Helmet View Angle Question

[Motorboatin]

Seems to me the "traditional" helmet has same viewing window as AD...

Dale

Traditional doesn't have the "venetian blind effect"

All the guys that weld in our shop have auto helmets but I still like the old school lid. I get a headache if I use the new style. In my opinion the they don't darken fast enough for welding all day. The new helmets are better but I still get a headache

 

[Gordon Gould]

The effect that you are experiencing is called the "venetian blind effect". You actually only have an effective viewing angle of about 30 degrees with most welding helmets without a drastic change in shade. This is due to the way the LCD is configured. That's one reason that super large lenses are of limited value. But there are some newer technology from what I can understand can extend that a bit, but you still experience a variable change the further away from the center of your vision. It's not damaging but it does disorient and confuse you from time to time.

Venetian blind effect - that sounds like what I am talking about Mark, thank you. Makes sense now. I never thought about shifting the helmet on my head before I start a bead in anticipation of the angle I need like Gary F suggested. That should help.

gg

 

[Industrial Toys]

I prided myself on my visual accuity working on tiny electronic stuff into my mid 40s. Mind you, I could not see far away from age ten or so, without coke bottle glasses or contacts (that I chose).

Now, there just can't be enough light to work on almost anything. I find myself in the basement of an unfinished, unlit home and I can't make out the BK,RD,GN,Y colours of quad alarm cable!

Much of what I do, I realize I just pretend to see. I mean, totally blind people, adapt incredibly well. So, is this welding problem an issue with equipment or is it just me?

 

[jaxs]

I always prided myself on good, nice solder joints and doing anything nice basically. So when I weld off the seam into no mans land, it bothers me terribly!

Friends don't let friends weld drunk so it's not your fault. I have some of the same problems but consider myself lucky being able to at least try. I find that shifting hood forward to lower window helps but always thought it was because of progressive eyeglasses. After cheaters,soapstone lines,extra light on work and dark cloth on back of hood I'm wandering off the seam less but try as I might,I can't see the puddle. Maybe I should have said "friends don't alow OLD friends to weld.":worried:

 

[Industrial Toys]

Yes, the reflection from the rear is a factor. Never tried to do anything about it, but had pictures in my mind of those japs on Bridge over the Rive Kwai wearing some kind of apparell, back of their hat!

About welding drunk. Back in the 90s I was drinking, welding, grinding, welding, grinding and so forth. Got my head gear mixed up and started welding with my clear goggles. I had a floater that bugged the crap out of me, up until just recently, which all the medical pros told me wasn't on account of that, but that's when it happened.

 

[WranglerX]

Yes, the reflection from the rear is a factor. Never tried to do anything about it, but had pictures in my mind of those japs on Bridge over the Rive Kwai wearing some kind of apparell, back of their hat!

About welding drunk. Back in the 90s I was drinking, welding, grinding, welding, grinding and so forth. Got my head gear mixed up and started welding with my clear goggles. I had a floater that bugged the crap out of me, up until just recently, which all the medical pros told me wasn't on account of that, but that's when it happened.

Another thing I found when going to back to welding after long pause was welding jacket... Picked up nice green one, BAD idea, it reflected so much light into back side of helmet it drove me nuts after about 10 minutes, was able to take it back and exchange it for a black one....

For blindness as mentioned before , magnifying lens (cheaters) and a lot of ambient light...

Dale