Problems With Scales

[Twoboxer]

. . . Once i get the room totally finished, there will not be drafts in this room at all. I have to hope that this will be all that is needed without any other additions done to promote a good healthy diet of electrons for the scale.

As said several times above, if the FX isn't broken the only things that should make it flutter are static electricity and air currents.

Glad you are good to go now.

 

[nevadabob]

I reload in my garage. My Hornady 1500 electronic scale would drift when I had the side garage door open. Just enough subtle breeze coming through to affect it. Closed door...drift problem solved.

 

[USMCDOC]

Ok.. i thought that this issue was resolved.. but it isn't.. so my electrician is coming over to look at it.. i built a room to isolate the scale from the rest of the house.. but my 70 year old home still has the original wiring in places.. but the spot where the room is has newer wiring.. but my grandfather didn't put in a grounded line.. So i guess what we're going to do is to put in a new isolated shielded line for the scale to operate on. There are no rugs, i only have LED lighting.. the work bench is stable and connected to the wall. I have the scale sitting on a 1 inch thick slab of marble. If the line don't work.. i can only say.. is that i will have to ground me or go back to a beam scale.. i do have one that Scott did up for me

 

[JohnKielly]

Don't discount that there's a malignant force in your neighborhood that hates you.

 

[coford]

If you think your body is messing with the scale try an anti-static mat under your chair. One other thing that comes to mind is when the humidity is really low - like 10% to 15% my A&D drifts a tiny bit ( .02 to .04+- ). It does not do that when the humidity is above that. I just attributed it to static electricity in low humidity and I fire up the humidifier and in an hour or so it goes away.

 

[davecb]

I don't know nearly as much as a lot of people here but when I was having issues with my scale drifting(every time I would move towards it), I wound up purchasing a tripplite line conditioner. I also grounded my bench(formica top) to the wall outlet cover screw. I switched to LED lights from fluorescent. This all helped but I still had some drifting. I then purchased a few ferrite beads to install on my scales and powder dispenser. Bingo! this fixed my issue completely. The ferrite beads purchased for a few bucks apiece did more good than all the previous "fixes". I installed them on the power cords as close to the instruments as possible.

Dave

 

[USMCDOC]

. I then purchased a few ferrite beads to install on my scales and powder dispenser. Bingo! this fixed my issue completely. The ferrite beads purchased for a few bucks apiece did more good than all the previous "fixes". I installed them on the power cords as close to the instruments as possible.

Dave

What brand did you buy, what size were they?

 

[davecb]

I purchased them online from Old Will Knot Scales. They were called fair-rite rct-2 ferrite bead. They are listed now at $6.20 each. Were cheaper when I bought them. You can probably find them elsewhere at an electronics shop. Mine have a 1/4" hole.

One thing, the power cord will have to pass through the inside of the ferrite bead a total of 3 times. That may help give you an idea how large the hole needs to be. You want it snug when you snap it closed.

Hope this helps
Dave

 

[dskogman]

If it's power related and it sounds like it is the best way to fix it is a small UPS. Does line filtering, surge protection and power outages. Small one is less than $50 which is a lot cheaper than running a new line (which my not even fix the problem).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FWAZEIU/?tag=accuratescom-20

 

[USMCDOC]

If it's power related and it sounds like it is the best way to fix it is a small UPS. Does line filtering, surge protection and power outages. Small one is less than $50 which is a lot cheaper than running a new line (which my not even fix the problem).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FWAZEIU/?tag=accuratescom-20

I have a Defiant Power cord outlet on it now.. But when my electrician came over.. we evaluated several things.. funny, the scale calmed way down after moving the plug of the LED light to another outlet! We have surmised that the light was part of the problem.. Still going to put in a shielded 110 line just for the scale though..

 

[sparker]

I have a Defiant Power cord outlet on it now.. But when my electrician came over.. we evaluated several things.. funny, the scale calmed way down after moving the plug of the LED light to another outlet! We have surmised that the light was part of the problem.. Still going to put in a shielded 110 line just for the scale though..

I hear there was this guy out in California who wrote a virus to infect electronic scales. It supposedly causes them to drift, flicker and cause other assorted maladies. Apparently this guy supplies beam scales to replace the drift induced electronic scales. Crafty, like a serpent.

 

[R.Morehouse]

That's just TO good.........

 

[Brians356]

If your scale is reacting to your body's electrical field you can use a grounding wire from you to a solid ground. We used to use them when working on electronic assemblies back in the day. It was a piece of neoprene cord from a wrist or around your waist with an alligator clip connected to a metal table or pipe.

That's one approach, but I don't like wearing a ground strap at the bench.

My reloading room has a carpeted concrete floor. If I wear shoes while using my M5 or 5-0-5 balance scale, I get static effects. For example I can magically move the balance beam up or down by hovering a fingertip only close to the pan and "repelling" it. There's simply no way any scale (balance or electronic) can be dead reliable if there is static charge buildup.

If I remove my shoes and put my stocking (or bare) feet on the carpet, the static is constantly dissipated, and I can no longer influence the beam with a fingertip in proximity to the pan or any part of the scale.
-

 

[Brians356]

That's my two cents.

Don't sell yourself short, that was at least $0.19 worth.
-

 

[danny]

Ok.. i received a new FX-120i today.. i am getting the same problematic results with it as i did with my Denver Inst TP-153 (Strain Gauge).. they are flicking back and fourth, as much as 15 digits in either direction (+ or -).. it is driving me absolutely nuts.. i can't tell you how much i am disheartened right now, thinking that my Denver was going bad, only to see the A&D doing the exact same thing..

Here's your solution:

Danny

 

[pintopete]

For ham radios they make a power strip of sorts that reportedly removes RF from the 120v feed and cleans the power to the radio. They may cost $40-50. Ferrites on the power cord are a good idea too. Can't see how that will hurt. As far as static on the pan can you wipe it with a drier sheet? Maybe not where the powder goes but all other surfaces? It may have already been stated, and I apologize if it was, but change one thing at a time and re-test. Take the scal to a neighbors or buddies house and test it there. You may even make notes. Day to day my memory fades...

Good luck, Peter.

 

[USMCDOC]

For ham radios they make a power strip of sorts that reportedly removes RF from the 120v feed and cleans the power to the radio. They may cost $40-50. Ferrites on the power cord are a good idea too. Can't see how that will hurt. As far as static on the pan can you wipe it with a drier sheet? Maybe not where the powder goes but all other surfaces? It may have already been stated, and I apologize if it was, but change one thing at a time and re-test. Take the scal to a neighbors or buddies house and test it there. You may even make notes. Day to day my memory fades...

Good luck, Peter.

I tried the dryer sheet thing.. didn't help!

But what i noticed is.. that after moving the plug to the LED light to anther outlet, things really improved.. i don't think that it is 1000% yet.. but getting there

 

[USMCDOC]

Here's your solution:

Danny

Danny,

 

[jlow]

It's interesting as most people I know don't have 5% of the problem that the OP is having... I imagine he has multiple problems.

 

[USMCDOC]

It's interesting as most people I know don't have 5% of the problem that the OP is having... I imagine he has multiple problems.

Yeah.. it is electrifying to say the least!