SIF Lite Automask not auto anymore :(

[16v205]

Hi

Has anyone got a SIF Lite solar welding helmet that theyve succesfully fixed?

Im guessing it may be them cr2032 batteries or similar as mine stopped darkening all of a sudden just in the middle of welding the seat rails back into my car.
Its just over 2 years old always charged in sunlight. I dont want to throw it away if its fixable as its still like new and was problem free until now. I certainly dont want to buy a direct replacement if Its a common problem with this make.

Worst case can anyone recommend a replacement with easy changable cells apart from a ebay special?

Cheers
Rich

 

[pedrobedro]

I have a Huntsman which looks like the same visor. I got it free with my Minarc mig and it was doing the same thing yesterday. I just twiddled the sensitivity knob a few times and it started working again, I'll leave it out in the sun for a while to see if it cures it permanently and if not I'll look at something better.

 

[PTvor]

Try changing the batteries (CR2032 or whatever) even if it involves some surgery on the plastic. Batteries are cheaper than a new mask. If that doesn't fix it, since you're on the verge of chucking it anyway, do some opening up and look for loose contacts in the wiring. Bad or corroded battery contacts cause a lot of problems, so clean them up with a bit of wet and dry.

I thought that with solar powered helmets, the batteries were not chargeable, they keep the electronics ticking over until the arc strikes, then the solar cells provide the extra juice to keep the filter dark using the light from the arc. If that's right, leaving it in the sun won't do any good.

In any case, rechargeable batteries are only good for a number of cycles and their performance drops off with age, depending a bit on the quality of the batteries in the first place.

The SIP helmets use two AAA cells in an easily accessible compartment. SIP being largely rebadgers and box shifters, they are probably the same as a lot of others for about £50, give or take a tenner.

 

[R Kraft]

Your helmet may be different than mine,mine was a press fit with plastic pins and a line of glue next to the lens edge.
The batteries in mine were simple lithium batteries.
Lithium batteries used to be listed as having about a 3 year life expectancy.
Mine were not rechargeable.
Robert

 

[16v205]

Im certainly far too tight to just throw the helmet away without trying to fix it again.
Ill pull the lens apart the next time im trying to avoid doing something like fixing the forklift brakes tomorrow in the rain

Im hoping my lens is similar to yours Robert, with just a pair of flat batterys. Would make a nice cheap repair as its been faultless until now. Tell you what though I didnt half swear a lot when it went fully bright while welding, took a few secs to realise im still protected for UV and I wouldnt be receiving a night of arc eye.

Cheers
Rich

 

[R Kraft]

If your is the same.
I put a couple computer battery holders on a piece of perf board,and mounted it externally with hot glue in the upper part of the helmet.
I put a double pole switch on the extended wires,so that I could use it while grinding.
Robert

 

[16v205]

Bit of a update

The lithium batteries are flat, theres alot of corrosion inside the cartridge and around the pcb where the battery tags are soldered to the board. 1 copper trace has lifted and was seperated when I took it apart.

I was getting all excited about making a cheap repair knowing I can get these bits from a local maplins, then came back to earth with a bump when I sat on the bloody cartridge and cracked the solar panel glass .
Dont know if it will work as a solar hemet anymore, but ill pop an external AA battery holder on and run it as battery mask.

Just had to order a replacement Sip Lite again so I can get my work done, ill play with the other helmet in a few weeks.

Cheers
Rich

 

[R Kraft]

So if you use AA batteries at least they are a common size.
I might do that with mine next time,I just didn't have a pair of the 2 cell holders.
Robert

 

[PTvor]

I was getting all excited about making a cheap repair knowing I can get these bits from a local maplins, then came back to earth with a bump when I sat on the bloody cartridge and cracked the solar panel glass .
Dont know if it will work as a solar hemet anymore, but ill pop an external AA battery holder on and run it as battery mask.

You sat on it and broke it, what a let down. I was hoping you'd report a brilliant and cheap repair.

If the solar panel is u/s, you may as well try external batteries.

I think you can also buy replacement auto darkening cells, whether they are any good or worth bothering with, I couldn't say.

It reminds me of the story of the fire service team called out to rescue a cat which had climbed a tree and couldn't get down. They rescued it, had their picture taken for the local paper with the cat and happy owner. On the way back to the station, they ran over a cat. Guess which one.

 

[R Kraft]

The amount of power that a auto dark lens uses, should be vanishingly small.
So I'm not sold on the benefits of the solar part of the equation.

All of the ones that I have seen fail,all had the same problems.
The batteries were 3 or so years from being new,or the rivets that hold the resistive element in the darkness pot were loose.
Robert