Quote:
Originally Posted by Dean
Any idea what the ANSI change was? Is the new standard less than 1/25,000 second for auto-dim?
I know, saving money can have that effect.  |
The new standard requires manufacturers to rate the LCD time within a temperature range (30F to 130F IIRC). A lot of good a 1/25,000 helmet does if it's only that responsive at 150F, meanwhile, on a cold day it's 1/2000.
For the most part, the cheap-o autoglass helmets that meet the current standard are 1/3600. Which is fine for occasional use, but tend not to work for TIG welding below 20amps, or for frequent tack welding where all you're doing is striking an arc over and over again. They're also not usually adjustable.
The HF helmet I picked up says it's 1/25,000 (which is comical because even the $600 helmets are only 1/20,000) and can be adjusted from shade #9 to #13. I'm guessing it's actually more like a 1/3600 at cold temps, which is fine at that price, IMO.