Connecting RCBS Charge Master Dispenser to A&D FX-120i scale

[ARK]

Did somebody figure out how to connect RCBS dispenser to F120 scale?

 

[jr600yd]

Yup, called a human. Moves the pan of powder from scale to the other.

 

[Retired Grunt]

Yup, called a human. Moves the pan of powder from scale to the other.

Hornady uses the same system, whether it's the Auto Charge or the old Hopper.

 

[ebb]

I think you guys are missing the point. I think ARK is asking can you take a charge master and remove the RCBS scale and hook up the F120 to the RCBS trickler. Then the accuracy of the weighed charges would be to the level of the F120 instead of the RCBS scale.

 

[ARK]

I think you guys are missing the point. I think ARK is asking can you take a charge master and remove the RCBS scale and hook up the F120 to the RCBS trickler. Then the accuracy of the weighed charges would be to the level of the F120 instead of the RCBS scale.

That's exactly what I was trying to say. I use RCBS combo to throw my charge and then finalize it on F120. My Charge Master drifts after initial zeroing and after couple of charges is out by 0.1 - 0.2 grains. I am using human interface. Since Mr. McDonald figured it out, I hoped somebody here cracked the code. If not, i will have to do it

 

[JimSC]

. Since Mr. McDonald figured it out, I hoped somebody here cracked the code. If not, i will have to do it

unless you have a EE degree you would probably be better off just ordering a Autocharge. Adam has the V3 version for $270 right now with a two week lead time

V3 AutoTrickler

Not available with AutoThrow.AutoTrickler V3 production is ending and we are no longer accepting orders for the AutoThrow component. You may still order the AutoTrickler without AutoThrow while materials last.Includes everything you need to weigh powder quickly and accurately with your...

autotrickler.com

 

[Jager]

The scale and the dispensing device have to talk to each other.

Unlike A&D, which expects laboratories to interface other items to their scales - hence the inclusion of a serial port - to my knowledge RCBS has never published a software interface to their Chargemaster. And they certainly haven't included any kind of physical communication path for linking to it.

Not saying it couldn't be done. But it's not something a hobbyist is going to easily do.

 

[ARK]

It does have interface.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

It does have interface.

Great. Now all you have to do is build adapter that goes from what looks like a parallel port to a serial RS-232c port, and then change the code inside the CM dispenser to accept the data format from the A&D FX-120i instead of whatever the CM scale sends out.

 

[coldboreshot]

I agree with #JimSC here...even if you gain interface between the two devices, the A/D scale still has to read the initial charge drop and then the trickle. The scale is constantly reading the weight to adjust and set target. Now, are you also referring to setting up the dispenser to be placed over the top of the A/D ???? This sounds a little out in the weeds. Perhaps I am still missing something here, I am certainly not an EE. If me, I would sell Chargemaster and invest the $270 into the V3, a device already set up for the task. Good luck with this.

 

[Prose]

In one of the original threads about Adam McDonald's invention, he wrote a post about why he decided not to do exactly what is being considered here on this thread. It was a very technical response. If you search every post he's wrote, you could probably find it. I'd estimate it was one of his first 20 posts on this site.

 

[CharlieNC]

For $50 you can buy an Arduino kit which includes a PC plug in board which you can program to read inputs and send outputs, digital and analog. Many kits include motors and various other hardware components too. Setup an oring drive to a trickler after dropping the bulk of the charge from a Lee.

 

[PigButtons]

Great. Now all you have to do is build adapter that goes from what looks like a parallel port to a serial RS-232c port, and then change the code inside the CM dispenser to accept the data format from the A&D FX-120i instead of whatever the CM scale sends out.

Man oh man, I don't miss those days. I used to do that kind of reverse engineering for a living. Yuk, and yuk! If you are good at it and have all the equipment necessary, of which there is a lot, and you can program in either C or Assembler to a Prom and burn the chip, it would only take a month or two to get it up and running. Let me know how that works out. The reason there are units that are plug and play and tutorials on how to do it yourself with the FX 120's is that they publish their interface. But if you've looked at the code required to actually run one of those devices you'd understand why $50 in hardware costs $270 out the door.