longacre scales

even if the battery is bad it still shouldn't mess up even if its plugged in right?
turn4racing said:
I also had/have this problem. They asked me how my battery was and it did get to the point that the scales had to always be plugged into an outlet. They said the first thing would be to replace the battery as that is usually a sing of a bad or junk battery. I just ordered a new cheaper battery for now to see if that fixes my problem. I should have the battery in next week and will try that. Hope one of us gets this figured out as I can't use my scales like this!!
Click to expand...
 
gibby_slack 20 said:
Thanks but how do ya level.the pad???
Click to expand...
You would need to shim it.
or have adjustable pad supports. like the 4 legs a screw under each corner of pad.
my stands are off like this, thought about having them milled flat, passed . new ones, maybe fix so there adjustable or shim .
 
karts11and4KBP said:
There is fixes for this. However longacre and other scale companies do not share the fixes on how to correct it. I own a calibration company and we offer services for these scales.

There are several things that create problems with scales ot holding zero. Check the flowing:

1 Check the battery on the unit. If the voltage is low it will cause problems.
2 determine if your pads are level. Not just the scale stand but each pad. A scale pad that is not level will give false readings and its impossible to zero out.

Outside of these two items you are limited on what you can correct with out a business arrangement with the manufacturer.

I hope one of these items is the problem but if not check out our web site and call me. www.acs-na.com

Kevin
Click to expand...

How's this for checking them?

Let's say the total weight all pads can handle is 400pounds. You'd first strain them with say 80pounds on each.

Then you could calibrate them each individually at say 40 pounds. Then check them individually at various weights from very small to relatively heavy.

Now since more then one scale is used for total weight you have to check them with all four loaded.

I'm guessing the easiest way to do that would to put your kart and driver on the scales to find total weight. What's left is how the scales work together. To check that you can add say 20pounds to the nose, get a total weight reading which should be what you had plus 20. Then put the 20 on the back and see if the total is the same. Then do the same left and right and both crosses. If there good where ever you move the weight the total should remain the same. If not there is either a mechanical bias adjustment on the controlling unit or it may be done with software. My guess is there are pots that can be turned to balance the scales. Probably a proceedure and secquence to do it.

I use to calibrate single scales and scales in tandem, but never 4 units and was also at one time state certified to do it on small electronic scales. It's probably as simple as leveling the scales, putting 20 pounds or so on each, popping the covers off the main unit and following a procedure, manually adjusting pots. I'd bet it ain't done with software, but I'm proly wrong as usual.

edit: The main thing is if they all weight the same and you can add weight moving it to various corners and get the same total and small and large added weight changes the numbers the same, there proly ok.

And for percentages you don't care if the weight is 100% accurate, you just need the scales to all work the same.
 
Paul, most states (and Handbook 44, THE regulation on scales) require at least 12.5% of the capacity of the scale be certified test weights that can be traced back to NIST standards. Older Longacre, Reb-Co, and Intercomp systems used potentiometers for adjustment, some use key strokes now. Weighing is weighing, checking cross, left, or nose weights is merely the indicator doing the math, using the weights from the pads.
 
I was the first person ever and maybe the only person in Ohio, to take the test with the handbook on my laptop instead of manually having to look up things in the paper book. I reasoned to the testing personnel I would normally have the book on my laptop for reference out in the field. He said nobody ever asked before and to go ahead and use it. I did well with the 'find' function to look stuff up in the book. ... :)

I never had to get certified in PA because it was not needed for PA customers. Though I could have gotten certified and complete things, they had the county come in and certify after the scale was serviced. I never had to go back and re-calibrate a scale because my work was not acceptable. Actually in my last 20 years working when they did survey my work, I was over 95% on first time fix, customer sat, meeting fix time criteria and profitability criteria. If I wasn't or an employee was not, they or I would not have made it to retirement. Our merit pay system was if your near perfect on everything, it ain't good enough but you keep yer job. ... :)

When I started the local office had 60 to 80 people fixing stuff, plus software support and sales. When I left my buddy was and is the only person left. I'm sort of proud to make it so long when so many others were let go. Guess I worked cheap. I've been certified and factory trained on stuff from just about every large company you can think of that sells computers, printers, copiers and stuff out in the clouds. Small electronic scales for grocery checkout and scanning and the scales used in automatic checkout lanes are just one type of equipment of many. Actually my reference to multiple load cell scales is from automatic checkout lanes. The belt you put your stuff on has a scale to weight your item separately from the scale you scan your product on. The belt actually weights and checks the size of your item. If it doesn't match by weight and size it comes back to you.

Just a story. Equipment which malfunctions is often said to have a bug in it. Automatic check out lanes to measure height have led's that shine across the lane. Well, I had one I couldn't fix for awhile. Turned out there was a spider nest on one of the led pickups. When the spider was home, it failed and when the spider was out getting lunch the light could shine through the web and things worked ok. I finially caught the spider home saw the problem and kicked him out. Also, early touch screens at a restaurant ... I won't say which one... were not capacitance screens but had led light shining across the screen. You guessed it, flies would operate the cash register when they flew to the lighted screen. HA ! you thought auto dim was to save your screen didn't you, when it's actually a way to keep flies away.
 
I think that was a compliment. anyway my old tanners have pots. just not sure I am brave enough to turn them.
This cottonpickin key board aint sensitive enough if it did I would ina instant.
 
I have a question for you scale folks. Ordered brand new scale set. Put kart on scale and left, nose are within spec of my kart but cross is reading 10% higher than normal.
So I put kart number 2 on scale and again left and nose correct but cross is 10% higher than I ever ran. I thought this was odd so being a new set of scales here is what I did to diangose the problem.
1. verify scale stand was level.
2. Check each pad and lines that they match.
3. Put a 5lb weight on each pad ensuring the scales are reading accurate.
4. Checked stagger on tires to make sure correct.
5. Took the numbers off the LR,LF, RR,RF and put those numbers into an online kart software setup on my laptop to make sure calculations were correct which they were.

So anyway I am 100% stumped on why this is happening. The scales zero out without any problems and again scales are brand new. Any suggestions?
 
clone23 said:
So anyway I am 100% stumped on why this is happening. The scales zero out without any problems and again scales are brand new. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
is there any chance that you could post your numbers?

From the desk of Al Nunley
Comments compliments criticisms and questions always welcome.
If the data does not support the theory, get a new theory.
(Al Nunley)
 
clone23 said:
I have a question for you scale folks. Ordered brand new scale set. Put kart on scale and left, nose are within spec of my kart but cross is reading 10% higher than normal.
So I put kart number 2 on scale and again left and nose correct but cross is 10% higher than I ever ran. I thought this was odd so being a new set of scales here is what I did to diangose the problem.
1. verify scale stand was level.
2. Check each pad and lines that they match.
3. Put a 5lb weight on each pad ensuring the scales are reading accurate.
4. Checked stagger on tires to make sure correct.
5. Took the numbers off the LR,LF, RR,RF and put those numbers into an online kart software setup on my laptop to make sure calculations were correct which they were.

So anyway I am 100% stumped on why this is happening. The scales zero out without any problems and again scales are brand new. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
The old ones you used were wrong more than likley
 
The cross calculation uses the RF and LR for input, so if the Left and the Front are correct, how could the cross not be correct?.

If I knew your numbers, all four corners, I could put them into my Excel weight sheet and give you a better answer.


From the desk of Al Nunley
Comments compliments criticisms and questions always welcome.
If the data does not support the theory, get a new theory. (Al Nunley)
 
One of the karts is an 08 Tempest. 58 left, 45.5 Nose and 60 cross that I run. Open up the box on my new scales and set up level etc and put kart on scales and numbers are 58 left 45.5 nose and 70% cross. So i adjust the washers in the front. I ended up having to max out the washers in front and was able to bring the cross down to 64% however thats as low as I can go. So that tells me that something is wrong and has to be the scales. I'm guesssing if I had another set of scales to compare my cross would be more like 54%.

At thsi point I put my 2nd kart on the scale and guess what? Cross was 10% higher again! So how could scales read that much different. I know if I was truely had 70% cross in my kart it would drive like a dump truck.
I then took all my LF LR FR RR numbers entered them into a kart software program and it read the same thing 64% cross with washwers max out. I have checked tire stagger, proper pads, level , proper lines hooked up, even rotated the scale stand around in garage just to make sure.
 
Try to check each pad with perhaps your body weight to ensure consistency between pads. Five pounds will probably not be enough to show a problem. You didn't state what brand of scales they are, but I feel like you probably are not chasing a scale problem here.
 
clone23 said:
One of the karts is an 08 Tempest. 58 left, 45.5 Nose and 60 cross that I run. Open up the box on my new scales and set up level etc and put kart on scales and numbers are 58 left 45.5 nose and 70% cross.
Click to expand...
these are the corner numbers I get from that last set of percentages. The one with the 70% cross
LF 61.14
RF 104.94
LR 150.56
RR 48.37

just to verify the numbers, turn the kart 180 degrees. The LF should now be sitting on the pad where the RR had been. Are all be corner weights the same?

With the first set of numbers, these are the corners with 60% cross.
LF 79.39
RF 86.69
LR 132.31
RR 66.62
so you can see that, if the cross is 70%, all the individual corner weights change.

From the desk of Al Nunley
Comments compliments criticisms and questions always welcome.
If the data does not support the theory, get a new theory.
(Al Nunley)
 
I like turning the kart 180* that will definatly rule in or out the scales.
pads could be fine scale control/display may be bad.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top