Racecarl:
I'm not sure I can add much, it sounds like you are an experienced welder. I've only been welding for about six months - primarily on my truck. However for what its worth, I was having problems and went to my local welding supply shop for some lessons. He gave me an auto darkening shield to use during the lesson. I was so impressed I bought one (I'm sure it was part of his plan). It cost about $160. It has a button to turn it on - it allows you to see pretty well before you weld. during the welding process it seems to have much better resolution than my basic one. After about 10 minutes of non-use it automatically turns itself off. Also, since I am far sighted, it has a 2X magnification lens on it. For someone of my caliber, it works great and I wish I would have got one right away. I think a more expensive one might be more than I need or can make use of at this time.
