Bought a scale: is this thing defective?

[KiloByte]

I got a AWS 550 scale from some booth at a flea market for $40. It measures down to .1 g and looking back on it now I think I wish I would have droped more money on a more accurate scale. I checked it before I bought it (guy put a bill on it and it weighed exactly 1 gram.) So I was using it and that night noticed that after a few times weighing stuff the weights start to go off. So if you take a dollar bill and lift and replace it 3-5 times it starts reading 1.1 .9 etc. So is this normal for these pocket scales, is it defective, or did I just get a shitty brand/model? The guy said they have a 10 year warranty and I can bring it back to replace it but I don't want to waste the trip if Im just gonna get another one thats just as shitty. This is truely the last time I buy a product that has MADE IN CHINA written in nice bold text on the box :mad: (yeah thats almost an impossibility)

[flipside]

Hey China actually does make some good products;) Pocket scales aren't the greatest if you really need accuracy for small amounts of weight.

Invest a little omre money and you'll most likely get a better return

[KiloByte]

Hey China actually does make some good products;) Pocket scales aren't the greatest if you really need accuracy for small amounts of weight.

Invest a little omre money and you'll most likely get a better return

So what should I do throw this thing out and say to hell with it? Do you think the guy would let me return it and pay the difference for a more expensive one? I guess at the very least I could still keep it to weigh 1+ gram amounts.

[flipside]

^^ Either one would be okay, depends on how bad you need to measure the smaller quantity.

[KiloByte]

^^ Either one would be okay, depends on how bad you need to measure the smaller quantity.

Well is it common practice to let the customer upgrade if they want too? The guy seems like he would do it but I'm worried ill just get another bunk one and be out more cash.

[flipside]

Yerah sounds like this guy poibably would. But if you really need quality scale mabey a flea market isn't the best place. I have gotten some really good electronics at some thoug, esp. if they are one of those established flea markets where they are open every weekend sort of thing.

[KiloByte]

Yerah sounds like this guy poibably would. But if you really need quality scale mabey a flea market isn't the best place. I have gotten some really good electronics at some thoug, esp. if they are one of those established flea markets where they are open every weekend sort of thing.

Yeah this is like a permanent flea market inside a building. My friend has been to the booth before and talked to the same guy that sold me the scale and he said hes a pretty chill guy. He was pretty honest and straight up admitted he knew nothing about scales when I started asking which one I should buy instead of just pointing to the most expensive one and he had no problem taking it out of the package to let me test the accuracy. But yeah I just duno if its worth going through the hastle or just keeping this one.

[flipside]

Unless you REALLY need to be very accurate in you smaller quantity measurements. just keep it.

[KiloByte]

I just noticed that if I pause for a good 3-5 seconds between weighing the chances of it weighing a dollar off by .1 go down alot. And the only times it does seem to go off is when part of the bill doesnt land in the middle of the scale. Mabie its not even that bad after all.

[flipside]

Wll there ya go./ You know we should have moved this into the chat room. LOL! I am of to bed in a min. G night KB. Hope you have a good one what's left of it..or is your day just starting?;)

[zombiewoof23]

I just noticed that if I pause for a good 3-5 seconds between weighing the chances of it weighing a dollar off by .1 go down alot. And the only times it does seem to go off is when part of the bill doesnt land in the middle of the scale. Mabie its not even that bad after all.

With the type of scale you purchased, it is common for them to have an accuracy to .1g. Do you have a fan or anything blowing above you. Sometimes that will throw off your more sensitive scales. Also if you are looking for a powder scale for smaller quantities, you will need to spend more money if you want accuracy. You will want it to be accurate to at least .01g if not .001g. The more accurate and the smaller amount of weight, the more expensive usually. The digis I used to have were so sensitive they would fluctuate with me just moving my hand slightly above them and creating airflow that would hit the scale.

[Papa Verine]

I had the same exact problem with a scale I bought once for $100. I think you have to spend more for a "good" one.

[sk8opium]

You may have to zero it between every use...just hold down the button...but I'm sure youve tried that.

My friend had a digi and he had to zero it with a piece of paper or something on it so it would be accurate with small quanitities. Try that.

[insanesteveo]

i feel like i owe it to the forum to post this link. its a website for scientific supplies and whatnot.

.01 g accuracy, 200 g max, $59. id order one if i did heroin, and had the money. but right now my cheap one like kb has is just fine.

http://www.unitednuclear.com/scales.htm

[KiloByte]

With the type of scale you purchased, it is common for them to have an accuracy to .1g. Do you have a fan or anything blowing above you. Sometimes that will throw off your more sensitive scales. Also if you are looking for a powder scale for smaller quantities, you will need to spend more money if you want accuracy. You will want it to be accurate to at least .01g if not .001g. The more accurate and the smaller amount of weight, the more expensive usually. The digis I used to have were so sensitive they would fluctuate with me just moving my hand slightly above them and creating airflow that would hit the scale.

Actually yes I do have a fan blowing and was also thinking that might be the culprit especially with the dollar bill readings. How much did you pay for the super sensitive digi and was it pocket sized?

As far as needing accuracy goes, I only really need to weigh out things to .1 because its generally just me checking to make sure I got the correct weight.

[zombiewoof23]

Actually yes I do have a fan blowing and was also thinking that might be the culprit especially with the dollar bill readings. How much did you pay for the super sensitive digi and was it pocket sized?

As far as needing accuracy goes, I only really need to weigh out things to .1 because its generally just me checking to make sure I got the correct weight.

I had this scale about 7 years ago. If I recall it was around $200 and was not a pocket scale. I ended up getting triple beams right after that.

The fan will make a difference and also zeroing the thing everytime will help. The important thing is to look at the specs and make sure the accuracy is at least .01g, if not .001g like I mentioned before. Your's is prlly accurate .1g at the price you paid, which is quite a bit in terms of powder. Do you have the weights to calibrate the scale? If that vendor at the flea market has the weights handy, break em out and play with your next scale that is hopefully a little more accurate.

Do some research online. Insanesteveo posted an excellent link for a scale at a good price.

[KiloByte]

I just relised by looking on the box that the other one I was considering does weigh out to .01 and not only that it was $5 less! The problem is the box listed the specs for all the models and I didnt notice there was 2 different models being displayed so I got the one that goes up to 550 grams because I figred why not spend the extra cash(but of course it only reads down to .1). I've been kicking myself in the ass all day about this. :(

[AWOL]

Look around on the net, I got a digi pocket scale that is accurate to .001g and cost me $130 and let me tell you it kicks some arse (or it did till someone stole it from me)

[KiloByte]

Look around on the net, I got a digi pocket scale that is accurate to .001g and cost me $130 and let me tell you it kicks some arse (or it did till someone stole it from me)

Yeah but if I bought something like that it would mean I spent over $170 on scales. Might as well weigh out shit by eye.

[AWOL]

Yeah but if I bought something like that it would mean I spent over $170 on scales. Might as well weigh out shit by eye.

Depends on what you're weighing and how valuable it is to you and how often you're going to be weighing it. A lot of RC's aren't something you eyeball. If you're content with weighing it out by eye what's your big problem with a .1g accuracy scale?

[zombiewoof23]

A lot of RC's aren't something you eyeball.

Amen to that. I learned my lesson with 2CE. Very slim margin for error as I found out.

[defenestrate]

is the scale manually or autozeroing? an autozeroing scale needs some time to settle itself after items are removed, and a manual one should probably be rezeroes every time you fire it up. what is the specced out margin of error? these thinhgs need to be taken into consideration any time you shop for a digital scale. personally, i would have gone with something that measures more accurately and precisely than i need and therefore likely has a smaller margin of error in practical use.

amen re: RCs and especially 2CE, zw. we were getting small amounts and carving them out by eye into usable sizes because of the lack of accuracy, though it's pretty much a non issue at this point.

[OpiBli$$1988]

Hi kilo,
ya alls u gotta do to kno if its accurate is get a nickel n put it on the scale...if it weighs out to .5 then it is an accurate scale...

[loosemorals]

I got a AWS 550 scale from some booth at a flea market for $40. It measures down to .1 g and looking back on it now I think I wish I would have droped more money on a more accurate scale. I checked it before I bought it (guy put a bill on it and it weighed exactly 1 gram.) So I was using it and that night noticed that after a few times weighing stuff the weights start to go off. So if you take a dollar bill and lift and replace it 3-5 times it starts reading 1.1 .9 etc. So is this normal for these pocket scales, is it defective, or did I just get a shitty brand/model? The guy said they have a 10 year warranty and I can bring it back to replace it but I don't want to waste the trip if Im just gonna get another one thats just as shitty. This is truely the last time I buy a product that has MADE IN CHINA written in nice bold text on the box :mad: (yeah thats almost an impossibility)

a correct digi should weigh a nickle at 5.0g

[Black_Pony]

I have what sounds like the same scale. It is an American Weigh model of some kind. I have sent one back before (with the original receipt) and a description of the problem and they sent me a new one promptly. No problems with the new one as of yet.

The 10 year warranty is legit, but I'm pretty sure you need a receipt, which of course you dont have because you bought it second hand. Buyer Beware!

I usually make it a rule to only buy scales that can be calibrated by the user with a set of weights. Although you can't on these American models.

[Chris_Thantos]

I didn't take the time to read this entire thread cause I didn't feel like it but the two pocket scales I had bad had a reset button on them. Once you add weight and remove weight the scale needs to be reset for it to way right - at least the two I had did

[insanesteveo]

I didn't take the time to read this entire thread cause I didn't feel like it but the two pocket scales I had bad had a reset button on them. Once you add weight and remove weight the scale needs to be reset for it to way right - at least the two I had did

thats a tare button, not really helpful for calibration.

you can hit tare and make it read zero, but if the calibration is off, it wont accurately weight whatever you put on it. my scale came with a 100 gram weight to calibrate it. every once in awhile i do that. when i weigh the 100 g weight before, it sometimes is .1 or .2 off. then i calibrate it, by pressing some sequence of buttons, and then it reads 100 again.

[itsmagic]

If you want a good scale go to a pawn shop or a science store.

[newParadigm]

Amen to that. I learned my lesson with 2CE. Very slim margin for error as I found out.

In liue of a weighing some 2CI i had once, I dissolved it in water and dosed that way (but I suppose you'd need to start off with a known amount).

[zombiewoof23]

In liue of a weighing some 2CI i had once, I dissolved it in water and dosed that way (but I suppose you'd need to start off with a known amount).

Excellent method. It is easy to weigh a larger amount of powder in terms of accuracy and dissolving a known ratio of mg's to ml's of water and dosing measured amounts accordingly.

I recommend doing whatever it takes to not learn the hard way with chemicals with little margin for error. I didn't wig out with my 2CE experience, but I could see where an inexperienced psychonaut could wig very easily. I estimate my 2CE error was only about 5-10 mg's off and that small amount was the difference between a mellow buzz and my body feeling like it was trying to go into fight or flight mode. I just chilled out in my chair, watched The Closing of Winterland on DVD and knew the trip was temporary. I haven't felt inclined to dip into my 2CE stash since.