Autotrickler / A&D FX Scale Ladder Loading - Time Saving Tip.

[pat fulghum]

One of the time consuming parts of using Adam's Auto-trickler with the FX120 scale is when doing ladder loading is getting the charge value set perfectly. I thought there had to be a better way... there is..

Lets say you want to load a ladder 54.00, 54.50, 55.00, 55.50, 56.00

What I do is setup the scale to drop 54.00 grs by putting some powder in the cup until the magical 54.00 shows up.... putting kernels in and out until I'm right on....

Now you hit PRINT the screen flashes and now subsequent charges will throw/trickler to 54.00... Great.. We all know how to do that …

Now we want to step of the ladder by .50 gr to 54.50gr... Here is the trick..

• With the scale still set to 54.00, I let it throw a charge.
• After it trickles up and stops, I then add a small piece of post-it note paper to the cup. This small paper has been torn into a little square that weighs exactly my ladder spacing... in this case .50 gr.
• Now that the scale reads 54.50, you hit "mode" to cancel the previous charge.
• Now you hold "print" until it flashes and you are set to 54.50
• Remove the piece of paper from the cup and replace the cup and it trickles up to 54.50gr and subsequent loads will be 54.50gr
• Repeat as you go up the ladder.

 

[Dos XX]

Thanks. That is a great tip.

Now I need to find or make some .10 gr dilly whoppers.

 

[#40Fan]

I have never used FX120, so are you telling me there isn't a number pad to punch in how much weight you want? You have to already have the amount you want on the scale and it will duplicate it for you?

 

[pat fulghum]

I have never used FX120, so are you telling me there isn't a number pad to punch in how much weight you want? You have to already have the amount you want on the scale and it will duplicate it for you?

That is correct. You have to put the weight on and the scale duplicates it. It’s not like a charge master

 

[Twoboxer]

I have never used FX120, so are you telling me there isn't a number pad to punch in how much weight you want? You have to already have the amount you want on the scale and it will duplicate it for you?

The FX120i is an excellent scale that has a serial port allowing communication of data to other devices (eg printers) in a lab setting.

The AutoTrickler is a separate device which connects to that serial port and uses the data to drive a trickler. It is not a standard part of the scale, and is not made by the same company. To keep the total cost as low as possible, the AutoTrickler does not come with a keypad. At least not at this time

OP: GREAT tip. Thanks!

 

[spife7980]

Instead of using a piece of paper I just let it make its initial charge and then spin the trickler a bit by hand until Ive dispensed the desired amount and then mode-print(stop start) it to have it work with the new charge weight.

Ive never had any issue with my current method but Ill try this trick next time.

What I really ought to do is make a weight for my desired charge once Ive found it. Even though I tare and use a check weight to verify the scale calibration having a piece of something that weighs the exact weight I want my powder each time would be pretty nice for guaranteed consistency. Like maybe its 0 &100 gr weight points are correct but 51.1 grains actually measures 51.14. Using the same physical set weight would get you the same result in different loading sessions.

 

[R.Morehouse]

With mine i just give the trickler a few turns by hand. But for ladders i usually am only jumping .2 for what i am shooting. But thank you for the handy tip.

Regards
Rick