Subject: Re: Welding Helmet

From: [email-masked] (Dave Mathis)
Date: Sat, 26 Feb 1994 16:38:30 GMT

I have a Jackson EQC helmet.  For someone that does not weld a
lot, I think it is great.  No flopping your head around, and moving
your work, to get the arc started.  I tried two other brands before
settling on this helmet. 
	Problems:  
1) Most of these type helmets use LCD's that deliberately  have a 
'starburst' pattern in density.  The corners are brighter than
top-center.  This was a real problem on the other brands, the
light/dark ratio was too much for me.
2) The 'angle' adjustment, (helmet to headgear angle) is not
quite adjustable to my needs. I modified it to work.
3) I went through 2 other 'modules' (the LCD) before I got one to
do the right thing. In fairness, both of thouse modules worked,
just not with my welder.  The problem is (as described by the
LCD engineer) that a low amperage, DC arc is so stable that the
helmet believes that the arc is off.  They have modified the
circuit to work with that problem. A Miller syncrowave 250, the
welder I own was the worst they said they had to deal with.

	The LCD engineer tells me that even when 'bright', 
about a shade 4, the LCD gets rid of all the UV, so when I
was having problems, there was no chance of permanen eye damage.
I find the adjustable shade to be useful, 25 amps - 200 amps is
too big a brightness change for a single shade for me. I never
use the adjustable delay.  It turns itselft off after 30 minutes
of no arc to save batteries, and while the arc is on, uses the
arc light to power the circuit.  I have never been able to
see the arc strike, that is to say, 1/1000 sec (or whatever they
advertise) is plenty fast to not blind me.

Summary:
	If you can afford it, get it, with adjustable shade.

Dave Mathis