11-07-2014, 09:59 AM
I have a Speedglass 9002x with the adflo attachment because I like breathing as much as I like seeing. Plus the adflo seems to keep things from fogging up when I put the helmet on my fat head 
Regretfully the term "inexpensive" did not apply.
As I mentioned, and similar to Ed, I have the cheap Harbor Freight for people that might stop by and want to watch. It has proven to be a quite reasonable helmet and the experience has been similar to what Tom has had with his.
This site provides information about what protection you are trying to achieve ...
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_ha.../eyes.html
Information from the Lincoln Electric and other sites suggest that the Ultraviolet and Infrared are relatively easy to screen in that a coating is applied to the lens and 100% of the problem is resolved. Given that ordinary polycarbonate safety glasses will restrict 99% of the UV while appearing perfectly clear seems to bear this out. Note that it is a permanent coating and therefore "always on" ... assuming you have the helmet on and the UV is not leaking in from the side or somewhere else ... and not part of the auto-dimming feature.
Note that the UV produced will affect exposed skin so a protective coating like ***** sleeves, gloves, etc. should also be applied to those areas to prevent "sunburn" of any exposed surfaces. Regretfully skin cancer is a possible outcome from over exposure of the skin to UV, so it should be taken seriously.
The visible spectrum component is what the auto-dimming is designed to address. The OSHA document suggest that the "bright lights" can cause temporary blindness and eye fatigue but does not appear to be permanent. Therefore if your auto dimming helmet fails then it is very annoying and should be avoided but does not cause permanent damage.
As a side note, both of my helmets seem to be at shade 5 even if the battery is dead. Certainly not what I would want to run a long bead but enough for me to feel annoyed but "somewhat protected from the light" when I strike an arc and find that the battery is dead and it didn't go to shade 10.
Just my opinion,
Arvid
Regretfully the term "inexpensive" did not apply.
As I mentioned, and similar to Ed, I have the cheap Harbor Freight for people that might stop by and want to watch. It has proven to be a quite reasonable helmet and the experience has been similar to what Tom has had with his.
This site provides information about what protection you are trying to achieve ...
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_ha.../eyes.html
Information from the Lincoln Electric and other sites suggest that the Ultraviolet and Infrared are relatively easy to screen in that a coating is applied to the lens and 100% of the problem is resolved. Given that ordinary polycarbonate safety glasses will restrict 99% of the UV while appearing perfectly clear seems to bear this out. Note that it is a permanent coating and therefore "always on" ... assuming you have the helmet on and the UV is not leaking in from the side or somewhere else ... and not part of the auto-dimming feature.
Note that the UV produced will affect exposed skin so a protective coating like ***** sleeves, gloves, etc. should also be applied to those areas to prevent "sunburn" of any exposed surfaces. Regretfully skin cancer is a possible outcome from over exposure of the skin to UV, so it should be taken seriously.
The visible spectrum component is what the auto-dimming is designed to address. The OSHA document suggest that the "bright lights" can cause temporary blindness and eye fatigue but does not appear to be permanent. Therefore if your auto dimming helmet fails then it is very annoying and should be avoided but does not cause permanent damage.
As a side note, both of my helmets seem to be at shade 5 even if the battery is dead. Certainly not what I would want to run a long bead but enough for me to feel annoyed but "somewhat protected from the light" when I strike an arc and find that the battery is dead and it didn't go to shade 10.
Just my opinion,
Arvid