working with electronic scale drift tips and tricks

[Cameron SS]

I've been reloading with my new acculab scale for a few months, and have been trying to figure out what the best way to control for drift in the scale.

I usually let the scale warm up for an hour or so before reloading, but find that the scale, which is accurate to .02 Gr, still drifts up to .1 grain from time to time.

Even if I hit zero with the empty pan on the scale right before throwing the charge, there is still somtimes a bit of drift by the time I get the charge back onto the scale.

Has anyone figured out any little tricks or techniques for controlling this? or is that just the price of having a super accurate scale?

 

[Taildrag15X]

Mine is on 24/7, think the instructions mentioned a longer warm up than an hour.

Also I have it set up in a climate controled environment, no fans, etc......it doesn't drift.

Which Model?

 

[DaveWhite]

Read the pinned topic on this page, a wealth of information there on various users' experience.

+1 on leaving the scale on 24x7, make sure it is level and rock solid (I use a piece of granite slab as a scale table). Eliminate drafts and use of interference from other electronic devices (especially fluorescent light fixtures) during scale use. I note that if I leave my garage door open for any length of time, the scale may wander as much as 3-5 grains. In use, calibrate often. I use a number of different bullets as check weights too, as none of my charges weights are even close to the supplied 100-gram calibration weight.

dw

 

[vinny]

My understanding is, powders create static electricity. The rec. from the manufacturer is to put your powder in glass jars and use an aluminum or glass pan to weigh. I have an enclosed scale from Satorius so I was able to use whats called a staticmaster. It helps to eliminate static. I also purchased a grounding mat. They work!!

 

[DaveWhite]

I'm not sure the static issue explains the scale drift, but have heard of wiping all plastic surfaces with anti-static dryer sheets.

The anti-static grounding sounds like something that ought to be built into a loading bench. Good idea, perhaps that could be combined with the bench pads that Sinclair and the like sell...

 

[Shynloco]

Cameron SS,
I'll add my 2 cents for what its worth. Electronic scales are extremely sensitive devices that are often interferred with by several sources. I use two different scales and have found the following things I did eliminated drift and I rarely encounter it.

1. Get a good (no cheap stuff like for $10) computer Surge Protector and plug your scale into that protector. DO NOT plug in any other electronic devices into the surge protector while using your scale.

2. As has been mentioned, overhead flourescent light (the balasts) emit an electronic signal up to a certain distance. I have found that 40" above my workbench is where the lights no longer mess or interfere with my scales. And do not have desk lamps or other forms of lighting hangin over the scale because they emit heat which messes with the scales as well. Remember, temperature changes will be sensed by the scale so do not have any a/c ducts or heat ducts pointed toward the scale.

3. Also as has been mentioned, wind or air turbulance will also mess with your scale and cause drift. Do not turn on overhead fans. If you breath hard, sneeze or force air from any source onto the scale will cause it to go NUTS. I sometimes have to close my garage door as well because air blowin into the garage causes the scales to again go nuts.

4. Keep any electronic devices that emit a radio signal away from the scale. Garage door openers are often a source is RF that people don't even think about. And no ghetto blaster either.

In short, think INTERFERENCE and eliminate anything you can. I have good success with these methods despite static electrcity that is very hard to get rid of. I know when it's present because the grains of gunpowder stick to the plastic funnels I use. However, I do not encounter "drift" even when static electricity is present. Lastly, I've read all sorts of suggested cures over the years and the aforementioned is what works best for me. Hope this info is helpful.

 

[Kyle Schultz]

Some of this is repeat.

1) Solid surface.
2) ABSOLUTELY no drafts.
3) RF filters. See this link... http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/reloading/line-noise-filter-helps-reduce-scale-drift/

The filters are cheap cheap cheap at Radio Shack and they work fantastic.

I've been using an Acculab VIC-123 for a couple of months and it is a wonderful scale. Could not be happier.

 

[nhm16]

4. Keep any electronic devices that emit a radio signal away from the scale. Garage door openers are often a source is RF that people don't even think about. And no ghetto blaster either.

Also your cellphone. Especially if you have a smartphone, since they tend to be sending/receiving data all the time. I keep my iPhone on the desk about 8' away. If I keep it near less than 2-3' from the scale, on the loading bench, my Acculab goes nuts.

 

[40X Guy]

The post by Shynloco is an excellent post covering all the bases. I also bought an extra large mouse pad that I put my A&D FX120i scale on. I run power to my scale thru a Powervar line conditioner and my scale has a ground connection on the back that I hooked up. I have zero issues with my setup.

Frank

 

[Cameron SS]

Outstanding. This is exactly what I was looking for.

Off to radio shack...

I've read several places about the flourescent lights. Didn't occur to me about the cell phone.

Thanks for the help guys

 

[Killshot]

I added line filters and drop powder in a sealed room and still got drifts of .02-.08, not much but still...

Once I left the unit on (nearly) all the time, it improved.

Best solution and free, 'cept for the energy.

 

[Longtrain]

I so wanted the electronic scales to work in my environment, but with the fluorescents in my loading area, my Wi-Fi Router, Cable TV, Cell phones, etc. it wasn't going to be...but I did find that sacrificing a chicken once a month seemed to help... ;D

Tony

 

[rg1]

May sound like voo-doo too, but if your receptacle is old I'd replace the receptacle with a good quality new one. Very good info above.

 

[daj]

Cameron,

My Acculab also drifts a little over time, even after warming up for over an hour. I have a rock solid base, no drafts and no interference. However, my loads are accurate down to the last kernel of powder, ~0.02gr.

My weighing technique is as follows:

After warm-up, calibrate using Acculab's 100g wt.

Weigh powder pan. (eg 140.5gr)
This becomes my new calibration wt.

Add desired powder wt. to pan wt. (eg 46.2 + 140.5 = 186.7)
186.7gr is now my target wt.

Throw powder charge into pan.
Ideally, combined wt. is just below target wt.

Zero Acculab

Place charged pan on scale and trickle up to target wt.

Load up primed case from pan

Place pan back on Acculab to recheck calibration. (eg 140.5gr)

Repeat

It sounds long winded but in practice is very fast and any drift during the trickling period is immediately apparent.

 

[lynn]

CameronSS
Turn your scale on for a few hours before you go to reload and hit the zero button before you weigh your charges.
A balance beam scale does the same thing as an electronic scale.
The reason you don't hear about is most shooters leave there balance beam scale with a set amount of weight on the balance so you can't see it drifting.
If your loading 50 grain charges with an electronic scale it says 0.000 grains while it is at rest.
On a balance beam scale you have the moveable weights set at 50 grains so for you to see 0.5 grains of drift would require 50.5 grains just to overcome the balance weights.
To see if I am right simply zero an elwectronic scale and a balance beam scale leaving both set for 0.000 and sneeze,whistle,blow on both of them.
The electronics scales available today in my opinion are the only weigh/way to go.
Lynn

 

[Curmudgeon]

I started working with an electronic scale and have resorted to checking each load on a balance beam. The electronic scale works for a while then will throw a charge that is a 1/10 or slightly more over which is easy to detect with a balance. I use the little baffle for different powder sizes. I went to radio shack and bought 2 line filters one for the ac line and one for the 12 volt line. They cost 8 dollars in a two pack[am not affiliated with RC]. This helps. I leave my scale on all the time and zero frequently. It is faster than throwing and trickling. I reload calibers using as little as 35 grains and as much as 92 grains and think the electronic is worth the effort. It works better than filling the case and scraping the top. Close the dust cover for each load wait for beep after final weight and then visually check cases in loading block looking for missed cased and overs. It's like muzzle loading. It slows us down gives us time to look at the product. I went from throwing adding trickling and now electronic and I think it has made me a better shooter. Thanks for your post.