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Digital Scales- On or Off?

Ishallbie O'Cullkillin

Ishallbie O'Cullkillin

Central Coastranger
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 18, 2007
445
4
56
Oregon
Lyman sent me a new 1200 DPS III, and it seems like it takes an hr or two for the thing to really settle down with some consistent measurements. I now have the old 5-0-5 on constant standby, and feel foolish for having trusted my old Lyman with "precision" loads. My question- do those of you who own electronic scales leave them on, or turn them off after every use?
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

Yeah my directions said to leave it on for atleast 30mins at a stable temp. I have a PACT and I have left it on for days/ weeks. But I generally turn it off if I remember. Been working for eight years now. For whatever it's worth.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

I leave mine on. Only turn it off if I will be gone for a few days. Personally, I don't really trust either one of my scales...That's why you have two
smile.gif
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

Have you tried zeroing the scale right before your use. A lot of the scales don't hold zero for very long at a time. I zero my scales before every weight I put on it. When electronic scales first came out for loading they all used the same chip and semi-conductors for the weight. I had 2 different people in customer service tell me 15 to 30 seconds was the time limit.

Also if it is in a room with air moving, like A/C or heat ducts you need to either turn your HVAC system off for the duration or put some kind of baffle over or infront of the register. Any kind of air current blowing over the scale will make it go crazy.

Try that and see if it helps.

Good luck.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

I have a PACT, has been OK for years. Over 10 years ago I had to have the cell replaced (NOT under warranty), routinely leave it on with it plugged into a surge protector.
Recently bought a portable (battery powered) MTM scale, it is MUCH more consistent with my beam scale than the PACT. Now I have to decide to keep the PACT or not.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

New electronics require "burn in." Leave it on for several days. After a few cycles, it may settle down some.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

I have since learned most of the things that can cause my scale to Lie, man, & have created conditions to avoid that.Yesterday, my Lyman was reading .4 grains under what the beam scale read,even after the 1/2 hr warm up, but after 1&1/2 hrs of weighing ,zeroing & recalibrating, it was dead nuts on for the rest of the night.
So..... no adverse effects if I just leave the thing on then....

Eat recycled food . . .LMAO!
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

I leave mine on unless there is lightning.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

I only turn mine off if I won't be using it for a period. If I will be using it, I let it warm up for atleast 2 hours. When turning it on and immediatly using it, you get charges all over the place. Let them all warm up for a few hours first, or just leave it on.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

Except for power failures and moving, mine hasn't been off in 7 years. Beware of cell phones, fluorescent lights, and static electricity. I do use a line conditioner/surge protector.

HTH,
DocB
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: AlcoholicusRex</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Eat recycled food . . .LMAO! </div></div>
The audio from a futuristic vending machine. Is the future here now?

<span style="font-style: italic">Dredd</span> is a really bad Sylvester Stallone movie I saw on TV a couple of months back. Does anyone know if the thing was ever distributed? It's nothing I remember.

 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

Why florescent lights what do they do to digital scales??? I have those long lasting screw in replacement florescent bulbs are they a bad thing and why???? Thanks for any and all info.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

I don't know why they do it but I have those screw in florescent bulbs in most of my lamps, last time I reloaded I had incadescense next to the scale and never had a problem, this past time I noticed my RCBS was throwing over by a grain or two, but when I'd touch the pan to have it reweigh it would fluxuate, so I put an old school bulb back in and it settled back down, weird.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Captain Kick-Ass</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I leave mine on unless there is lightning. </div></div>

Ditto; and I keep it covered w/ a tastefully colored burgandy pillow case when it isn't in use.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: samson</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Why florescent lights what do they do to digital scales???</div></div>

Scales are negatively impacted by EMI, and Fluorescent lights emit a lot of EMI.

http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/publications/equipment/lighting/section6.cfm?attr=0
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) or Radio Frequency Interference (RFI

* EMI/RFI may cause interference with communication equipment, such as radio, TV, computer.
* Fluorescent lamps energized by electromagnetic or electronic ballasts radiate EMI directly into the air.
* EMI from the lamps may feed back to the line conductors via the ballasts.
* EMI at the electronic ballast fundamental frequency and its harmonics propagate from the ballast’s electronic circuits to the line conductors. This EMI may interfere with other electrical equipment on the same distribution network.
* EMI may radiate from the line conductor into the air.
* EMI may be radiated from the high frequency electronic components of the electronic ballast.
* In the US, electronic ballasts must comply with Federal Communications Commission Part 18, Subpart C, Class A for industrial and commercial applications, or Class B for residential applications. As yet no Canadian standard has been set.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Winchester 69</div><div class="ubbcode-body">New electronics require "burn in." Leave it on for several days. After a few cycles, it may settle down some. </div></div>

I had never heard that. I'll have to go plug mine back in and calibrate and leave it on for awhile

I always unplug and put in my cabinet because my setup is in a garage. The garage is very dusty so all my equipment goes in the cabinet or gets covered. I should probably have a bench cover
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

"...reading .4 grains under what the beam scale read,even after the 1/2 hr warm up, but after 1&1/2 hrs of weighing ,zeroing & recalibrating, it was dead nuts on for the rest of the night."

Interesting. I do read of quite a few digital owners who use their old beam scales to keep the digitals honest. Isn't something wrong with that picture?

Buy a digital scale for "speed" and "convienence"? Not me. I don't feel any urge to get a quirky digital scale, not at all.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

I have an RCBS Chargemaster 1500 and I power off mine each time I'm done using it, but do let it warm up for an hour & recalibrate each time it's used.

Discovered that mine is throwing between .5 - 1.0 grains higher than normal though. My 600yd competition ammo began to blow primers for some mysterious reason. Should have been 24.5gr Varget but pulling apart rounds showed upwards of 25.3gr
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rijndael</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: samson</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Why florescent lights what do they do to digital scales???</div></div>

Scales are negatively impacted by EMI, and Fluorescent lights emit a lot of EMI.

http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/publications/equipment/lighting/section6.cfm?attr=0
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) or Radio Frequency Interference (RFI

* EMI/RFI may cause interference with communication equipment, such as radio, TV, computer.
* Fluorescent lamps energized by electromagnetic or electronic ballasts radiate EMI directly into the air.
* EMI from the lamps may feed back to the line conductors via the ballasts.
* EMI at the electronic ballast fundamental frequency and its harmonics propagate from the ballast’s electronic circuits to the line conductors. This EMI may interfere with other electrical equipment on the same distribution network.
* EMI may radiate from the line conductor into the air.
* EMI may be radiated from the high frequency electronic components of the electronic ballast.
* In the US, electronic ballasts must comply with Federal Communications Commission Part 18, Subpart C, Class A for industrial and commercial applications, or Class B for residential applications. As yet no Canadian standard has been set.
</div></div>

Nice find!. I'm actually at an EMC test lab right now measuring some of that stuff. The shielding they use to contain that radiation also blocks cell phone signals and kills your cell phone in no time flat since its actively trying to search for a signal continuously.

Canadian gov't sites have a lot of useful info on them. Like calories/carbs/fat/etc counts for common foods: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/nutrition/nvscf-vnqau-eng.pdf

And useful wildlife facts:
The beaver http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-aoWSpFor0&feature=related
The moose http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkNeQKaEfSk
The crack/cocain spider's bitch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHzdsFiBbFc Building webs is for sucka's...
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

Good info guys, I shall never turn off my CM1500 again.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

I have had a Lyman LE-1000 for 18 years now, other than a few power outages and moving once,it's been turned on for all that time. It's been a nice scale, one of the first digitls offered for handloading I think. Till it fizzles out I wont need another.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Fuzzball</div><div class="ubbcode-body">"...reading .4 grains under what the beam scale read,even after the 1/2 hr warm up, but after 1&1/2 hrs of weighing ,zeroing & recalibrating, it was dead nuts on for the rest of the night."

Interesting. I do read of quite a few digital owners who use their old beam scales to keep the digitals honest. Isn't something wrong with that picture?

Buy a digital scale for "speed" and "convienence"? Not me. I don't feel any urge to get a quirky digital scale, not at all.
</div></div> I spent the $, so I gotta make it work. I have two crucibles that weigh precisely the same, so I can trickle one on the beam scale while the other charge is being dispensed on the Lyman. Slightly faster than a manual dispenser & trickler.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

1. Unpack new scale from the just delivered UPS package.

2. Set up scale on reloading bench and plug it in.

3. Don't ever unplug it. Ever!

The electronics need to, burn in, warm up stabilize etc. and turning the thing on and off hinders it from reaching equilibrium and staying there. We use several types of scales and precision balances at work and in the 3 years I've worked there they have run 24/7. They may possibly have been turned off to be calibrated/serviced when I wasn't there but they live 99.99999% of their long lives plugged in and turned on and I have never seen one turned off.

I called Sartorius Group (acculab) when I was setting up my VIC 123. They said it was good practice to pre-weight the scale to prevent zero drift. A good way to do this is to keep the powder pan on the scale. My VIC123 works pretty good but I got another kind that works even better. The VIC's for sale if anyone is interested.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

I am noticing more consistency in the charge weights now. About every 1/2 hr, the Lyman swings from .1 under the target weight to right on.
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

As someone who was responsible for the reliability of some pretty expensive computer installations, I would suggest that there are arguments to support either course of action.

On/off cycles can add up to earlier electronic component failure.

Power sources can have amazing voltage and frequency fluctuations, with several voltage spikes per week above 800 volts being not all that unusual right in the center of big cities, let alone in rural setting.

In the end, nobody can predict which approach will yield a longer lifespan for your electronic gear. UPS systems can be a genuine savior, but their cost justification becomes problematic in a non-commercial setting.

Greg
 
Re: Digital Scales- On or Off?

The quickest way I ever figured out to get powder in shells was using a beam scale. I use the Lee Volume measures to get me close/w one scoop, then a battery trickler. Can do a shell in about 10-15sec
 
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