RCBS Chargemaster lite - odd issue?

[southerngolfer]

I was having some issues with my lite so I called RCBS. I told them id do the initial warm up, calibrate, etc. it would throw a couple charges, no issues. maybe the 3-4th charge, I would hit go in manual mode and nothing.... sometimes, I mean maybe, the charge would just randomly start throwing but progressively it would just all together stop. they said since it's out of warranty, they couldn't help me but they did trouble shoot with me and offer me a place that could fix the electronics. I called them and it was $150 flat rate and shipping not included, 2 weeks. after this disappointment, I was messing with it and manually turned the stainless trickler tube and bam, it started throwing again! I was texting my buddy this issue and he said empty powder, check to see if tube was clogged. I took some compressed air to it, filled it back up, maybe 20% in the hopper and started throwing again, but occasionally still have the same "stuck" tube issue. if I'm throwing constantly, it doesn't seem to have this issue but when it goes in trickle mode and or delay between charges, I have to manually turn the tube to get it to start throwing. anybody else having this issue or any options to resolving this?

 

[Bmghunter]

I think I know what this issue is. Have you removed the tube for cleaning or removing powder before? What I found was there was powder stuck to the inside of the socket where the tube attaches. This makes the tube not go in all the way. I had to clean out that stuck powder (harder than you think, with paper clips and tiny screw drivers) and that fixed the issue.

So now when I clean out the powder, I don't remove the tube, I drain all the powder in the tube by tilting the unit and let it come out the tube.

 

[southerngolfer]

I haven’t ever removed the tube before but I might take it apart and inspect around again for clumps/left over powder.

 

[Mike Casselton]

I drain my chargemaster through the drain port.
I close it, turn on the scale and set it to drop 99.0gr.
This will empty the tube and some will fall back into the hopper. This gets drained again as I brush it down with a brush/dryer sheet.
Done.

 

[southerngolfer]

Perfect. I’ll give this a try. Ty

 

[southerngolfer]

Apparently I thought the trickling tube unscrewed at a different point and last night I was able to successfully unscrew it. Took a paper clip to clean around everything. Also noticed the plastic slots with rubber grommets were removable. Didn’t notice any clumps of different powder coming out. I’ll load up the hopper again and give it a go. Is there anymore disassembly points in the lite?

 

[Bmghunter]

We're the stuck powder in the socket?

 

[southerngolfer]

unfortunately, I didn't see any big clumps or left over powder tucked in any of the places . I'm going to dump some powder back in it tomorrow and give it a test run

 

[Bmghunter]

If stuck powder is not the issue, then I'm out of ideas. If it is the issue, very little of it needs to be stuck to cause a problem. It's stuck very tight in deep, not something that would just fall right out. The rubber grommet leaves a very small channel for the tube to insert into. If powder is stuck in that narrow channel, then those need to be removed. The entire channel should be completely clean of powder.

 

[southerngolfer]

I appreciate you troubleshooting it with me. I'll go take it apart once more, take the air compressor to it and then hit it with a vacuum. fingers crossed

 

[Bmghunter]

I appreciate you troubleshooting it with me. I'll go take it apart once more, take the air compressor to it and then hit it with a vacuum. fingers crossed

Yeah in this case, compressed air or vacuum is not going to get it out. Look through the opening after the tubes removed to get a straight on view of the channel with a flash light. You can see the stuck powder if it's there. You must get a straight view of it through the front hole that the tube goes through.

 

[southerngolfer]

Yeah in this case, compressed air or vacuum is not going to get it out. Look through the opening after the tubes removed to get a straight on view of the channel with a flash light. You can see the stuck powder if it's there. You must get a straight view of it through the front hole that the tube goes through.

that makes sense. I'll do that