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  1. #1
    Georgia Fishing Reports Moderator
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    Tournament scale calibration

    Has any of you ever ordered weights to use to verify accuracy of your tournament scales? Or do you simply send them in if you think something is wrong?

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    #2
    If they are wrong, they are the same degree of wrongness for all participants. If someone caught a new lake record it would have to go to a certified scale anyway.

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    #3
    You can easily check this way. Get a 5 pound bag of flour or sugar from kitchen
    or grocery store....place on scale and see if it weighs 5 pounds. Close enough in fishing.

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    #4
    Quote Originally Posted by 5keepers2 View Post
    You can easily check this way. Get a 5 pound bag of flour or sugar from kitchen
    or grocery store....place on scale and see if it weighs 5 pounds. Close enough in fishing.
    Nope, needs one of these

  5. Bob G's pool boy
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    #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Bassin Billy View Post
    Has any of you ever ordered weights to use to verify accuracy of your tournament scales? Or do you simply send them in if you think something is wrong?
    Your state has an entity that certifies scales at grocery stores, etc. For a nominal fee they will do it for you and even give you a calibration sticker. Assuming you are interested in the accuracy of your scales, this is really the best way to do it. That being said...

    Unless you have a very good scale, there is a good chance that it will not pass their test as it is, and again, if it isn't of pretty high quality, there might not be a way to adjust it into tolerance. So now you have a scale that is out of whack to some degree and you know it.

    Depending on the operation and amount of money involved, you may want to go with the comment above where someone said if it is off for one, it is off for all. I didn't like that mentality and we spent the money on a high quality scale that passed calibration every year and more importantly, we took very good care of it. There really isn't a scale that is made to be thrown around and still provide accurate, consistent weights.

    We spent $1200 on a scale from Pro Tournament Scales and loved the peace of mind it gave us.


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  6. Member cneubass79's Avatar
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    #6
    I don’t see a need for calibration if you bring your fish in like someone else said. If you’re doing an MLF style then yeah you would need to have them calibrated. In order to properly calibrate a scale you would need to have it calibrated through its entire range just not one specific weight if you wanted it done properly.

  7. Georgia Fishing Reports Moderator
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    #7
    We are using the Pro Tournament Scale 357. And we have been going by the off for everyone equally though process, but it bothers me that it's not at least closer to being accurate.

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    #8
    Go buy a 2 lb workout weight. Take it to supermarket and have them weigh it. Take it home and put it on your scale and see if they match. If they are close live with it. If it is way off send scale to get recalibrated.
    A club member put up a huge stink about us not calibrating scale or checking it. He finally brought in a 5 lb certified weight and bingo 5.00 on the dot. Where it sucks and it happened to our club last year is when your scale goes haywire half way through a season. Calls into question when you are scoring for season aoy..

  9. Member Melton Jason's Avatar
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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by 5keepers2 View Post
    You can easily check this way. Get a 5 pound bag of flour or sugar from kitchen
    or grocery store....place on scale and see if it weighs 5 pounds. Close enough in fishing.
    I can ensure you that a 5lb bag of flour, sugar or whatever is not exactly 5lbs in a grocery store.
    Stroker DC21 Mercury 250 XB

  10. Member Melton Jason's Avatar
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    #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Bassin Billy View Post
    We are using the Pro Tournament Scale 357. And we have been going by the off for everyone equally though process, but it bothers me that it's not at least closer to being accurate.
    I have a Tennessee and Virginia weights certification and a certified weight kit up to 50lbs, could possibly do up to 100lbs by using my coworkers kit also. I don't have a Georgia license so I couldn't certify it but could check the accuracy of it if you are interested.
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  11. Georgia Fishing Reports Moderator
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    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Melton Jason View Post
    I have a Tennessee and Virginia weights certification and a certified weight kit up to 50lbs, could possibly do up to 100lbs by using my coworkers kit also. I don't have a Georgia license so I couldn't certify it but could check the accuracy of it if you are interested.
    I greatly appreciate that offer. But probably going to try a weight first as recommended. Wasn't sure if I could buy a pretty accurate 1 lb weight.

  12. Member rds_nc's Avatar
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    #12
    Use a known quantity of water then you can easily determine if the weight and volume are consistent. Then, double it to make sure the weight your scale reads doubles. That way you have multiple data points and know the scale is reading consistent between them and not just so say 5 lb accurately.
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  13. Member Melton Jason's Avatar
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    #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Bassin Billy View Post
    I greatly appreciate that offer. But probably going to try a weight first as recommended. Wasn't sure if I could buy a pretty accurate 1 lb weight.
    Scales can be accurate at lower weights such as 1-10lbs, however they can start loosing the accuracy at higher weights. You might be able to order a certified 10lb weight to check it though.
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    #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Melton Jason View Post
    Scales can be accurate at lower weights such as 1-10lbs, however they can start loosing the accuracy at higher weights. You might be able to order a certified 10lb weight to check it though.
    you can definitely purchase NIST certified 10 lb weights. I keep one in my work truck at all times. We probably own 50 or so in the office.
    I'd Rather be Fishing

  15. Bob G's pool boy
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    #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Bassin Billy View Post
    We are using the Pro Tournament Scale 357. And we have been going by the off for everyone equally though process, but it bothers me that it's not at least closer to being accurate.
    There is a way for them to talk you through calibrating it to a known weight. Get a known weight and give them a call. They were very helpful with me in getting mine right on.


    "I am going to Eufala to just idle around"
    -Haus

    ***NEW*** 2023 Ford F150 XLT Super Crew 2.7L Ecoboost FX4 cause I am such a baller.
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    HDS16 live- Solix15 : Console
    HDS16 live W/AT - Garmin 126 W/ lvs34 - Solix12/ 360 : Bow
    Dual 10' Blades/ Lowrance Ghost/ Bobs Hydraulic Plate
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