A question of economics.

[Skipper488]

I am a control engineer for a systems integration company and have been thinking for a while now of better ways to weigh and document powder charges. If I developed a scale system that plugged into the USB port of your computer and would record the weight of every charge you weighed straight into a spread sheet for documentation, what would it be worth to you? I'm starting to price components now and I don't know if it's going to be economically feasable or not. I know what I would be willing to pay but I'm a notorious cheap bastard so something that I think is out of line may still be worth pursuing for others of you out there and I need that information to deal with the vendors.

Thanks for your feedback.

[Wayne Smith]

Sorry, I'm not that OCD! I guess I'm more of a cheap bastard than you 'cause I don't even have an electronic scale!

[Skipper488]

LOL. I'm a digital kind of guy (must be the controls background) and I've bought a couple of digital scales (less than $40 each), one I found to be completely useless and gave to my wife for checking postage. The other, a Hornady GS-1500, works very well but I don't like the auto off feature on it. The more expensive ones probably work better and I'm sure don't turn off because you took too long looking at that blemish on a case. I'd like to build something that fits the hobbyist in us better but with out breaking the bank. I've seen digital scales for over $300 and to me that's just not worth it but if I could get one to function the way we really want it to would $125 be too much how about $150 or $175. Me I get nervous when the number goes over $99.95 I guess Earl Schieb conditioned me too well.

[Finster101]

$99.95 sounds pretty reasonable!

[Skipper488]

Turns out it was just a pipe dream. The sensor/interface package I was looking at only has a resolution of 0.1 grams. I'll let it stew for a while more till I see another oppurtunity.

[LabGuy]

I have all my balances at work uploading to Excel, but I purchased them with a RS232 port. We use a product called WinWedge for communication. The software was $69 when we got it but now I see its $259. I won’t even get into the cost of a Metler analytical balance. But it is cool for what we do. Too bad the reloading manufactures don’t just put a USB port on them.

[Bret4207]

Nice language guys. Grow up.

[btroj]

I understand what you are going for, what I do net understand is WHY?
I record charge weight for a load, but every charge I weigh? What am I going to do with all that data? Knowing that charge 12468 was 24.5 gr tells me what?

I don't think the average reloader would pay the extra cost for a USB port because they would never use it.

I think this was what Bret was trying to say too.

Brad

[songdog53]

I would have to clean off place on reloading desk for laptop but might be useful item, but ya'll haven't seen cheap till have dealt with me. So, would have to be really good deal.

[waksupi]

I can see absolutely no use for it in my reloading. I bet you could snag a bunch of young guys that don't know any better, though. They are always looking for something to spend money on.

[Bret4207]

I understand what you are going for, what I do net understand is WHY?
I record charge weight for a load, but every charge I weigh? What am I going to do with all that data? Knowing that charge 12468 was 24.5 gr tells me what?

I don't think the average reloader would pay the extra cost for a USB port because they would never use it.

I think this was what Bret was trying to say too.

Brad

No, Bret was trying to say watch your language guys. No need for it.

[Skipper488]

Sorry Bret didn't mean to offend anyone. I was thinking for precision rifle matches it could be set up to automatically record each exact powder charge or even the bullet weight and powder charge. As I said I'm a controls engineer and we do data logging for all kinds of operations and it's amazing when you have a LOT of data to look at you can start to see patterns. My laptop is on my reloading bench when I'm loading anyway so for me it'd just be one little cable and most of all do away with the auto shut off built into the digital scales.

[1hole]

"If I developed a scale system that plugged into the USB port of your computer and would record the weight of every charge you weighed straight into a spread sheet for documentation, what would it be worth to you?"

For me, it would help nothing. When I weigh charges I know each round has exactly the same charge anyway. For those charges I don't weigh (handgun and plinking stuff) the fact I don't weigh it negates any efforts to keep track. ??

[Von Gruff]

"If I developed a scale system that plugged into the USB port of your computer and would record the weight of every charge you weighed straight into a spread sheet for documentation, what would it be worth to you?"

For me, it would help nothing. When I weigh charges I know each round has exactly the same charge anyway. For those charges I don't weigh (handgun and plinking stuff) the fact I don't weigh it negates any efforts to keep track. ??

Same for me. If I am doing testing the weights are noted and transfered to the target afterwards untill a load decission is reached. Then there is no need to keep track of anything other than number of shots fired and results, ie number of animals credited to each rifle.

Von Gruff.

[Skipper488]

Well that's the kind of thing I wanted to know so apparently IF I could get it to work it would cost more than I (the cheap person I am) am willing to pay. And there is little or no market for for it in any event.

[targetshootr]

I need a gadget to load primer tubes. Too tedious.

[Bret4207]

Sorry Bret didn't mean to offend anyone.

No prob, guys forget there are kids and ladies reading this stuff too. Plus the anti gunners, we need to present ourselves in the best possible light.

'Nuff said.

[MT Gianni]

With my LY1200 powder dispenser I have trouble with a cell phone in the same room and it warns against florescent lighting. How long a cable would you need?
Sorry but it is something else I would only see a need for if I was loading high end custom ammo for sale.

[cajun shooter]

I see no use for it with a very large faction of reloaders. Even the Bench guys weigh and trickle until the charge is the same so how would a PC read out of 45.5 grains x20 relay any useful info. The chronograph tells them the needed info.

[Willbird]

I see no use for it with a very large faction of reloaders. Even the Bench guys weigh and trickle until the charge is the same so how would a PC read out of 45.5 grains x20 relay any useful info. The chronograph tells them the needed info.

Very few bench guys do that. They buy good enough powder measures that they do not need to do so :-).

Some of the 1000 yard bench guys still do because they get into some powders that do not meter as well as what the PPC boys use.

But the data from my way of looking at it is only of value if you tracked each individual round back to it's stored powder charge weight, then you should weigh each cartridge case and bullet too...then measure the velocity, and track each bullets impact in the group...and factor in wind...then look for trends :-). And you'd better measure the case wall runout back near the solid web and mark each case for index too.

Exact powder charge weight if it is within .1 grain (which it should be) is simply lost in the clutter of other factors IMHO.

Also when we measure I was always taught that we must be able to resolve to 1/10 of our tolerance...so if we want 1/10 accuracy, we have to be able to measure to 1/100...and we might end up sorting out a hand picked powder grain to make the charge weight come out exactly right. Or filing one to length in a special little jig...or making a tiny lathe to face off powder grains to an exact weight :-).

Bill

[AZ-Stew]

The Lyman DPS 1200 system has a cable and software that work with a computer, but I don't know if it's a two-direction system of the type you're describing that will allow data collection, or whether it's just a "favorite load" logging system that will store loads and transfer them back to the scale by selecting cartridge, powder and bullet weight. I have the cable and software, but haven't been able to afford the laptop yet to go with it. If I do, I'll let you know.

Regards,

Stew