Auto darkening helmet life expectancy?

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I guess I assumed these things were good for a while and not really consumable items.. I've got 2 that I purchased in the last year and a half and while I haven't used them in the last 10 months or so, broke then out today and neither worked.Is there a trick to getting them going again or am I just put of luck?
Reply:Depends on the helmet.  Some charge from solar or arc light.  Some have a battery.  Pop the lens out and check for a battery.  If it has none, let it sit in the sun for a few hours. What type of helmet?TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Battery would be the very first thing to look at. The helmet I have the battery lasted 4 years, wall mart  has batteries, nothing special about them.Magazines have issues, everything else has problems
Reply:I had a speedglas helmet with the same auto darkening lens for 11 years.  Heavily used.  All i ever had to do was replace the batteries and a headgear or two.  The helmet actually finally fell apart (wore out) around the lens.  I actually went to a  standard filter helmet now.  However, i would have another auto darkening for doing repetitive stuff, but i wouldn't buy a cheap one.seabee78
Reply:I have the Miller Elite for about 8 years. Only had to replace battery.
Reply:I have two hoods.. One is generic with an add-oon darkening unit. Bought in 1994. It has a small field of vision but it always works. I use it for a backup.It gets an occasional battery (AAA). The other one is a Speedglas that I bought new around 1996. It's still going strong. It uses two 2032 batteries and they last about three years. It has a nice field of view but not as large as some newer units. I want to get a new one with a large field of view. From what I understand, helmets usually last a long time. It's unusual to have one fail in a short span of time.Miller Millermatic 252Miller Syncrowave 200Liincoln AC-DC 225Victor O-A Set
Reply:Yep, look for battery.  Most require a battery to initiate their operation and can only exploit the arc radiation for power after they are activated.Some ADL use AAA while others use a "coin battery".  I have also seen cases where the battery contacts get some corrosion on them which prevents the battery from powering up the works.  Corrosion usually stems from perspiration dripping inside the helmet (ask me how I know this)
Reply:Left them out in the sun and it started working, however it seems like its reversed its operation.. When I block the sun with my hands, the lens goes dark, when I look into the sun, it goes light.Shouldn't it be doing the opposite?
Reply:I have a Speedglas XL that is close to 15 years old and still works fine. Not used every day but has a lot of hours on it B.J.
Reply:Originally Posted by BellyUpFishLeft them out in the sun and it started working, however it seems like its reversed its operation.. When I block the sun with my hands, the lens goes dark, when I look into the sun, it goes light.Shouldn't it be doing the opposite?
Reply:Let them sit in the sun again today and looks like they're working again.