Variable shade auto hoods

[Rambozo]

Looking for some real world feedback on the auto variable shade helmets. Both Optrel and Arc One have these where they detect how bright the arc is and adjust the shade level to suit. Seems like that would be great for jobs where you are up and down on the pedal for repair work. Is it just a sales gimmick or does it work for you?

[christian]

Sure, Rambozo,

I guess I forgot to include here, my recent little review of the ArcOne IDF81. It wasn't video, just text, and pics, posted at WW. I'll put a link below.

At $214, it has good clarity and that straw color/tint, unless you're using 5356 filler, which throws a green arc. The low light state is nice at only shade 3. The headgear was flawed, but I usually change any lid to the Jackson 370 headgear anyway.

The on-the-fly jog ability on the outside of the lid seemed just as innovative to me as the auto-variable-shade ability, since you'll still sometimes want to jog up or down when the ambient light conditions change, e.g., indoor daylight versus indoor evening welding.

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php...ghlight=ArcOne

Looking for some real world feedback on the auto variable shade helmets. Both Optrel and Arc One have these where they detect how bright the arc is and adjust the shade level to suit. Seems like that would be great for jobs where you are up and down on the pedal for repair work. Is it just a sales gimmick or does it work for you?

[christian]

Here's a little follow-up, Rambozo,

I’ve recently gotten around to installing a 1.50 diopter/cheater in this lid, and in addition to using it along with some 1.50 reading glasses, there’s now a big improvement in my welding vision. I mean, with the reading glasses alone I’d have to keep 18” to 24” away to see in focus, but now I can get closer, which is a bit of a zoom-in ability for me, which is great.



Otherwise, the lid itself has has a tendency on a couple of occasions to have the remote sensitivity dial migrate to a less sensitive position over time or by fumbling with the other, forward-most remote Shade adjuster, which is non-problematic, since it’s a spring-loaded, jog mechanism. Of course, in low amp TIG welding, the sensitivity adjustment is important. So, I simply stuck a sheet screw near the more sensitive range of the dial to act as a nub stop, but which still allows moving beyond with some slight tension, if desired.



So, with these minor modifications and additions, I’m really starting to get comfortable with this variable-shade lid.