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Posted: 1/11/2010 4:53:16 PM EDT
Well my new scale will be here tom, and a few posters on here told me about letting my scale warm up and various other tips to keep the scale calibrated and zeroed. I want to know all of the tricks to keep this one working right. My new scale will be a RCBS Rangemaster 750, so let's post those tips!
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| I have had 4 electronic scales, you bought the right one. ALL the others didn't hold zero worth a darn. I leave mine on all the time. You just have to keep it a bit away from the flourscent lighting. Mine is about 36" from my ceiling lights. It doesn't vary at all and is very accurate. When I am loading powders like Varget, 4831, or coarse powders I throw slightly light at trickle up to the desired weight. When it pops to the weight I want STOP trickling. Let it settle for 3-4 seconds and into the case it goes. You also want the room temp to be stable also. |
| Get a good power strip. Plug it in, turn it on and never turn it off. No requirement for warm up after it's been running for the last year and a half. My PACT will sit for a week and not wander. Last time it was turned off was a power failure a couple years ago. |
| Well I went with a really good one this time. The last one would not hold zero and drifted really bad. It fluctuated 1.5 grains in a few min. I did everything I thought was right last time except one thing. After I had shipped the scale off I realized I had the new energy efficient fluorescent light bulbs in. I'm not sure if that had an affect on the scale but I have changed them out now. I'm going to cut the new scale on and let it warm up for at least 30 min before I touch it. All of my air vents to the reloading room are now taped off and I'm going to leave the cell phone in the bedroom. Anything else? |
| Place it on another bench-table-stand or whatever so that it won't be subjected to vibration from your press and other operations. I had my electronic scale for a good while and calibrated it at every loading session. Don't know what your instructions will tell you about calibration, but another loader with the same scale as mine said he hadn't calibrated his in a long time. Well after some testing I haven't calibrated mine in a long time. It is staying calibrated. I check before "every" session with check weights, and the powder pan weighs exactly the same after warming up the scale and taring. Not telling you to skip calibration but mine is staying calibrated. Knock on Wood. Be careful to not drop something on the platten-powder pan. It's not really too fragile but it can be damaged. Place heavy objects such as loaded rounds gently on the scale. Don't pull or push on the platten. Be careful with pets around the scale especially cats as they climb on stuff when you're not around. Kids can be rough on them too trying to immitate Dad. Hope you are satisfied with your new scale. If mine crapped out tonight, I'd get on-line and order another immediately. Still keep my balance beam just in case. I've had the same electronic scale since they first came available to the reloading market. It's been a good one. Pact Digital Precision by the way. |
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I have a Lyman DPS3 and the scale seems to be ok...ithink? I don't have any florescent lighting, my cell ph is way over there and it's on a different bench.
Every now & then or when i suspect something i will check it against the Dillon - Ohaus beamer. I use the Lyman for rifle rounds only and .223 Remington is the only rifle I've been shooting since I got the DPS3. When I use the DPS3 I use it for 3, 4 days or week. I turn it off after a days use. When I use it I use the 'Warm Up'. I havn't considered leaving it on all the time forever> Maybe I should? I would like to have a stand alone digital scale but I don't know which is the best or at least good'nuf. Maybe there should be a sticky on digital scales? -VonBarky- |
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Quoted: How close would you say constitues as "in the vicinity of" regarding a smart phone? I have a 10X14 reloading building, and I cannot have the phone anywhere in the building...even if it is off. I ran a land line out to the shop, so I can leave my phone in the house. ETA: The scale started going haywire after I bought it...it wouldn't calibrate, and gave the auto-trickler a fit because it was trying to figure out the charge weight. After about an hour on the phone with Lyman, we narrowed it down to the florescent lighting, and the cell phone. I was skeptical, but, after installing halogen lighting, and ditching the cell phone in the house, the machine worked like a charm. |
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