I have two scales, both of which take a maximum of 20g and have an accuracy of 0.001g. Now I don't have much experience with these things, but I would describe their accuracy more like 0.005g, and I wonder if this is normal. I can never get the same reading for some amount of substance consistently. There's a margin of error of around +/- 5mg. I always have to take an average from about 10 readings. Is this normal? Another thing: both scales seem to want to veer off steadily in a certain direction after getting the initial measurement. For example, if I measure some amount of substance to be around 0.241g and I leave it there on the scale, after about 5 seconds, it will read 0.242g, and then after 5 more seconds, 0.243g, and then after 5 more seconds, 0.244g. This is what the one scale does. The other does something similar except in the opposite direction (the readings slowly decreases). Is this normal? Also, with both scales, there is sometimes a tendency to stop registering any increase after around 15mg. I keep adding pinches of substance (with tweasers) and it remains at 15mg (I could swear it should read up around 40mg). I get around this by measuring up to 10mg or thereabouts and then starting over with the next little bit, and then adding them together in the end. I shouldn't have to do this, should I? At first, I thought the one scale I had was faulty (I got it off ebay) so I got frustrated with it and replaced it with a brand new one, but to my chagrin, the new one acted just as strangely. This leads me to believe it is normal, but I'd like some feedback from others with more experience.
make sure you keep it on a steady surface. how many times have you used it? and do you use a weight after you 0 it to check the accuracy? i've used mine plenty and i think it's time for a new one since i am pretty sure it's off a few mgs.
I've got the same problem with my Gempro-250. If I put a Rizla paper on the scale it weights it out to 49mg. after a few seconds it starts to go down. 48mg, 47mg, 46mg and so on. There is maybe 15-20seconds between each number. It's strange. I've just bought it, so maybe i'm just doing something wrong. any help is welcome..
So I should just go for the 49mg then? But how come it does that? I just don't really want to weight out phenazepam, when the scale acting like this.
Some steps to help your scale be more accurate: Do not be near air flow or electronics, and keep on a hard flat surface. Turn the scale on and let it warm up, let it sit for a minute or two before you take your measurement. What I first do is take multiple measurements of the reference weight (if you have one) and the tray. If they are consistent, I then measure out the substance. Then I turn the scale off, back on, and put the tray with the substance back on a few more times to check and make sure this was accurate.
My scale doesn't read till like 3mg, so if you are trying to weigh out 1mg of phenazepam I would weight it out to the smallest incrument you can and then split it accordingly. That is if yours doesn't read under 1mg. Hard surface, flat and no air flow does help ALOT!
You are using the scale wrong. It might help if you read the instructions? First off, don't let ANYTHING set on your scale past when it weighs it. As in weighing 200mgs of dpt then deciding you want more and letting it sit on the scale. This decreases the accuracy and life span of your scale. Second, the scale has an auto-stabilizing feature that will lock in a weight. It has a certain trigger of so many mgs that will cause it to reweigh. This is why you can end up putting 40mgs on there and it not adding it. Though, you shouldn't have a problem with this if you follow my first recommendation. You want to do what everyone else said. Here is a step by step guide. 1. Make sure scale is at the same temperature as the air around it (your shooting for 60-75 degrees I believe, instructions). Cold scales don't work well. 2. NO vibrations. Turn off the car/stereo/vibrator. Make sure it is as level as possible! 3. No air flow. This includes holding your breath for a couple seconds while it weighs. 4. Weigh your base, by putting on the scale, getting a reading, then taking it off, and average the readings. Tare scale at the average. 5. Add an eyeballed amount to the base and measure what the weight is. Take it off and add more or less until you get to where you want to go. 6. Weigh your substance 3+ times and average that 7. Turn off scale and close lid/cover 8. Continue to put in capsules or anal insertion....
man, it's so easy to use the scale at lab. it measures in tenths of a mg. and there are plastic doors to block airflow i weigh an eppie, tare the scale, toss my stuff in, and weigh. quickly before someone comes into lab
i'd say at least $1000. probably more too bad we use it to weigh out toxic dyes and antibiotics my powder never directly touches the scale though. i mean to post a picture of an eppie http://bitesizebio.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/eppie.jpg then i write the dose on the tube. they are sterile, so it's awesome
Because on the two scales I bought it told me that :/ I dunno, yours obviously didn't though I wasn't trying to be rude fyi. So please don't kick my ass :sad:
No worries. The first scale I bought was from Japan so I couldn't read the instructions, but the second was English, though the instruction were few (very small booklet - mostly legal bullshit). Most of what you said was in there (and I'm following it), but I didn't make it explicit in my OP.
