Mobile reloading kit - What do people use for a scale?
I've been thinking on that, whether an electronic scale would be "best" or use a beam scale or ?
For a mobile kit I'd be a little worried about getting the beam scale damaged; But if you abuse an electronic scale it tends to get pretty sick also! And I might mod the electronic scale if I use one (for example, update it's battery power supply to use 2 AA batteries, which would cheaply last like 5 years, instead of one cheap tiny "coin cell" battery. Should be an improvement. That's what us Embedded folks do to electronics - Mod the heck out of it, if it annoys us. (Friend's shaving razor has a dual external "C" battery pack with two NiMH batteries in there, that thing runs a month between charges or something LOL)
Probably an electronic scale would be smaller and easy enough to pack into a tiny space inside of some protective foam in a "hard case" of some kind; You'd want one that will "Tare" so you can cancel out your powder pan, which could be as simple as a mini muffin liner or the like if you don't want to use a mini measuring cup or partial medicine bottle or the lid of a plastic container (Peanut Butter jar or the like maybe?)
If someone has a better or different idea I'd love to hear it :) Always things to learn.
(Hoping this is "the" forum for this, as a scale is maybe considered a hand tool? Mods, if I am wrong, feel free to move this, just don't string me up please LOL)
Mobile reloading kit - What do people use for a scale?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Petrol & Powder
My "trust" in a scale has more to do with its consistency with a known check weight than its price.
This is where the cheap scales will come up short. I will list a few of the issues:
- Automaric shutoff, not on all of them. But just as the scale is warming up it shuts off.
- Drift, it will read a check weight properly, but over time it's value starts to drift. This is obviously an issue since we're weighing charges of powder.
- Sensitivity, matters because of trickling powder. Most of the cheap ones aren't sensitive enough to register powder when you trickle in into the pan. It should register when you place a piece of .25"x.25" paper on it. Had ones that took multiple pieces until it would read.
- Differing weights in relation to pan position. You can put a check weight on four corners and it will read differently. Some of the ones I tested wouldn't read any weight in relation to pan position.
- Repeatability, will it register the same weight if you take it on and off the pan repeatedly. If you a thrown charge readings 4.2 through 4.5 then how do you know what it really weighs? Not a big deal w/ large volume rifle loads. But a very big deal w/ a high pressure pistol round like 9mm. Especially if you're loading near max.
While the technology has gotten better they aren't all the same. We are dealing w/ propellants and very high pressures. Do you trust your fingers and eyes to a cheap scale? And I mean trust it to the extent that you aren't checking it at all against a beam scale.
Not all higher cost scales are immune to issues. Jmorris has a video showing a RCBS Chargemaster drifting. Mine does not do this. Either does a PACT DPPS that I own. But it shows that it can and will happen.
Maybe it's time I buy a bunch of scales and test them again. Last time I did people refuted my findings. It seems people don't like hearing the product they own has issues. Or in some cases was complete garbage. The two electronics I still own are the ones I trust. But there are others, like the Gempro, that are just as good if not better.
I ordered this scale to test:
SE WC2610-5 Pocket Electronic 5 Unit Digital Scale Grams, Ounces, Tola, Carat, Grain, 17 oz Capacity https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L1JG4U8..._XJX8zbR8P2HN9
It has a 60 second automatic shutoff so I don't have much hope for it working well.
Mobile reloading kit - What do people use for a scale?
There is still a big difference between high and low cost scales. It's still a case of you get what you pay for. I pointed out one example of a Chargemaster drifting. There are thousands of them out there and that's the only issue I've seen about one. The one I have doesn't exhibit this issue.
While electronics can be made cheap it doesn't mean they're all created equal. If you trust your extremities to a cheap scale then more power to you. I've tested enough scales to know where the problems lie. It starts w/ not having a cord so it can be plugged in.
Mobile reloading kit - What do people use for a scale?
Mobile reloading kit - What do people use for a scale?
I have then $9 scale on its way to me. It may be here by Sunday. I will run the tests and see how it performs. If the one review is correct it doesn't read in tenths of grains even though it says it does. I have little doubt that it will flat on its face in many areas.