Gallery, Projects and General > How do I??

Can the auto-darkening filter be replaced in a welding helmet?

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dwc:
I'm completely new to welding so sorry if this is obvious to everyone else...

I've just tried my first bit of welding and the auto-darkening mask I have didn't appear to darken while I was welding. Well, it was sporadic at best. I was under the impression that the solar panel should be enough to power the darkening function but apparently the unit also has internal batteries. My guess is the batteries have gone flat as the mask is a few years old but they are non-replaceable (well, there's no battery cover. If it's junk I'll still be opening it up to find out how it works).

The mask has done no work and is in pristine condition so can I replace just the filter unit? If so can anyone recommend a reputable source, I'm a little hesitant to buy PPE from eBay. The filter is marked as Model YC-E(L) and is the 110x90mm which seems to be pretty standard.

Somewhat annoyingly, while I've been doing some research the filter unit has been sitting in the sun and it appears to be working somewhat more reliably now when tested against the sun outside. Is it junk or are the batteries rechargeable (I'd assumed they were non-rechargeable)?

Many thanks for any wisdom you can said my way!

mattinker:
Dwc,

The battery slots are pretty well hidden in some masks, even if the work with photo cells function, they still need the batteries to store the energy. Over the years I've had a few, used frequently they sometimes stay charged, others don't! It's not always the "good" ones that last, the one I've been using for a long time was in a bundle with a "Gys" welder!

I'd open it up, nothing to loose!

dwc:
Thanks, I've just double checked, there's definitely no cover to replace the batteries. I've got the filter unit out of the mask so there's not many places it could be hiding. Now it's been sitting in the sun for a few hours I'm starting to think it might have come back to life.

If I'm not confident in it later it'll get the Dremel!

awemawson:
On my old helmet they were soldered onto the pcb

dwc:
The batteries are soldered to the PCB on mine as well. They won't be for much longer though...

The left battery measures 1.1V and the right is measuring -0.5 (both in circuit) so I'm guessing they are dead as door nails. I assume they are CR2032, the first part of the designation is covered by the welded on tab - I can't imagine they are LIR2032 though which is the only rechargeable version with an R in it's code.

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