I just got one of these setups (V2) about a month ago. There's a short learning curve to setting it up, but once you do, it's fantastic. I built a VERY heavy table exclusively to run this unit on.
Here are some tips I've picked up so far:
1) I was lucky enough to get an invitation to visit a government standards laboratory where balances that make a Sartorius look like a toy are in daily use. The techs there taught me a few things about using magnetic force-restoration balances that I would not have guessed on my own, and doing what they told me appears to make a big difference.
When I went into the clean room where Class I weights are calibrated, I was shocked to see that all the balances (inside two cabinets each inside the clean room) were all kept with their calibration weight ON the pan. This would f*ck up a load cell scale, and it was my first question as to why they did that. The answer was that MFR balances are totally different from load-cell technology, and MFR balances experience less drift if the calibration weight is kept on the platen when not in use. Amazingly, the balances are all networked to a control system, and they are automatically recalibrated daily - there is an arm inside the cabinet that reaches out, lifts the weight, and replaces it on the platen at the appropriate times. The calibrations are all stored and traceable - you can go back and review an individual balance's history since it was installed, right up to what it's doing in real time. What's this mean for us? The technicians told me that I should set up my balance exactly like theirs - keep the 100g weight on the platen and the breeze guards mounted, and put in a cabinet if possible. This is overkill at the precision level we're talking about (0.001), but I like doing things that way.
The next tip was that when I wanted to use the balance, I should take the forceps and lift and replace the 100g weight about 30 cycles, allowing the scale to zero between putting it back on. It was explained to me that MFR balances do warm up slightly because of how they work, and 30 cycles would bring the magnet up to full operating temperature before calibration and use. They explained that it would already be at about 70% of operating temp because of storing the calibration weight on the platen, and this procedure cuts down drift considerably in the first 30 minutes of operation. I tried it with and without the pre-heating routine, and they're right: it virtually eliminates drift with this unit vs. just letting the scale sit unloaded, even if you turn it on an hour or two before you use it.
As far as the A&D/autotrickler combo, I figured these things out:
When you set it up, take your time and level the sh*t out of it. Make sure it's on as solid a surface as you can manage - the stepper motor in the trickler does vibrate some when it's running very slowly, and if you're on a flimsy table two things will happen - it will walk around a little bit and you'll have to keep repositioning it to keep the dispenser over the pan, and the low speed vibration will make the scale a little twitchy.
1) if you really want to go fast, set up your powder measure in reach, and have it throw about 2-3 grains light. Pick up your pan, put it up against the bottom of the measure to prevent spillage, and pull the lever. Put the pan back on the A&D, and let it go. I can have a charge in the case in about 7 seconds from the time I pull the lever on the powder measure. If it f*cks up, you can either pick the kernel out or add one, or you can just toss the charge back into your measure and try again. If you find that it f*cks up less often over the course of a loading session, that appears to mean that you didn't cycle the weight enough to bring it up to full operating temp before commencing to load.
Quick checks: when you're ready to go, tare the balance with your pan on it, then remove it and note the reading on a piece of paper or a label in front of you. This way, when you take the pan off, if it doesn't return EXACTLY to 122.47 or whatever the hell your pan weighs, you will know something is wrong and you need to stop and figure out what it is. Sometimes a kernel of powder falls onto the platen and you don't notice it, or a piece of dust/dog fur/hair/whatever landed and you didn't see it. If the platen is clean, re-tare and start up again. Remember to STOP the dispensing cycle before you zero it and re-tare it, or it will start dumping powder onto the platen before you replace the pan. This sucks and is a pain in the ass to clean up. Use non-magnetic forceps to pick up the kernels without disturbing your setup.
Five stars, though. I loaded 200 Win Mags yesterday in what seemed like minutes. That would have taken me 40 seconds per charge on my PACT, and the accuracy would be MUCH worse.
Buy with confidence.
