Problems with Prattley weigher

[norfolk n sheep]

Thanks in advance of any help.
Last week we were weighing a large batch of lambs, the manual prattley with trutest weigh bars and EID reader was working fine. After approx 100, a lamb walked in and weighed 20kg ( looking about 40kg). Backed it up, the Prattley went to zero, same thing happened again. I jumped on the front weighing 3kg, then on the back weighing 40kg. Surely one of the weigh bars faulty.
Anyway took the weigher off the weigh bars today. I weigh 48kg on the front weigh bar and the same on the back one. Put the weigher back on and I weigh 48kg. ( May I add at this point I probably weigh twice that). The digital reader is an XR3000. I have put electrical cleaner around plugs and swapped lead plugs. Any advice?

 

[yellowbelly]

Ours is a similar set up (Combi Clamp on 2 Tru-test weigh bars connected to XR3000) so I expect it works the same.
I'm assuming when you took the crate off and weighed yourself, both weigh bars were connected to the XR3000
If so, surely you should have weighed your proper weight on each individual bar?
Is the XR3000 zeroing properly? The only time we get a problem is if the tare weight alters a bit (muck build up etc) but that's easy sorted by keeping an eye on it and pressing the zero button when required.(that wouldn't be 20kg though)
I'm assuming you haven't accidentally altered anything in the System Setup Menu - might be worth having a look in there just in case it's defaulted in there on it's own.

 

[Marennydd]

Sounds like a faulty loadbar, you'll probably have to send it off to re calibrate.
Are Ritchey involved with trutest stuff now?

 

[yellowbelly]

Sounds like a faulty loadbar,

Would that make them both weigh light though? He said......
Anyway took the weigher off the weigh bars today. I weigh 48kg on the front weigh bar and the same on the back one.

Are Ritchey involved with trutest stuff now?

They were when we bought ours 2 yrs ago.

 

[norfolk n sheep]

The xr3000 was still attached when i weighed myself on each load bar without the weigher. Surely I should have weighed 90+kg on each on individually. If there is a faulty weigh bar, which one is it? Do I try only plugging 1 load bar in the xr3000 at a time? TIA

 

[neilo]

Sounds like a faulty loadbar, you'll probably have to send it off to re calibrate.
Are Ritchey involved with trutest stuff now?

Aren't Ritchey and Trutest (& Prattley) owned by the same company?

 

[norfolk n sheep]

Was given a Ritchey phone number to ring tommorow by a local merchant

 

[spin cycle]

weigh yourself on normal scale ...divide that by the 48kg and apply to the readings for your lambs....so i reckon you weigh 84kg.....which is 1.75 times your reading ....thus your 20kg lamb will weigh 35kg

if the lamb weighs 30kg you need to go on a diet...or take the wallet out of your pocket

could just fix the weigher but where's the fun in that

 

[Marennydd]

http://www.ritchey.co.uk/tru-test-easy-guide/default.aspx

Have a look at the above, there could be some guide under the troubleshooting on the various loadbars.

Loadbars do get affected by dampness over time.

 

[norfolk n sheep]

Thought of this already, BUT........The prattley loadbars weigh in what can be explained as a figure of 8. So they can be no calculation to make the weight right, it depends where abouts the lamb stands in the crate. We did finish the other 600 lambs with a standard scale, instead of taking 2.5 hrs it took 6 hrs
Can't see that i accidently pressed something as I was in weighing mode already, already weighed 100 or so

 

[norfolk n sheep]

Looks as though the load bars might have dampness in them, looking at booklet above. Will buy some more electrical spray tomorrow and try again.

 

[JD-Kid]

ummm i'm not sure but think each load bar should read the same weight if only one pluged in at a time if that made sence IE if i stand on 1 it would read 100 but 2 will still read 100
we had one load bar play up and it just kept reading untill it maxed out
take them off try each bar in each port and see if they read diffrent
years ago we had a cable chewed and the scales read all over the place even tho the ports and ends were clean

 

[Tim W]

I have had similar problems with another make of weighbar @norfolk n sheep
1) Check for damp ---I used a hairdryer
2) There should be a junction box where wires from each loadbar meet ---check this for loose wires etc
3) If that doesn't work then try disconnecting one loadbar at a time and seeing if they both work ---it may be that one is faulty and this is the way to figure out which one it is

 

[JD-Kid]

I have had similar problems with another make of weighbar @norfolk n sheep
1) Check for damp ---I used a hairdryer
2) There should be a junction box where wires from each loadbar meet ---check this for loose wires etc
3) If that doesn't work then try disconnecting one loadbar at a time and seeing if they both work ---it may be that one is faulty and this is the way to figure out which one it is

ours i think the dampness got in from the chewing then down inside of cables in to load cells replaced cables and all good after that

 

[norfolk n sheep]

Tried something new today. Took 1 cable out of xr3000, front bar 0 kg, back bar 48kg. Took that cable out and tried the other, same result. Must be front dodgy weigh cell.....I think. Ritchey coming over Friday to have a look and take the broken bit away for refurb. PS Thanks for replies

 

[Bury the Trash]

Turning me off upgrading to elctronic.....considering what its all going to cost .....What ip rating is it supposed to be ?

 

[norfolk n sheep]

How do I find that out?

 

[Bury the Trash]

How do I find that out?

How did you get on with the prob. ? @norfolk n sheep




They are rated at ip67 in think
... http://www.dsmt.com/resources/ip-rating-chart/

 

[norfolk n sheep]

Load cells and XR3000 gone to Ritchey 10 days ago, still haven't heard anything, will let you know when I know

 

[neilo]

Turning me off upgrading to elctronic.....considering what its all going to cost .....What ip rating is it supposed to be ?

It's always something I've been concerned about, as you're normally sitting weighbars under the crate, in the sh*te.
I converted my normal lamb weigher with 2 suspension cells from Pharmweigh many years ago, and those cells sit above the crate, out of any muck. It does mean the top of the weigher is stil obstructed though.

I've now put weighbars under my CombiClamp, so we'll see if my fears were founded.