-
Having trouble using the site?
Contact support
AutoTrickler V4
- Thread starter adamjmac
- Start date
I have the fx120i. I have a great 15 min video using my daughters phone. And can’t get it to airdrop because it’s too big. Walking through the entire process and calibration and shims. Doesn’t matter. Overthrows ALWAYS. Changing custom speed … everything suggested.
I gave it a bit more tilt, small tube calibrating at .18 .19. Too much tilt and it over throws. I ran it at .22 but it is more consistent a little lower. I am still tinkering but these are current settings and I not having big issues. A few over throws by .04 every so often.
I’m still testing and I have sent a few out for others to test. I don’t want to sell them until I’m confident. It has helped tremendously though.
Last edited:
What are the ‘AZ’ scales? Or did you mean the FZ internal calibrated ones? I have both an Fx-200i and an FZ-120i, so this interests me. Thanks.
The fact that there is no way of adjusting tilt other than tape, cards, Legos, etc. is another issue. The prototype units that Adam showed has a setscrew in the bottom rear of the unit to do this. Production units do not. Kinda defeats the purpose.
The Beta units have the set screw. I really like it and have recommended everyone drill and tap a set screw there. Is a shame the production units don’t have it.
Try adjusting the feet so the whole scale tilts back more. I was overthrowing and I lifted the front feet a couple turns and it was dialed
So unlevel the scale ? But calibrate it level first? Have you checked if the scale measurement is still accurate unleveled ?
Yea but with their component shortage and business decisions, I personally think it's a non-starter.
In one of the posts Adam suggested using the leveling feet. Said as long as the scale was calibrated it was OK. I have no idea if this will have a negative effect on scale performance. He also explained the reasoning for not going with a set screw to level. It is temperamental to get set up and running right. But once it is set it runs great. I used a hole punch and punched a piece of rubber from the feet backer and used that to elevate the rear.
How much tilt are you all putting on the scale? Can someone show me a pic. Trying to get an idea of what to do when I get mine. Also, once the tilt is set up what happens when you go to a different powder? The recalibration takes care of it? Only reason Im getting a V4 is because its a pain to change powders with my v3 so having to play with tilt all the time defeats the purpose for me.
As mentioned above, Adam addresses the need for an absolute level scale - it’s unnecessary. I can confirm it works just fine with some front to back (out of perfectly level) adjustments.
Though I don’t find it‘s needed.
It wouldn’t work like that. The calibration would sense the faster flow and shut the spin down sooner. To me the set screw isn’t a solution because it is hard to repeat. Shims of fixed height, if you need them, are better.
As I said, for me with H4350 and Varget a post it note folded over made a difference. And having plenty of powder in the hopper during calibration.
That said, operationally I’m not sure I like this more than v3. The package is nicer and changing powders/clean out is easier. But v3 was beautiful in its simplicity for sure.
it’s that sensitive that .008 makes a difference? That’s got to be a pretty minute angle change. Regardless sounds like I’m going to use my feeler gauges as shims.
Would you say then that the best way to set it up is to fill the hopper and calibrate and if it is too slow then add a shim and recalibrate until you get good consistency and speed?
Dam, i may cancel my preorder. Thought the V4 was the latest and greatest.
The hopper being full relates more to needing a couple hundred grains of powder for the calibration step. If you only put in a little powder, the flow is artificially constrained so the computer thinks the flow rate is lower than it is with full powder. At least for me. The result when that happened was an overcharge every time, because it had calculated that for 41.8 grains of powder it expected to spin for a certain amount of time but really it was dumping more powder so that initial spin overcharged every time.
the biggest problem I have is the last few kernels trickling out sometimes takes many seconds, and then more often than not 4 or 5 kernels fall so I end up .04 grains or more over my target Instead of being within .02 — and it took maybe 30 seconds to hit that point when it happens. I think the straw modification may solve that issue.
adam has a good product. But once you get it set up, you’re not going to want to change powders I bet.
I've been a little disappointed with mine as well. I was pretty stoked to get my V4. It's had a few overthrows in the hundred + cases I've loaded on it.
Varget my change weight was set to 25.20gr and would throw to 25.24gr, of the 80 rounds I loaded 6 were overthrows.
H4350, I set change at 42.50gr I loaded 10 rounds to make sure I had enough for my last match. I had three overthrows at 42.54. I know it a small sample size.
I haven't given up on it, just has me scratching my head.
I really haven't had a ton of time to tinker with it, but I also didn't think I was going to need to.
I've read some of the things to try in this thread and I will see if any of them work.
Varget my change weight was set to 25.20gr and would throw to 25.24gr, of the 80 rounds I loaded 6 were overthrows.
H4350, I set change at 42.50gr I loaded 10 rounds to make sure I had enough for my last match. I had three overthrows at 42.54. I know it a small sample size.
I haven't given up on it, just has me scratching my head.
I really haven't had a ton of time to tinker with it, but I also didn't think I was going to need to.
I've read some of the things to try in this thread and I will see if any of them work.
Last edited:
Which is why I wanted to upgrade to the V4. I try a lot of powders so wanted something easier than playing with both the tilt and charging volume for every powder. Plus doing ladders too. I guess I’m not going to be too quick to sell my V3 and see how it goes. A straw did wonders on my old charge master - maybe mods will start coming soon.
Sorry for asking this dumb question but is the scale set up correctly - programming wise? Everyone's issues seem to be that the small tube is slow and then clumps (like the chargemaster used to) and then overthrows by a few kernels. Therefore they are trying to change the angle so it potentially drops quicker and smoother. Your overthrows are in a whole new category. You should send that video to Adam.
Yes. Scale works fine. I actually started over and took everything down. Recalibrated the scale internally and external weights. I will try to send to Adam I guess. If he responds.
I am not aware of anything else I need to do with the scale.
I know it was mentioned here before - was looking through some emails I have from Adam - he says the only reason the scale needs to be level is that the V4's tilt is optimal when the scale is perfectly level. Given that the A&D120i is a three legged scale, I guess its easy enough to adjust the tilt with the two front feet. I hope that once set up properly it works for most powders and I dont have to keep on messing with it. Although I guess its still better than the V3 since you can calibrate via app and then it's easier for ladders.
Below is the email:
Hi,
The scale being level doesn't really affect anything. It will still weigh just fine.
The tilt angle of the trickler needs to be at the perfect angle so the powder flows at the right speed. V3 and V4 both need to be at the right tilt angle. With V4 the housing is mounted on top of the scale and designed so that if the scale is level, V4 will be tilted correctly.
Adam
Below is the email:
Hi,
The scale being level doesn't really affect anything. It will still weigh just fine.
The tilt angle of the trickler needs to be at the perfect angle so the powder flows at the right speed. V3 and V4 both need to be at the right tilt angle. With V4 the housing is mounted on top of the scale and designed so that if the scale is level, V4 will be tilted correctly.
Adam
And did you come from a V3? Again I apologize if you mentioned this already. I know for the V3 - unless you got it from CE Products - you had to go into the menu and reconfigure the serial port. I noticed in your video that I dont see the FAST icon on the display - so you might want to check that its configured as per the instructions below (notice what my display looks like when turned on).
Attachments
Thanks everyone. Thanks for suggestions. Nothing is dumb. If anything I always assume I’m the dumb one. And I made the video really not to trash a product but in hopes someone sees something I’m doing wrong. I did try on different setting of fast etc. same issues. But maybe it is the scale or me. So I will go back and hard reset the scale and recalibrate and update the post.
I will reset and reprogram. Perhaps I did make some error initially on the program. Appreciate input.
Good idea. Then it will be easier for me to grab a second one!
That's really dumb. Lot of folks using these very successfully. I don't have any problems with H4350, IMR4350, Varget, H1000, Retumbo, N570(much better with N570). I haven't clocked it but my times are on par or faster than my V3. It's also a lot nicer that it's one unit versus two. Maybe I can rtfm.
The guy in line behind you will thank you I guess.
Understood. But mine was overthrowing all the time. And it appears everyone who has commented has suggested some degree of overthrow. So I was suggesting that perhaps the device never underthrows to cant it up from the back with a set screw.
.11 on small tube is not normal. .15 to
.2 is nominal range. I also watched the stall during the calibration. That is a flow issue. You shimmed the wrong direction. You shim in the back, tilting the tube forward so it will flow without stacking in the small tube.
Last edited:
I hard reset scale to nominal and reprogram as @sebrick suggested and it is working well. Appreciate all the help. Will see how things work tomorrow and whether my scale will hold these settings. I may have a faulty scale since my original throws the first day worked. And then this happened. I Appreciate all the input and help. If it works again or if I have to reset scale again then at least will assuage other members angst about buying this trickler.
If the scale resets itself I would disconnect the auto trickler - reprogram the scale and see if it holds. This way you can isolate the issue to one or the other. My guess is that its the scale though. Happy its working for you now though.
