Scales
- Thread starter Mark C
- Start date
I have a Gempro 250 and an A&D, I bought the GP first.
The 2 scales are different in terms of build and performance - the GP is a strain gauge scale, the A&D is a magnetic force restoration scale.
Both will weigh a powder charge to within 0.02 grains, about 1 kernel of varget.
However, should the charge be underweight the GP will not respond as well to trickling as does the A&D.
With the GP you may need to remove the pan to add a few kernels (e.g. by tweezer) and then re-weigh until you get the desired weight. You can also add kernels without removing the pan however the "work around' is to then tap the pan lightly with tweezers to permit the scale to re-weigh once the extra kernels have been added.
The GP may also drift a little and you will need to hit the Tare button.
With the A&D, this scale will respond well to trickling, it senses each kernel drop into the pan and registers accordingly.
Eventually I found the extra steps with the GP frustrating and I bought the A&D. I do use the GP occasionally mainly for static weighing of projectiles and brass.
If time is not an issue for you then the GP may be OK.
If you prefer to a time efficient solution then the A&D is the way to go, link it to a Dandy/Omega trickler or the automated system that is mentioned elsewhere on this forum.
Martin
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Bill, to correct your typo...they both have a resolution of 0.02gr. I have a Gempro 250 that I no longer use for a couple of reason. One, it developed drift unexpectedly an unpredictably and I had to tare it every time I weighed a charge; even then the drift was bothersome. The second reason was that I could weigh a charge, set it aside, and reweigh later that day or the next and I could get variance as much as .25gr + or - the original weight. I did not try all the fixes and gave up quickly and purchased a much more expensive/higher quality balance. I have not used the A&D 120i but I have seen many reports of very satisfied users and I can recall no reports of problems such as the Gempro encounters from time to time. That being said, there are many happy Gempro 250 users. If I had the money and it did not tax the budget I would opt for the A&D 120I. JMO
EDIT- Martin's experience should be heeded
Thanks Martin...
Thsnks
coford
Gold $$ Contributor
The A&D 120i is a superior scale when compared to the Gempro 250. I don't have the drift problems with the A&D like I did with my Gempro and the A&D stays calibrated for months (I never shut it off). There are only a few things that I have bought over the past 30 years that I have been 100% pleased with. My Kowa spotting scope, SEB Neo rest, Kelbly F-Class actions, and my A&D scale. Spend the money once and never look back!
Bought the GemPro first, and it was serviceable for a couple of years. It had a weird tendency to get driftier the closer it got to match time; I wish I could explain it. Decided to invest in the FX120 a couple of years ago and have never looked back. The resolution is only part of the story, if you can can swing it financially you will not regret it.
Thsnks
Thanks I think I'll go with the 120i you have all convinced me .....
I ended up getting A&D FX-700CT for a few bucks more than the 120i. It comes with a WAY better wind shield and has double the linearity as the 120i. for an explanation of the linearity, check out this video:
http://balance.balances.com/scales/1654
just food for thought. I'm sure you'll be very happy with the 120i too. Both are a major step up from the gem pro.
OK thanks.... but I was told that the 120 I was faster .... your thoughts please .
Just watched the video...impressive... sorry I think it was the 200 that was slower they told me .....thanks alot for the info ....now you got me thinking lol.....
Just to give you something further to think about - the FZ series (A&D scales) has auto calibration.......
You know I was thinking that ....I have a redding beam scale and I doubt if anything would be more accurate then that.....I weight 10 different loads of 1 grain and counted the kernels and they were lowest at 47 kernels and the highest at 50 and the sticks are not all the same lenth so how could you get more accurate then that....
What type of scale does u have ?
What type of beam scale do you have
Thanks Martin.
When I gave up on my Gempro, I switched to using an old Ohaus 1010 that I picked up at a gun show for $30. My scores instantly went up. A lot of shooters use a charge master set to throw close, then trickle up on a higher end scale. I throw charges with a couple powder throws to within 1-2 tenths, then add kernels with a long light tweezer on my balance beam. It's really not much slower, and accurate.
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