RCBS Chargemaster ???????

[tred1956]

Just got my chargemaster and was reading owners manual. Noticed it said to keep from cold and freezing as it could damage scale. My loading shop is not heated so does this mean I have to store inside my house during freezing weather? Would like to hear from chargemaster owners in similar situation. If this is true it seem to me freezing could hurt any digital scale. All opinions welcome.

Thanks for reading
Merry Christmas to all
Doug

 

[nmkid]

Well, it doesn't get really cold here in my part of Virginia but, I have mine in the garage and no problems so far. However, my garage is pretty well insulated and it never ever gets down to freezing temp. inside. Be interesting what owners in really cold country will say on your question.

 

[jepp2]

Call RCBS tomorrow and ask them what could be damaged.

I would be concerned about taking it from a cold location into a warm house due to condensation forming on the electronics. Not good. Mine lives in a basement where the temperature stays relatively constant.

 

[fredhorace77]

In my opinion a call to RCBS would be pointless, what they have to say is said in the manual.

 

[M-61]

Just got my chargemaster and was reading owners manual. Noticed it said to keep from cold and freezing as it could damage scale. My loading shop is not heated so does this mean I have to store inside my house during freezing weather? Would like to hear from chargemaster owners in similar situation. If this is true it seem to me freezing could hurt any digital scale. All opinions welcome.

Thanks for reading
Merry Christmas to all
Doug

The instructions that came with it are quite clear regarding storage in freezing or cold conditions. (pg3. par1)."....can damage the load cell..."
That's the manufacturers statement.
Why would you want someone else opinion?
And as a novel idea, call RCBS by all means......great folks, helpful, and they made the product. They will not however be likely to answer your concern about other brand scales.

 

[tred1956]

Hi,
Thanks for all the replies. I guess I need to be a little more specific with my question. If you own a Charge master and have an unheated loading shop, how do you deal with this issue.
For instance on another forum a gentleman stated a friend built an enclosed wood box and kept a single light bulb burning all the time to keep it warm.
Another gentleman said he kept charge master inside and charged inside then took charged cases to loading shop.

I am sure there are other creative methods to avoid always moving unit.

Thanks again
Doug

 

[Jaybo]

I have 2 RCBS chargemaster 1 is 10 years old 1 is 5 years old they have been in my shop since I purchase them. non heated but i do have a floor heater turn on when I'm working in there but doesn't put out a whole lot of heat knocks chill out of the air I've never had a problem with them I only turn the heat on in the shop when it's cold out. But it doesn't get real cold here

 

[Jaybo]

I have 2 RCBS chargemaster 1 is 10 years old 1 is 5 years old they have been in my shop since I purchase them. non heated but i do have a floor heater turn on when I'm working in there but doesn't put out a whole lot of heat knocks chill out of the air I've never had a problem with them I only turn the heat on in the shop when it's cold out. But it doesn't get real cold here

 

[jlow]

OP lives in South Carolina, so I would guess he does not have the worries of someone living in South Dakota... The details makes the difference.

 

[tred1956]

I do live in SC but we do have some pretty good stretches of below freezing temps. Couple of years ago we had a 14 day run of highs below freezing with night time lows in the single digits. Not northern temps but still capable of freezing items inside an unheated shop. A lot of people's homes inside water froze causing a lot of broken pipes and flooded basements.
Thanks
Doug

 

[savagedasher]

I would check with RCBS the would be better qualified to answer your question .
Larry

 

[jlow]

I do live in SC but we do have some pretty good stretches of below freezing temps. Couple of years ago we had a 14 day run of highs below freezing with night time lows in the single digits. Not northern temps but still capable of freezing items inside an unheated shop. A lot of people's homes inside water froze causing a lot of broken pipes and flooded basements.
Thanks
Doug

Agreed! My point is not that you don't have freezing temps, but the degree of freeze would be different in different states that the readers here are from.

I used to live in Minnesota and in the 80s we had days with temps in the -40 degrees, at those temps, your car battery will crack, your tires will pull away from the rims and deflate by themselves, and your light switch in your car sometimes will not even turn the lights off.

The point is freezing is not freezing, and it really depends on the component and actual temps in question. When it is really cold, a lot of stuff that you expect to normally work will not work, yes even firearms.... So from that perspective, it would seem reasonable for a company to say don't use our fragile scale in cold and freezing temps. Just think a fragile beam that has a pivot that is normally lubricated by something that can freeze, what would happen if you try to push down on it?

If you ask them which component, they will likely ask you how cold?

These fragile items are made to work at room temps but if you push it, you will get in trouble. There are always real limits.

 

[Mulligan]

One of my neighbors loads in an unheated shop in western Colorado. He turns his chargemaster on an hour befor he loads to "warm it up" it's never warm in that shop for 4 months of the year. He is a high master and all of his ammo has been loaded on that scale for several years.
CW

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Just got my chargemaster and was reading owners manual. Noticed it said to keep from cold and freezing as it could damage scale. My loading shop is not heated so does this mean I have to store inside my house during freezing weather? Would like to hear from chargemaster owners in similar situation. If this is true it seem to me freezing could hurt any digital scale. All opinions welcome.

Thanks for reading
Merry Christmas to all
Doug

Don't worry. I only kick on the heater in my garage when I'm out there doing something. otherwise it's the same temp as outside. I live in Montana and temps drop well below zero at some point every winter.
-20 F or even much colder on some days is not uncommon to see during our winter. Never had any issues with any of my electronic scales being out there in the cold.

If I'm loading when it's really cold out, I'll usually kick the shop heater on for about a half hour then turn them on and let them warm up for another 1/2 hr or more. Hard for them to warm up in sub-zero temps without some help. Kicking the heater on helps out for sure.

If you live in SC, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. 32 F is T-shirt weather in Montana

 

[dickn52]

Buy a mitsubishi split AC/HVAC unit and heat the shed.

 

[davecb]

I wonder if you leave it plugged in if it builds a little heat in the unit? May be all that's needed. Or, maybe build a box with a dry rod in it that sets over the top of the scale when leaving it in cold weather. A dry rod should be more robust than a light bulb.

Just a thought.

 

[Twoboxer]

Strain gauge scales change in sensitivity for each degree of temperature change. These and other changes are deemed tolerable by manufacturers when the unit is used within its stated operating temperature range.

I don’t recall whether RCBS gives a numeric operating temperature range. I’ve seen other scales state eg 10/40 to 40/104 degrees C/F.

My Gempro 250 and my A&D FX120i appeared to become “unstable” when used on an open bench in a 65 degree room with a 100W incandescent work lamp for lighting directed over my shoulder. I later realized the lamp warmed the area surrounding the scale creating an upward air current that would get disturbed every time my hand broke into the field. The continual changes in air pressure caused the scales to flutter.

Since you have the scale and the unheated workroom, I’d suggest you protect the scale from freezing and try to use it in an environment consistent with the ambient room temperature (ie, not inside a hot box within a cold room). After a 1-hour warmup and calibration use checkweights (closer to 50gr than 50/100g) and record the results along with the current room temperature.

Over time you’ll figure out what, if anything, you really need to do for it to work as consistently and as well as it can.

 

[tred1956]

Here is reply, when asked about use in an unheated shop with explanation of average upstate South Carolina winter condition, by RCBS technical department.
Might I say exactly what I expected.

Doug, this would not be safe. We really want to keep them above 40 degrees to make sure there is no damage to the load cell or circuit board. Sorry the news isn't better. Have a great day and enjoy your reloading.


Technical Service Department/rm
ATK/RCBS Operation
(800) 379-1732
605 Oro Dam Blvd E.
Oroville, CA 95965

Safe shooting and Merry Christmas
Doug

 

[savagedasher]

Here is reply, when asked about use in an unheated shop with explanation of average upstate South Carolina winter condition, by RCBS technical department.
Might I say exactly what I expected.

Doug, this would not be safe. We really want to keep them above 40 degrees to make sure there is no damage to the load cell or circuit board. Sorry the news isn't better. Have a great day and enjoy your reloading.


Technical Service Department/rm
ATK/RCBS Operation
(800) 379-1732
605 Oro Dam Blvd E.
Oroville, CA 95965

Safe shooting and Merry Christmas
Doug

All the others answers now you got the facts thank for the information . Larry

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Here is reply, when asked about use in an unheated shop with explanation of average upstate South Carolina winter condition, by RCBS technical department.
Might I say exactly what I expected.

Doug, this would not be safe. We really want to keep them above 40 degrees to make sure there is no damage to the load cell or circuit board. Sorry the news isn't better. Have a great day and enjoy your reloading.


Technical Service Department/rm
ATK/RCBS Operation
(800) 379-1732
605 Oro Dam Blvd E.
Oroville, CA 95965

Safe shooting and Merry Christmas
Doug

Horsecrap. They just say that for liability reasons. The Chargemaster is a tank. Like I said, my Chargemaster, Rangemaster 750, and GemPro 250 survive sub zero temps every winter. The high temp yesterday was 7 degrees here. Supposed to get colder as the week carries on. CM is still kicking just fine. Don't worry about a little 'nip' in SC.