How often do you calibrate your digital scale?

[Rum River]

I have the RCBS. I usually try to let it warm up 15-20 minutes, and pretty much calibrate it every time I use it.

Anyone besides me do it this way?

I did some testing when I first got it (5-6 years ago), and it seemed it was more consistent if allowed to warm up a bit. The calibration thing I do just because it doesn't take that long.

[dw06]

I have a pact scale,I do it about the same as you do,turn it on while I prime cases then calibrate before using.

[Bullseye]

That is the same method I use.

[ihuntbucks]

I usally let mine warm up around 15 min.Durning loading I often recal every 30 min. or so.Iam using a RCBS Rangemaster 750.I always run on ac,never battery.One thing I do notice is I can't run ceiling fan in loading room,cuz the scale's reading jumps around from the breeze .......Rick

[cwlongshot]

Same here, Turn it on as soon as I go in the room, as I gather the powder, primers and related stuff, finally I calibrate and load. I even check it periodically with a balance beam to DBL check.....kinda anal I know but I am not into body modification.....

CW

[Coyote Hunter]

My PACT will drift a bit (0.1 to 0.2g) over a 10-15 minute warm-up. 

I keep a 52.0g .224" bullet handy as a check weight.  If the scales read 52.0g when I power them up, I'll go ahead and start adjustig my powder measure to the desired weight.  If when I'm done with the adjustments the check weight still reads 52.0g I'm done - if not I calibrate the scales and make final adjustments.

When I am hand-weighing charges I find I need to check the check weight frequently.  When the scales start to drift (and they always seem to), I recalibrate.

The check weight gets a workout, but by using the same bullet for a number of years now I have not found it necessary to buy a regular set of check weights.

[dw06]

I also have used a 52gr bullet for years,the same way Coyote Hunter does.I do use the weights that came with scales to calibrate with,then it is easier to just use the bullet to check reading after every 4 or 5 powder charges.

[Questor]

I didn't know there was a warm-up period for the electronic scales. Thanks for the info. I think I'll stay with a beam scale because the setup time is very short, which helps when throwing test charges before loading with a progressive press.

[dave375hh]

Hey Guys,
I use an RCBS deluxe(I think) the 1500 gr. one. I only recalibrate if it's been unplugged. These are all digital circuts and transistors they don't need to warm up. I bought this scale off of a guy who said he had to recalibrate every charge. I think he thought the blinking decimal point ment you had to recal. it. If I turn it on and it reads 0.0 I use the small 20gr check wt. to verify it, if it dosen't 0.0 I usually just need to clean off the pan or where it sits. Its never been wrong when using these methods. Recalibrating as often as stated above would make it slower than a beam scale. I put the beam scale away and don't ever plan to use it again if I don't have to.

[Questor]

Dave375h&h

Thanks for the clarification. That makes the electronic scales much more attractive.

[STJ]

I do the same as Dave.  If the 20gr weight does not show 20.0, I re-cal.  Don't need to do it often.

Thats funny about recaling every load  ...it must of took him forever to do a batch of rounds...

[Coyote Hunter]

Hey Guys,
I use an RCBS deluxe(I think) the 1500 gr. one. I only recalibrate if it's been unplugged. These are all digital circuts and transistors they don't need to warm up. I bought this scale off of a guy who said he had to recalibrate every charge. I think he thought the blinking decimal point ment you had to recal. it. If I turn it on and it reads 0.0 I use the small 20gr check wt. to verify it, if it dosen't 0.0 I usually just need to clean off the pan or where it sits. Its never been wrong when using these methods. Recalibrating as often as stated above would make it slower than a beam scale. I put the beam scale away and don't ever plan to use it again if I don't have to.

dave375 –

While they don’t have vacuum tubes, digital scales do need to warm up.  The PACT scales (PACT makes RCBS scales) that work on 120V instead of batteries have better electronics than the battery driven scales. Nevertheless they are still subject to drift and should be checked.

I find my battery driven PACT scales are usually OK when I turn them on and don’t drift for several minutes.  If I am merely adjusting a powder scale I am often done before any drift occurs.

Questor –

I wouldn’t hesitate to get digital scales again.  My Lyman M5 mechanical scales (RCBS 1010 equivalent) went to a friend as a Christmas present.  But I would get the AC type.