Chargemaster

[Kurt]

I haven't seen that with the once I have. I seldom see 2/10 and if I see a 10th or two it's always over never under. Like I said you have to set it properly for the powder you use and don't try to over speed it. I have never used them for smokeless so I can't say what that stuff reacts like but running 1.5 swiss and say 2 or 3 F OE I set the scales up for that powder boxcause it makes a difference how far the high speed % is run before it goes to the trickle. This unit has several settings saved in it for different types of powder I want to use. If I want to use 1.5 swiss I just set the saved settings for that powder and go.
I don't care what you guys want to use that choice is yours. They all get the job done.

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Have used a Chargemaster for many years, with upgrading the program.

Works very well.

Kenny W.

[johnl]

Gents, I had bad luck with my Chargemaster. The electronic scale works great but the dispenser always hung up, erratic and stops. Tried everything, called RCBS and basically told me I’m SOL on any warranty. Finally baptized it with 00 buck from my 870, ie put it out of its misery

[ChrisF]

I currently use an Ohaus beam scale

[MacRob46]

I have an old Lyman that I don't fully trust and a brand new RCBS Chargemaster that I have never taken out of the box. The Lyman works fairly well but I automatically re-calibrate every fifth charge (per instructions) and weigh every few charges with an Ohaus balance beam scale. Usually it is off by a little, not enough to make a big difference. I do not use it for black powder loads, just smokeless.

My own research shows that these thing simply are not what we hope they are. You cannot "set it and forget it." To keep your charges correct you have to constantly re-calibrate and tinker. In some cases it takes more time than dipping and weighing. The chief advantage with smokeless is the electronic gizmos will usually handle the longer rod shaped powders better than the drum type measures including my ancient RCBS Uniflow.

Maybe eventually somebody will make one that is 100% reliable but I doubt it.

[Don McDowell]

I have a Lyman DPS 1200-3 that works quite well.. We had a horrible static electricity storm that ate up a bunch of electronic stuff, the lyman included. I called Lyman they said send it in. In about a month I called to see what the verdict was the gal told me they shipped it back that day , no charge. It works just as good as if originally did.
I have a Hornady that is a pain , it consistently throws charges over weight, smokeless or black..It's also a pain to clean the hopper out.
The big trick with most of these digital outfits is let them get warmed up good before using, and keep them away from air flow and flouresent lights.
I like that after the first charge is thrown, while pouring it into the case, compressing seating the wad and the bullet, the next charge is in the scale pan ready for the next case.

[Kurt]

The thing with the electronic scales is they are very sensitive to electromagnetic interference (EMI) -- between the line and the equipment and pressure sensitive. When you have a off center weight it will throw the weight off but EMI is a major problem in some house environments as well as voltage drops when the air conditioners kick in or water pumps even if you live in town when the neighbors air kicks on. But EMI can be filtered out of the line voltage with a simple inline filter that costs less than $10. if you can't make your own the AC-7 made by W3NQN is a good one that you can just use as an extension cord and plug the drop in.

[Lumpy Grits]

The thing with the electronic scales is they are very sensitive to electromagnetic interference (EMI) -- between the line and the equipment and pressure sensitive. When you have a off center weight it will throw the weight off but EMI is a major problem in some house environments as well as voltage drops when the air conditioners kick in or water pumps even if you live in town when the neighbors air kicks on. But EMI can be filtered out of the line voltage with a simple inline filter that costs less than $10. if you can't make your own the AC-7 made by W3NQN is a good one that you can just use as an extension cord and plug the drop in.

Wrapping the power supply cord about 6-8" from the PM, with a fair sized 2-3" in length, strong rare-earth magnet does wonders to 'clean' the current.
If one uses Fluorescent lights in their loading area. They are a major source for for EMI.
Gary

[sandhillcowboy1]

I used to have the RCBS Chargemaster till some REA spike voltage came in. After that I got the one from Scheels like Kurt and really like it. I was very happy with the Chargemaster and programmed it for faster speeds. I have also programmed the Scheels one for faster running customized to the various powders. There is also a nozzle reducer you can slip on the dispenser spout that helps control overdrops with the faster speeds. As Don said warm up is really important with digital scales.

Various powders react differently and you need to customize for each powder. I would not be without one and I started out with balance beams.

Rick

[TexasMac]

Similar to what I did with the older RCBS Powdermaster dispenser & digital scale, there are some shooters that have separated the RCBS Chargemaster dispenser & scale and use them with a drop tube. Using a simple stand, the dispenser is elevated 30' to 36" above the scale with a 3 to 4ft flat cable for communication.

BTW, my original Powdermaster & drop tube setup continues to work like a charm with well over 7,000 cartridges loaded without a hiccup. I did wrap the power cord of the scale around a magnet to completely remove the EMI & initial power up fluctuations.

Wayne

[Kurt]

When I got into the Ham Radio hobby I drug home a new TCK-7 decommissioned Naval transmitter that ran a couple 813's in the finals and my interest with that hobby was the morse code more then using the mic. I found out what shielding was all about keeping RF out of the neighbors telephones and TV sets
My shack was well protected for lightning and line voltage spikes and when the solid-state equipment came on the market I salvaged a 100 pound isolation choke from the telephone company when that was tore apart and incorporated it in my shack to eliminate the voltage spikes. Using chokes is well worth to put in line with the increase of the digital equipment we use for loading or even on these finger talkers. They are low cost if you don't understand how to make your own.

[Del]

I have been using a chargemaster for a couple of years now and it works flawlessly. Flawlessly meaning that it has a charge waiting for me every time that I get done seating and cleaning a loaded round. I pick the charge off of the scale,run it through a drop tube into a waiting case, press the dispense button for the next charge, put the charged case onto the press and insert wads and the bullet and then clean the round. The next charge is waiting for me so it is plenty fast. Occasionally it will drop a charge that is a little under and you can push the trickle button to bring it up to full weight. Sometimes it also throws a charge that is one or two tenths over and I just squeeze a few grains out of the pan and let it recalculate the weight which is generally perfect. My power is fed to my house by underground so I have virtually no power system problems from lightning storms. But if I was fed via overhead power lines I would unplug the unit when I wasn't using it which would drastically reduce its exposure to electrical impulses. It is much more consistent if it is allowed to heat up for several hours before I use it. Fans or moving air causes a lot of problems. I have fluorescent lights in my reloading room and haven't noticed them causing issues. It has sped up my reloading considerably and is well worth the money that I spent.

[Jim Kidwell]

I mirror Del's comments. I have been using a Chargemaster for 4-5 years and have not had a problem. After owning Dillon and MY WEIGH (iBalance i101) scales, which always drifted, I tried the Chargemaster and once calibrated you never need to re zero the scale during a loading session...FWIW......

[Michael Johnson]

Jim and Del, do you do anything special to handle blackpowder with it (ie: static electricity). I use a Chargemaster for my smokeless rifle loads but have not tried it with BP. I agree it works great, is accurate, and saves a lot of time.

[Jim Kidwell]

Nothing and I also don't believe everything a lawyer spouts. They need to justify their existence.....