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Trouble finding right 1/100th grain scale
Hi All.
I've been in scale hell for the past few months. Ever since a
favorite old scale of mine needed repair. They replaced it with a new model
because they don't repair scales. I didn't like their new one so I sold
it.
I need to read down to .01 or .02 of a grain and I need to stay below
$250, if possible. I used to use a 1/10 grain scale but I got tired of putting
ten powder drops in the pan with every machine adjustment (so I could mentally
move the decimal and see my 1/100ths).
So I bought an MXX-123 which is
the same as a Vic-123 but it drifted a lot . . . even after warming up an hour
(major incovenience for my use) and setting it for an unstable environment. It
would just climb and climb, even after being on for HOURS. I returned that and
now I have a Gempro 150 but I'm having linerity problems with the readings.
Also, the reading changes significantly with the lid up or down so you either
have to leave it up or calibrate down and weigh with it down only. The lid issue
was one of the main reasons I got rid of the first replacement that started all
of this . . . Is this a widespread problem with these windscreen lids?
Is
there a scale other than the VIC-123 that reads down to .01 or .02 of a GRAIN
and costs less than $250?
I found one that reads down to .05 of a grain
and that could work . . . but it's a Jennings JSVG-20. I was told they weren't
even as good as the My Weigh brand. The other down side is the lower capacity. A
20 gram capacity could be a small problem at times.
Any
help?
Thanks. 
I suppose you noticed the
I suppose you noticed the typo in this line? "I used the 20.0 gr OIML F2 weight that comes with the unit," It should have read "20.0 g" instead of 20.0 gr". Sorry about that.
As an update, I just bought
As an update, I just bought the Gempro 250 from [url=http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=291]Old Will Knott[/url] and in a quick check, it seems to be accurate to +/- .001g. I used the 20.0 gr OIML F2 weight that comes with the unit, but I also checked 1.0 g, 2.0 g, 5.0 g and 10.0 g OIML M2 weights. I'll check the weights and scale again tomorrow in further tests.
Most of the variation came from the position of the weight in the pan I had set the tare with. I moved the weights around with the tweezers and was able to make the readings vary by .001g or so. With an actual weight, i.e. powder, that isn't so concentrated in a small area, like a check weight, it will probably give very repeatable results.
I may hook this scale to an inverter, to get better control of the voltage being supplied. Being in rural America, the electric coop's power does vary. A battery, as the source of power with a float charger and inverter, should provide pretty constant voltage, or I can go to a regulated power supply.
The included "Vibrakill" pad seems to be effective, even if it is just a small high density foam pad.
The leveling adjusters worked fine in setting the bubble level.
I'll also see tomorrow if the sensitivity will allow small additions of weight to give a repeatable result.
I bought a couple of
I bought a couple of electro-mechanical Mettlers, a H80 and a H18, off of Ebay that were supposed to be functioning, but both ended up with issues. Both balances are .0001 g balances, which is really more accuracy than I need now.
I had considered the Acculab Vicon VIC-123, but I don't need something that drifts, so I'm in a quandary about what to get.
The Jscale Mack 20 is a possibility, but restricts capacity too much and the wind screen opens the wrong direction. The i101 is only a .005 g scale, but may be the best solution, if it's stable. Maybe that's the question, is the My Weigh i101 a decent scale with no drift?
BTW, I think the original poster would actually have only needed a .001 g (.0154 gr) scale, like the VIC-123 is.
More than likely, wind currents are affecting the readings with the wind screen up on the Gempro.
If you have the room, go for
If you have the room, go for a Mettler Balance in my opinion. 0.01 Grain is very
precise and something you are going to have to spend some money to measure
accurately.
We've had a lot of luck with Mettler and Sartorius when it
comes to those hyper-precision balances.
I would strongly suggest NOT
buying on Ebay but instead from a local dealer so that you can get support if
and when the scale eventually breaks.
If you can't find a local dealer
then pick an online seller that has been around a long time - that way there is
a better chance they will still be here when you need them.
Personally,
I'd use Gary at Balances.com. He is sometimes a bit grumpy on the phone but he
really knows his scales. I'm not a big fan of Itin and most of the other sellers
online just haven't been there long enough for me to recommend them to you for
such a hyper precision balance.
Good Luck!
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