Electronic Balances

[rae]

What brand of electronic balances do people use ? What is the max they weigh? How many decimal places?
Does any one use Issco Optek Electronic balances ?? Looking at buying some and need to know what people would recommend. These are really cheap !!!

Thanks Lorrae

[Ev]

We purchased an Issco Optek Electronic balance 3000g, 0.01g at the end of last year. It was cheap!! It works fine but it is light and plasticy.
Ev

[Ian]

We bought an Ohaus Scout Pro 400g x 0.01g and an Ohaus Scout Pro 4000g x 0.1g about 12-18 months ago. They seem to do the job pretty well, and are both callibratable (which I like. Something to fiddle with!) The Scouts will run on AA Batteries or an AC power adaptor. That is a helpful thing as they do not need a power point close by.

My baby in my Prep Room is an A&D (300g x .01). It has been around for years, but I like it!

I got an ISSCO pamphlet in the mail today. They have a "Buy 2, get 1free" offer going and also an offer where if you buy one of their expensive ($750 - $975) OPTEK balances, they will give you a $160 balance for free!

Ian

[RosalieM]

We have the Ohaus Scout Pro 400g x 0.01g as well. They have worked well for us so far and I found out towards the end of last year that they are compatible with our data loggers so when you are doing a reaction you can weigh it and watch the mass decrease as the gas floats off into the atmosphere! Just have to purchase the connections If you have data loggers, maybe check if they have a compatible electronic balance as well.

[Ian]

That sounds like fun! What sort of Data Logger do you have, and how do you connect it?

Ian

[lada]

I have A&D 300g x0.01g in my prep room. Works very well and Mettler PC2200 x0.01g for the labs. It is very old and does not miss a beat.
Lada

[RosalieM]

That sounds like fun! What sort of Data Logger do you have, and how do you connect it?

Hi Ian, we have Xplorer GLX from pasco. We haven't got the connection things because our budget hasn't been confirmed yet!! There must be a place where you can plug it in on the actual EB somewhere. I can't find the catalogue I saw it in to give you any more info than that at this stage. If I find it again and think of it at the time I'll let you know more details.

[rae]

Thanks to those who replied to my initial question. I now have another.

Do you have class sets of balances or what do you use for classes?
How do you store them and transport them??

Lorrae

[RosalieM]

We have 5 which the classes have to share. It's easier to keep an eye on just a few (so they don't get broken when kids decide to see how high they go by pushing on them etc...). I store them in trays that stack on top of each other. They are the ones used in offices to hold A4 papers. I'm not sure that description will be very helpful so I can take a photo if you want me to.

[matchstick]

we have a class set of 10 and the precsion balance which is keep in the preproom for my usage only.I store our class set in the cupboard and as they are needed i put them on the trolley
M

[fibreweb]

We have 4 scales for our 800 junior students. Usually only one is given to a class as they are in 3 separate locations around the school to save me carrying the, from place to place.

On 2nd March I gave an order through the finiance lady in the front office for 2 more ready for an assessment task last week. It took her until the 17th to process the order and they still havent arrived!!!!!!!!!!

These scales are range from 200 -500 mazimun weight and have 2 decimal places.

I have a set with 3 decimal places for me and the senior Chemistry students.

Wendy

[Loopy]

Hi!
For Junior classes we use kitchen scales from Big W Living Essentials range. They have a graduation of 1g and weigh up to 2kg. They cost approximately $22 each two years ago. We have one precision balance for our senior classes and myself. Having only one precision balance can create a bit of a bottle neck, so are in the process of checking into getting at least one more. This system seems to works well for us.

[dime]

Speaking of balances...does anyone use the mechanical 4-beam or 3-beam balances any more?
I have been packing these up to move and wondering if they should go into the permanent storage..ie the bin. No one seems to bother any more...would rather electronic balance. Can't say I blame them. I think the Ohaus are the best if you can afford them. But for juniors the ones from Big W sound adequate.

[RosalieM]

Hi Dime,
Our triple beam balances get used twice a year. Once in year 7 and once in year 9 or 10 (as part of a prac exam). Other than that, they sit in the cupboard on a shelf... Perhaps you could suggest to your ever-helpful HOD that you get rid of most and keep a few for teacher demo etc? Or perhaps you could just keep 3 or 4 and have the rest 'go missing' in the re-shuffle of everything...

[JelJane]

Ours don't get used at all anymore - really I don't see the point of using them as in real life everybody uses digital nowadays! But quite a few have made it to the high shelves above the lab cupboards as lab decorations (read dust collectors and spider homes!) , still have half a dozen in the glass store that I am threatening to bin soon...

[dime]

Yes, I was thinking of keeping the 3 beam ones, as they have been used once or twice in living memory. But the 4-beam swinging pan ones are very dusty and a pain. I am thinking they might get lost in the reshuffle. Thanks for your thoughts.

[dolphinscales]

like Ian we have 8 Ohaus Scout Pro 400g x 0.01g for the classrooms which are stacked 4 together in a tote tray that are stored in the prep room in a rack and transported in the totes to the room required. possibly not the best way but it helps keep them tidy and as only 4 fit in each tote they tend not to shove any more in than that so they are fairly well cared for. i say that as they still get dropped by the slippery fingers of the darlings andthe teachers jsut put them abck and get a new one out. sigh.
we also have a 0.001g balace for the student use and one for our sole use. But i am unable to get the them at present to tell you what they are - both are Ohaus - good solid brand i think.

[lizzieb]

Hi Darelle,

We still use triple and quad-beams at both schools!

Plus cheaper 2g balances for juniors, and a good 2 decimal point for seniors and P/R.