Reuben Heaton 4000 specimen hunter dial scales weighing oddly?

[EdgbastonBreamBasher]

Out of interest I am not sure of where I stand here with these scales and returning them?

 

Technically they are not faulty, but they are not displaying as I was led to believe they would when I was sold them, but that's just my word.

 

I know they are within the tolerances that Reubens told me today over the phone but I was led to believe that these would weigh a 2lb fish at 2lb and be the best money could buy, I am slightly unsure if that is actually true.

Edited January 6, 2014 by EdgbastonBreamBasher

[snakey1]

If they are within the manufacturers specified tolerance then I don't think you'd be able to return them (unless the manufacturer was feeling particularly generous). +/- 1 increment of indicated value is quite a common tolerance (although alot of manufacturers will use a percentage of indicated value instead of increments or a percentage of the maximum value) I see claims of anything from 2% to 0.1% values given.

 

One problem I see with your checks (apart from using uncalibrated weights) is you're "cold" checking them, when we calibrate force gauges (basically both mechanical and digital scales) we do so after the scales have been allowed to aclimatise to a set temperature first and then they are preloaded three times to the maximum value to exercise either the springs (in the the case of mechanical gauges) or the load cell (for the digital variety) first before any readings are taken as calibrating them without exercising the gauge first can give false readings (even though most are never used that way).

 

We also generally do not recommend using these devices below approx 10% of their maximum range especially if they haven't been calibrated at lower ranges and alot of manufacturers will only check 5 readings from at every 20% upward to 100% (some take less readings some more).

 

We also recommend gauges are calibrated annually (although those that are used a great deal or exposed to the elements may require calibrating more often) however for your average angler this would be unecessary and expensive.

Edited January 6, 2014 by snakey1

[Tigger]

Out of interest I am not sure of where I stand here with these scales and returning them?

 

Technically they are not faulty, but they are not displaying as I was led to believe they would when I was sold them, but that's just my word.

 

I know they are within the tolerances that Reubens told me today over the phone but I was led to believe that these would weigh a 2lb fish at 2lb and be the best money could buy, I am slightly unsure if that is actually true.

 

If you bought them beliving they are exactly right and they're not then you are entitled to your money back. They should advertise them as being nearly accurate if they're arn't accurate....sounds like thay've fobbed you off to me.

[snakey1]

No scales are "bang on" they are all manufactured to be accurate within certain tolerances

[gozzer]

Is it just me, but aren't they just used for weighing fish?

The weight can vary more than an ounce, depending on how you weigh it, and the conditions you weigh it in. A bit of extra water in your weigh sling/poly bag, a windy day, extremes of temperature, can all have an effect on how accurate the weight of a fish is.

Does half an ounce reallymake the difference between a good fish, and a not so good fish? Or am I missing something?

 

John.

[RUDD]

5. Weight

 

The fish must be weighed on land using scales or steel yards, which can be tested on behalf of the Committee. Where possible commercial or trade scales which are checked regularly by the Weights and Measures Department should be used. The sensitivity of the scales should be appropriate to the size of the fish, i.e. small fish should be weighed on finely graduated scales and the weight claimed for the fish should be to a division of weight (ounce, dram, gramme) not less than the smallest division shown on the scales.

 

A Weights and Measures Certificate must be produced certifying the accuracy of the scales used and indicating testing at the claimed weight.

 

In the case of species weighing less than one pound the claimed weight must be submitted in grammes.

 

The weight must be verified by two independent witnesses or one and a sworn affidavit who, for example, should not be relations of the claimant.

 

Above taken from BRFC procedures for claiming a record weight.

 

When I was a club match secretary I tested four sets of R/H scales and two sets of digital scales. I found a variance of 2oz between them and tried not to use the set which gave the heavier reading.

2oz in a rock hard winter league match could make a difference between winning a section (section all weighed on same scales) or framing in top three.

[EdgbastonBreamBasher]

Does half an ounce reallymake the difference Or am I missing something?

 

If someone is paying a lot of money believing the scales to be very accurate then yes I think it does matter.

 

I just emptied a bottle of water, zero'd the empty bottle in a sling and then added 1000ml of water (again being as particular as is humanly possible to ensure as very close to 1L was used - I added the water slowly and with a bigger jug underneath the bottle to catch any missed drops that I could add afterwards to ensure as close a reading as I could get).

 

I believe 1 litre of water should weigh 2.2lbs, on my Reubens I got a reading of approx 2lb 1 1/2oz... theres a pattern forming, I am consistently light by 1/2oz with these scales, and considering they have an RRP of £99 I find this disappointing and in my case even misleading (but as far as the scales are concerned this is within their acceptable parameters - hmm) I would be ok if 'some' readings were out by 1/2oz with the majority on the money, but this is significantly not the case.

 

Edit: And furthermore yes 1/2oz could be mammoth if I had a 2lb Roach in the sling...

 

Edit #2: My Avons weighed the bottle of water at approx 2lb 2 1/2oz which is in line with the Avons previous readings around that low weights being 1/2oz heavy.

 

The readings I am getting from the bottle of water are also making my avery weights look very accurate.

Edited January 6, 2014 by EdgbastonBreamBasher

[snakey1]

If your looking to accurately weigh a 2lb fish you want to be using scales with a maximum range of about 5lbs not 30lbs and as gozzer suggests there are numerous factors that will have an effect on the indicated weight when weighing on the bankside.

[EdgbastonBreamBasher]

This is true, and it is for that reason why I wanted as accurate a set as I could get, so as many things are on my side when weighing in real world conditions.

 

I appreciate the 30lb set is not ideal for a 2lb roach, but this was one of the main topics of conversation when I purchased them, I was told that if I wanted to know for sure if I had a 2lb roach then I needed this set, that seems almost funny now.

 

The roach is only an example, it isn't the style of fishing I usually do, but is still a very real possibility.

Edited January 7, 2014 by EdgbastonBreamBasher

[Sportsman]

What I have always failed to understand is why a 3lb Roach would be the fish of a lifetime but a 2lb 15oz roach would be a disappointment, especially when it would probably be a 3lb Roach if you weighed it on different scales.

This seems to mean that it isn't the fish that matters, it is the scales that it is weighed on.