-
Having trouble using the site?
Contact support
RCBS’s new “Chargemaster”
- Thread starter Wheres-Waldo
- Start date
It is definitely a weird spot for it. I wonder if it aids in draining ot cleaning or something.
I have the RCBS Chargemaster Lite, and I flat out love it.
I used to work as a Bottle Blow Molding Machine Tech, and was required to do hourly weight checks of the bottles on a scale that had similar capabilities as this one. So I'm familiar with this type of accuracy.
I'm essentially incapable of taking full advantage of this sort of accuracy and capability, at any price; and I strongly that suspect I am far from alone here in that respect.
I wish RCBS the best of fortune in this endeavor, but I must pass.
Greg
I used to work as a Bottle Blow Molding Machine Tech, and was required to do hourly weight checks of the bottles on a scale that had similar capabilities as this one. So I'm familiar with this type of accuracy.
I'm essentially incapable of taking full advantage of this sort of accuracy and capability, at any price; and I strongly that suspect I am far from alone here in that respect.
I wish RCBS the best of fortune in this endeavor, but I must pass.
Greg
I would rather have +/- .1g with blazing speed. I use a regular charge master and my only complaint is the speed. Its worth it over throwing Varget, 4831SC, and H4350 though.
I get some darn accurate loads from chargemasters. I'd be be a player for 2 of these if 600 or under. At 850, I can't see it.
Plus at 850, they better up their warranty game on electronics. 1 yr from the manufacturing date aint going to cut it at 850.
Plus at 850, they better up their warranty game on electronics. 1 yr from the manufacturing date aint going to cut it at 850.
Definetly , i dont see much gain in going much higher precision at 20 seconds per charge.
.02 of a grain is so ridiculous and unnecessary. If you need to improve your groups, .02 of a grain measure ain’t gonna do it.
Cheers
Cheers
Agreed... sped mine up, and using the straw mod it is sufficiently accurate for my needs.
That depends entirely on your accuracy expectations.... Not to mention the error differences between a 0.1 scale and a 0.02 scale and drift.
BTW, the industry standard for CMM inspection is that the inspection tool needs to be at least ten times more accurate than the tolerance expectation you are attempting to maintain. There's a reason for that.
One kernel of Varget weighs about 0.020 grains, so a 0.1 grain scale will at best get you within 5 kernels... if it has not drifted. If it does drift, then you are talking more like 10 kernels of Varget… minimum and that is suddenly 0.2 grain error and you would not have noticed.
If you are a short range shooter, maybe that's no big deal in terms of speed, but that could be enough to affect barrel harmonics if you are a bench rest shooter trying to stay in the zeros.
An F Class shooter trying to hold a 1/2 moa bull out to 1000 yards is also looking to eliminate any vertical variability that he can.
Keep in mind that to hold a 1/2 MOA circle... not a square... a circle, you need vertical perfection to maximize the width tolerance for wind. Once you start hitting 1/4 MOA high or low, the wind tolerance drops to zero and it is a whole lot harder to maintain the bull as you'll catch the next lower score ring out the corners.
In PRS terms, although typically much larger, a diamond shape target would be a tough one for the same reason I mentioned above.
I just paid $299 for a Chargemaster 1500 from Midsouth. I wonder if they're starting to liquidate in anticipation of the latest and greatest.
My theory is this. They get the Chargemaster 1500 down to $199, and they sell the new Matchmaster at $500-600. But I don't work marketing in my company, I'm just a test technician.
I have shot plenty of Fclass matches at 1000 and won a few also and believe me, doping the wind is way more important than one kernel of varget
Cheers
Cheers
I agree, except you don't even get 1 kernel accuracy with an FX 120i and the chargemaster is going to be much worse.
so it looks like it's the following:
FX120i V3 full kit $960
FX120i scale alone $470 (after coupon)
RCBS Matchmaster- $500-850???
Frankford Arsenal Itellidropper $200
Guess we'll have to wait and see when the actual units come out and how they perform. I had been thinking it'd get an FA dropper but might wait and see how the green machine does and the street price before I jump on a bandwagon.
FX120i V3 full kit $960
FX120i scale alone $470 (after coupon)
RCBS Matchmaster- $500-850???
Frankford Arsenal Itellidropper $200
Guess we'll have to wait and see when the actual units come out and how they perform. I had been thinking it'd get an FA dropper but might wait and see how the green machine does and the street price before I jump on a bandwagon.
The FA is supposed to have a calibration setting so you can calibrate for the type powder you are using and get more accurate drops. I am curious to see the specs on the scales being used. Based on price for the FA I am certain it is a Strain Gauge scale. I have no idea what they are using in the new RCBS. Hard to beat the FX120i as it is a Magnetic Force Restoration system, and why they don't float/walk, and why they are more $$. I will stick with my FX system
Last edited:
The FA is supposed to have a calibration setting so you can calibrate for the type powder you are using and get more accurate drops. I am curious to see the specs on the scales being used. Based on price for the FA I am certain it a Strain Gauge scale. I have no idea what they are using in the new RCBS. Hard to beat the FX120i as it is a Magnetic Force Restoration system, and why they don't float/walk, and why they are more $$. I will stick with my FX system
The FA Intellidropper is strain gauge. Watch some videos and you can watch it drift around. Those types of setups would be so nice if they could use a magnetic force restoration scale but also keep the price of the entire unit sub-$500
From my research magnetic force restoration is good but not the best for reloading because it is vulnerable to interference like a nearby space heater or wireless telephone. It also needs to warm up and is sensitive to dusty environments and is sensitive to voltage fluctuation, so you should run from a voltage stabilized power source.
What I found to be the best is the ones that use a tuning fork system like Vibra. There is a local vitamin producer nearby and the place is full of Vibra balances. I assume there's a good reason for that.
As I understand it, they sense the tuning fork pitch change caused by the load like a guitar string tuner would detect if you are in tune.
I personally have the HT 220 0.0001 g model and its awesome. No warm up cycle... fast ... like really fast... internal automatic calibration and not susceptible to phone interference, or voltage fluctuation.
I'm probably splitting hairs though because while the Vibra has advantages, any 0.0001g balance in that price range is going to be very good as long as you guard against the factors mentioned here.
I would recommend the Vibra HT 220 to anyone interested in an excellent balance.
Here's a link to one for around $1000
What I found to be the best is the ones that use a tuning fork system like Vibra. There is a local vitamin producer nearby and the place is full of Vibra balances. I assume there's a good reason for that.
As I understand it, they sense the tuning fork pitch change caused by the load like a guitar string tuner would detect if you are in tune.
I personally have the HT 220 0.0001 g model and its awesome. No warm up cycle... fast ... like really fast... internal automatic calibration and not susceptible to phone interference, or voltage fluctuation.
I'm probably splitting hairs though because while the Vibra has advantages, any 0.0001g balance in that price range is going to be very good as long as you guard against the factors mentioned here.
I would recommend the Vibra HT 220 to anyone interested in an excellent balance.
Here's a link to one for around $1000
Vibra HT-Series Laboratory Analytical Balances
The ViBRA HT Series Analytical laboratory balances from Intell-Lab are produced in Japan in one of the cleanest facilities you will ever see. The quality of workmanship and attention to detail is superb. Starting at the bottom of the balance, there are three support points, two of which are...
www.scalesgalore.com
Last edited:
If youre going to spend 1k bucks then at least get something that does the powder weighing for you like the fx120i and auto throw.
Im not gonna pay a grand to not cut out any of my work flow or time expenditures. Youre paying more to work just as much.
Im not gonna pay a grand to not cut out any of my work flow or time expenditures. Youre paying more to work just as much.
It is on the Cambridge web site. Select purchase in US dollars and use "Cambridge" discount code. You can search this site too, plenty of info on here about how and where to purchase the AnD.
What GWAIN said. Go to Autotrickler website...there you will find links for the fx120....go to the Cambridge Environmental website...add the scale to your cart...use Discount Code CAMBRIDGE.....wala, 475 to your door, at least in continental US
Hang on a minute here... the Vibra also has an RS232 serial port... so I see no reason why you could not connect the same automated trickler system that you are using with the FX120 or other scales.
It would be worth while to confirm cross compatibility before throwing it under the bus.
They are made only about 30 minutes away from my weekend practice range just outside London Ontario and a buddy has one on order, so I will test it when it arrives.
Last edited:
Having an RS232 connector doesn't mean anything. There are separate auto tricklers for A&D FX scales and Sartorius scales. Vibra is not listed on the Auto Trickler website. He could most likely make one for the Vibra but I can't see it being worth his time as you are probably one of very few reloaders who use that scale.
The web site says
AutoTrickler is compatible with most 1 and 0.1 milligram models of Sartorius Entris, Practum, Quintix, and Secura, and the discontinued GD503.
I just got an email from Adam...
Sorry, it won't work with Vibra. It's not a universal system, it only works with specific A&D and Sartorius interfaces.
oh well, I'll just have to keep doing it the way I have been.... with tweezers for the last kernel or two.
AutoTrickler is compatible with most 1 and 0.1 milligram models of Sartorius Entris, Practum, Quintix, and Secura, and the discontinued GD503.
I just got an email from Adam...
Sorry, it won't work with Vibra. It's not a universal system, it only works with specific A&D and Sartorius interfaces.
oh well, I'll just have to keep doing it the way I have been.... with tweezers for the last kernel or two.
Last edited:
Sartorius is the brand, Entris, Practum, Quintix, and Secura, and the discontinued GD503 are models under the Sartorius brand. Same thing with A&D FX's. Sartorius is going to use similar protocols and communication formats with it's own scales but it is not following a universally accepted specification. Vibra is its own brand, there is no reason Vibra would use the same protocols as Sartorius or A&D unless it was somehow related as a sister company or something.
RS232 is spec defined but supports an array of baud rates and other settings that you will have to know ahead of time to even be able to communicate with the device. Then you need to know what data to send to the device to be able to read the scale output so that you know when to stop/start trickling.
