My ChargeMaster Lite Took A Cr-p

[jackieschmidt]

I have been using it since they first came out and it has been great.

but this morning, it gave up the ghost. The motor won’t run. The scale still woks,

I always carry my vintage Bruno Powder Thrower, so I set it up, got in to throwing the correct wight, and then shot my best group of the day.

go figure.

 

[Jager]

Good tools help. But at the end of the day it's a man's experience, knowledge, and intuition in lassoing a load together and then driving it with the gun that makes the difference.

Congrats on sorting the situation, Jackie. And good luck in getting the Chargemaster fixed or replaced.

 

[R.Morehouse]

100-200yds ? How close to your target weight do you usually get with your thrower, or were you throwing then trickling up with the still working function of your scale?..........Thanks

Regards
Rick

 

[jackieschmidt]

Good tools help. But at the end of the day it's a man's experience, knowledge, and intuition in lassoing a load together and then driving it with the gun that makes the difference.

Congrats on sorting the situation, Jackie. And good luck in getting the Chargemaster fixed or replaced.

I have another Chargemaster Lite,
I took the old one apart last night, nothing seemed to be amiss. Apparently what ever electronic component tells it what to do is out.
I got a couple years of flawless service out of it. I consider it a throw away item. Like anything mechanical, it has a life span. I have no way of scrutinizing the electronics, I understand that there are people who work on them. But with the cost of shipping nowadays, getting it fixed is like putting new tires on a ‘80 Buick station wagon that has 300,000 miles on it.

I am thinking seriously of going back to just throwing my charges for my Short Range Group and Score Shooting.

 

[jackieschmidt]

100-200yds ? How close to your target weight do you usually get with your thrower, or were you throwing then trickling up with the still working function of your scale?..........Thanks

Regards
Rick

I shoot 100-200 yard Group and Score.

For years, we all used powder measures. When companies like RCBS came out with their Chargemasters, it seems overnight everybody had to start actuall weighing charges at Matches. Keep in mind, at Matches, the vast majority of Short Range Shooters load after each relay during a Two Gun event.

I honestly cannot say whether scores are any better, or worse in Short Range Group and Score since we all started weighing charges. Shooters have come up with all sorts of ingenious methods of setting up scales and trickers in a effort to use them in a loading area. I have been at this for close to 30 years, and I honestly cannot see much difference in the targets as they are hung on the Wailing Wall.

My Bruno Powder Thrower will throw with in +- .2 grn. Anybody who says theirs will throw better are just kidding themselves. There is no magic in any of them

It seems in the Short Range game, that is plenty close.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

It's been really bad for me, in 2021 we lost the washing machine, the refrigerator, then the dishwasher leaked all over the floor and damaged the laminate flooring. We replaced all them and the main burner died in our stove, I fixed that one now wife not happy because new fridge and old stove don't match,.. apparently that is a thing? Now into 2022 the garbage disposal died and not I'm in and out of doctors with chest pains their tracking down and fighting the insurance company with tests they claim I don't need.
Best thing is,... all my reloading stuff is still working. Probably because I have no time to shoot.

 

[hoz53]

It's been really bad for me, in 2021 we lost the washing machine, the refrigerator, then the dishwasher leaked all over the floor and damaged the laminate flooring. We replaced all them and the main burner died in our stove, I fixed that one now wife not happy because new fridge and old stove don't match,.. apparently that is a thing? Now into 2022 the garbage disposal died and not I'm in and out of doctors with chest pains their tracking down and fighting the insurance company with tests they claim I don't need.
Best thing is,... all my reloading stuff is still working. Probably because I have no time to shoot.

wow its hard to believe one family could have that many things go bad at once.(close)
mabie they are all the same age and all reaching the end around the same time. Anyway I hope you got a beam scale and no chargemaster so that doesnt go kaput to.
To OP — Ive got an FX 120 and auto trickler which have spoiled me but if they break I would probably just revert back to my lyman beam scale and redding PM instead of replacing them.

 

[jackieschmidt]

Here is what the inside looks like. You can see how tiny the gear drive is.

I might tear it down to nothing to see if a wire broke, or what ever. Something is interrupting the electronic signal to The little gear motor.

 

[Prose]

Give these guys a call

RCBS Repair

Lone Mountain Communications is a fully functional Two-Way radio communications maintenance facility offering extremely high quality workmanship, done right the first time. Lone Mountain Communications also provides new and reconditioned Two-Way radios, as well as parts, accessories and the...

lonemountaincommunications.com

 

[jackieschmidt]

Give these guys a call

RCBS Repair

Lone Mountain Communications is a fully functional Two-Way radio communications maintenance facility offering extremely high quality workmanship, done right the first time. Lone Mountain Communications also provides new and reconditioned Two-Way radios, as well as parts, accessories and the...

lonemountaincommunications.com

Thanks.

I have another CM Lite that I bought off of the classifieds last year right here on accurateshooter.com. It was in like new condition, I figured I needed a spare.

When I got it, the scale would not “zero”. It would drift up and down and never stabilize. The seller said it worked fine before he shipped it.

Lessoned learned about buying anything electronic that is used.

I think I will box them both up in the same container and send them to the repair shop in your link.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

Here is what the inside looks like. You can see how tiny the gear drive is.

I might tear it down to nothing to see if a wire broke, or what ever. Something is interrupting the electronic signal to The little gear motor.View attachment 1339165View attachment 1339166View attachment 1339166View attachment 1339167

Crazy that they put that tiny little motor and gear set in there and such a huge nice ball bearing on the shaft. It needs a stepper motor and direct drive.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

wow its hard to believe one family could have that many things go bad at once.(close)
mabie they are all the same age and all reaching the end around the same time. Anyway I hope you got a beam scale and no chargemaster so that doesnt go kaput to.
To OP — Ive got an FX 120 and auto trickler which have spoiled me but if they break I would probably just revert back to my lyman beam scale and redding PM instead of replacing them.

We still swear to this day that all of our appliances got Covid and died... LOL

 

[SeabeeKen]

My RCBS beam scale and uniflow still perform flawlessly since their purchase in 1974. I have a CM lite but find myself going back to the old ways as I trust electronics less and less these days. I bought an RCBS M500 as a backup but it still sits in the box. YMMV

 

[Liven The Dream]

Buy once -----Cry once FX120 .

Over the years I spent 3 times the amount on average scales and China Junk.

 

[jackieschmidt]

Buy once -----Cry once FX120 .

Over the years I spent 3 times the amount on average scales and China Junk.

I have a nice Denver Electronics Scale that is as good as it gets. I se it on occasion if I pre-load for a club Match.

Totally impractical for loading at the range or during Registered Matches.

his is my loading room.

 

[piie]

From the photo showing the PC board, it doesn't look like there are any obvious electronic components that got damaged - typically those capacitor can start leaking ( the tall one bottom right next to the C1 marking ) - one other thing that you can check - the voltage output of the transformer unit. The rated voltage and amperage is printed on it, if you have a multimeter, just check to see if it is providing at least the stated voltage (typically it will actually pump out a bit more) - have seen those things go bad and then not provide enough voltage...

 

[rijndael]

From the photo showing the PC board, it doesn't look like there are any obvious electronic components that got damaged

Their typical issue is cracked solder joints.

 

[piie]

Their typical issue is cracked solder joints.

Good to know! That's also an easy fix if you have the right tools, or at least a fairly inexpensive fix if you can find someone with a reflow oven/plate or hot air reflow gun.

 

[cptjack]

My RCBS beam scale and uniflow still perform flawlessly since their purchase in 1974. I have a CM lite but find myself going back to the old ways as I trust electronics less and less these days. I bought an RCBS M500 as a backup but it still sits in the box. YMMV

I SOLD MY CHINESE M 500 WHICH CAME IN SUPREME PACKAGE