quicker than the HF (or whatever it takes for 1/4
second)

WHOA! That's worth a lot. A lot of time to figure, but more
importantly, a
hell of a lot more time to darken and protect one's eyes.

Your values are skewed, Calif Bill.

I'd ask if this is correct, and my math is right, but your time is worth
far
too much for the likes of me. Right?

This is untrue. The darkening time of HF helmet is 1/20,000th of a
second.

i

Steve





http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/jan2002/collision.htm

Gives some knowledge on AD helmets. 3 years ago, I bet the HF helmet was
not a 1/20000 speed. My values are not skewed. Seems yours are. YOU
need to do research when buying something. I did, that is why I bought a
NexGen. Internet purchase for less than $200. I will spend what I need to
for safety. I spent $1100 for a new MIG welder and spool gun for
Aluminum. Why would I skimp on my safety? I am 65 years old, and still
have all my digits and eyes. So far so good.

You must be new here. I have had a NexGen for years.

Steve

HF auto darkening helmet
 

"Ignoramus30547" wrote

Whoever said that HF helmet darkens in 0.25 seconds was wrong. It is
just untrue. It darkens in 1/20,000th of a second.

Thanks. I guess now the controversy will be whether or not the difference
between 1/20,000 and 1/25000 is lethal.

Steve ;-)

HF auto darkening helmet
 

On 2009-03-15, SteveB wrote:

"Ignoramus30547" wrote

Whoever said that HF helmet darkens in 0.25 seconds was wrong. It is
just untrue. It darkens in 1/20,000th of a second.

Thanks. I guess now the controversy will be whether or not the difference
between 1/20,000 and 1/25000 is lethal.

That's a hard one! The difference is 1/100,000th of a second, if I got
my math right.

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

HF auto darkening helmet
 

Calif Bill wrote:

"Mike Minever" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Calif Bill" wrote:

The problem with the cheap HF type autodarkening is the speed of
darkening.
All the helmets will stop the harmful rays without the helmet even being
on.
But your eyes will get tired if you do a lot of welding. Some of the
cheap
helmets are 0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000 seconds.
Mine is a Nexgen and I love it.

What helmet has a .25 second spec?

Seems that was what I remember the HF ones were when I looked a couple years
ago. Then bought my NexGen.

I suspect that if your recollection is correct, what you saw was a
transcription error. I bought mine about 3 years ago, and it was saying
then a 1/20000 second time to darken.

I've never seen a AD helmet with such a slow darkening time, and I doubt
any production models were ever that slow.

HF auto darkening helmet
 

On 2009-03-15, Spehro Pefhany wrote:
On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 10:54:27 -0500, the renowned Ignoramus30547
wrote:

On 2009-03-15, SteveB wrote:

"Ignoramus30547" wrote

Whoever said that HF helmet darkens in 0.25 seconds was wrong. It is
just untrue. It darkens in 1/20,000th of a second.

Thanks. I guess now the controversy will be whether or not the difference
between 1/20,000 and 1/25000 is lethal.

That's a hard one! The difference is 1/100,000th of a second, if I got
my math right.

Or 25% more exposure, in marketing-speak.

Actually 20%.

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

HF auto darkening helmet
 

On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 10:54:27 -0500, the renowned Ignoramus30547
wrote:

On 2009-03-15, SteveB wrote:

"Ignoramus30547" wrote

Whoever said that HF helmet darkens in 0.25 seconds was wrong. It is
just untrue. It darkens in 1/20,000th of a second.

Thanks. I guess now the controversy will be whether or not the difference
between 1/20,000 and 1/25000 is lethal.

That's a hard one! The difference is 1/100,000th of a second, if I got
my math right.

Or 25% more exposure, in marketing-speak.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

HF auto darkening helmet
 

"Pete C." wrote in message
ster.com...

Ignoramus30547 wrote:

On 2009-03-15, Calif Bill wrote:

Gives some knowledge on AD helmets. 3 years ago, I bet the HF helmet
was
not a 1/20000 speed. My values are not skewed. Seems yours are. YOU
need
to do research when buying something. I did, that is why I bought a
NexGen.
Internet purchase for less than $200. I will spend what I need to for
safety.
Well, I have its manual in front of me, model 46092. It says that it
autodarkens in 1/20,000th of a second. When I use it, the feel is that
it does so instantaneously. I cannot properly measure that time
interval, but there is no sense of any delay when using the helmet. I
am not surprised that they could make it darken quickly, since it
likely involve some very simple circuitry involving a light sensor. As
soon as the light sensor goes over the limit, the helmet darkens, it
is simple. It would be actually more complicated to provide a 1/4
second delay.

I spent $1100 for a new MIG welder and spool gun for Aluminum. Why
would I skimp on my safety? I am 65 years old, and still have all my
digits
and eyes. So far so good.

I spent a thousand on a used TIG welder and would not skimp on safety
either.


It's not worth arguing with the mindless HF bashers, they just think
HF=crap despite evidence to the contrary. They also confuse comfort with
safety since *all* auto darkening welding lenses provide UV and IR
protection regardless of their state of darkening. Even the lovely
Nexgen can be fooled by shadows blocking the sensors from seeing the arc
and fail to darken.

I am not bashing HF. I have some harbor freight stuff. Still shop there.
But when I was buying my AD helmet, the HF helmets were much slower. And
all the helmets as stated, filter the UV, IR. the darkening is only for the
visible light.

HF auto darkening helmet
 

"SteveB" wrote in message
...

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...

"Ignoramus11807" wrote in message
...
On 2009-03-15, SteveB wrote:

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...

"SteveB" wrote in message
...

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
...

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
...
Calif Bill wrote:
0.25 Seconds to darken, while my Jackson is 1/25000 seconds.
Interesting that mix of units. :-)
0.25 for 1/4 while 1/25000 for 0.00004
How about using 250 m sec and 40 u sec (u for micro no Greek
letters)
Sorry. These kind of things seem to jump out at me.
...lew...

Because most people understand 1/4 and few relate 0.00004 as
1/25000.

How about the NexGen is X times as fast as the HF? I can wrap my
brain
around that in an instant.

Steve


That means I would have to more work into the post than it is worth to
me.

:}

Let's see. .25/.00004 = 6250

So, the NexGen is 6250 quicker than the HF (or whatever it takes for
1/4
second)

WHOA! That's worth a lot. A lot of time to figure, but more
importantly, a
hell of a lot more time to darken and protect one's eyes.

Your values are skewed, Calif Bill.

I'd ask if this is correct, and my math is right, but your time is
worth far
too much for the likes of me. Right?

This is untrue. The darkening time of HF helmet is 1/20,000th of a
second.

i

Steve





http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/jan2002/collision.htm

Gives some knowledge on AD helmets. 3 years ago, I bet the HF helmet was
not a 1/20000 speed. My values are not skewed. Seems yours are. YOU
need to do research when buying something. I did, that is why I bought a
NexGen. Internet purchase for less than $200. I will spend what I need
to for safety. I spent $1100 for a new MIG welder and spool gun for
Aluminum. Why would I skimp on my safety? I am 65 years old, and still
have all my digits and eyes. So far so good.

You must be new here. I have had a NexGen for years.

Steve


I got the NexGen when I decided that the flip down helmet was a pain in the
neck. After welding off and on for over 55 years, I still dislike some of
the hemets I have. Save them for visitors. Learned to weld when I was
about 8 years old. My dad owned one of the larger machine shops in the SF
East Bay area. So I got to learn machining early in life.

HF auto darkening helmet
 

On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 09:42:42 -0600, the infamous "SteveB"
scrawled the following:


"Ignoramus30547" wrote

Whoever said that HF helmet darkens in 0.25 seconds was wrong. It is
just untrue. It darkens in 1/20,000th of a second.

Thanks. I guess now the controversy will be whether or not the difference
between 1/20,000 and 1/25000 is lethal.

That shouldn't last more than about 6 weeks, 8 tops.

--
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in
nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding
danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.
-- Helen Keller