Damn!! The powder dispenser keypad on my RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 Combo has failed!!

[MCMXI]

Today I put my money where my mouth is!! I've stated on THR a number of times that I like the CM 1500 so much that I'd buy another one if mine ever breaks. Well, today I did just that.

I've had an RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 Combo for just over two years. A couple of months ago the keypad on the powder dispenser started to act up. Pressing any key in the first column of numbers (1, 4, and 7) would result in the values 2, 5, and 8 showing up in the display. Those are the numbers of the next column over. After trying all sorts of things such as power on/off/on/off etc. it finally started to work properly after I calibrated the scale. This Saturday I was about to load up some rounds for my POF P-308 and the problem reoccurred. Nothing I tried would fix it so I gave up and made up some .454 Casull loads using a Redding 10X. I did a Google search on this problem and it's nothing new. There are even some reviews on Midway which state that this has been a problem on brand new units let alone two year old ones.

I called RCBS this morning and they told me to send the CM (dispenser and scale) back to them with a check for $45. They'll either repair or replace the unit at their discretion and the returned CM will come with a 12 month warranty (like a new one). I can't stand to be without the CM 1500 since I have so much load development to do before the next match. Call me crazy but I just ordered a new CM 1500 from Midway. I figure that if this problem occurs again, a spare CM will come in handy.



P.S. I'm probably going to get reamed by the anti-electronic crowd but I could care less. The CM 1500 has made reloading SOOOO much more enjoyable. I'm not looking for sympathy .... just telling it how it is.

 

[Myke_Hart]

How long did the CM Combo last you?

Sounds like only the dispenser is bad.

I love my 1500 combo. I have tried the others via freinds that own them and the CM 1500 combo has been the most reliable, accurate, and speediest for me. I would do the same as you. $45 for replacement from RCBS is pretty good deal, most of that is probably shipping.

Is the $45 for just the dispencer or both dispencer and scale?

When I needed a second digital scale I cheaped out and bought the rcbs range master 750 and I am not as happy with it as I am with the CM. The range master seems to drift after a hour of warm up but is fine after recalibration. The whole, you get what you pay for, seems to apply here.

Hornady has caught my eye with their new LNL auto charge, but it will be real hard to get me away from the CM combo due to the program ability and tweak hacks released for it. The auto dispence is nice, but the ability to change the motor speed for different wieghts of powder is awesome.

 

[loadedround]

Get on the phone with RCBS, they are a great company to deal with, and they will resolve your problem.

 

[kelbro]

Mine did the same thing about 2 months after I bought it. Sent it back, RCBS sent me a new one and it hasn't hiccuped in 2+ years. Good company to deal with.

 

[Rokman]

Mine did the same thing with the 1, 4, and 7 numbers about six weeks after I bought mine. They replaced it and reimbursed me for the shipping to them and it has been running fine for a little over two years. They told me that they had a keyboard issue at that time, which is about the time all of us got ours.

 

[P-32]

My Lyman DPS 1200 has been chugging along for 5 years. The thing driffs a bit but if I keep my eye on it, I can re-cal with no problem.

1858, I understand your like of elec powder throws......I could not find the time to weigh charges by hand any more.

 

[MCMXI]

How long did the CM Combo last you? Sounds like only the dispenser is bad. $45 for replacement from RCBS is pretty good deal, most of that is probably shipping. Is the $45 for just the dispencer or both dispencer and scale?

I've had the CM Combo for just over two years. The keypad on the dispenser is the problem. I'm not sure if they'll send me a new powder dispenser with my original scale or simply repair the powder dispenser keypad. I'm hoping they send me a complete new combo but that may be hoping for too much.

The new CM 1500 arrived today. I plugged it in, let it warm up and calibrated it. No problems to report. I hope this one remains trouble free for years to come. I'll be mailing off the other one tomorrow.

 

[ranger335v]

"RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 Combo for just over two years. A couple of months ago the keypad on the powder dispenser started to act up."

Ah well, it lasted a couple of years...whatda ya want?

Sorry 'bout that but your experiece is exactly why this old retired space/defence electonic instruments tech has nothing digital on his bench. Some of that stuff lasts a loong time. A LOT of it doesn't.

 

[Rokman]

Hope the new one lasts and I am sure RCBS will take care of you on the old one. They know that the produced some defective keypads awhile back. Good luck!

 

[twofifty]

My balance beam scale never runs out of gravity.
It's the dang solar spots that throw it off.

 

[MCMXI]

Hope the new one lasts and I am sure RCBS will take care of you on the old one. They know that the produced some defective keypads awhile back. Good luck!

Thanks! Having a spare CM isn't such a bad thing since these issues tpically show up at the worst possible time e.g. right before a match.

Sorry 'bout that but your experiece is exactly why this old retired space/defence electonic instruments tech has nothing digital on his bench. Some of that stuff lasts a loong time. A LOT of it doesn't.

True, and I can certainly understand that approach. However, given the amount of reloading that I do, the ChargeMaster 1500 Combo is the best solution for me. It allows me to focus on other variables that are more important. I do have "old school" equipment too and I always enjoy throwing charges with the Redding 10X. Eventually I'd like to invest in one of those fancy high $ powder throwers that do a really good job of slicing through powder grains with minimal effort.

 

[MCMXI]

UPDATE:

RCBS = excellent customer service!!

Yesterday I received a brand new ChargeMaster 1500 Combo from RCBS. They even replaced the scale which was working fine. I had dropped a screwdriver onto the display less than a month after buying it and the screwdriver punched a hole in the clear plastic "window" but didn't damage the LCD . I cut out the original plastic window and stuck on a clear piece of thin lexan. It was functional but not aesthetically pleasing but RCBS was good enough to replace the scale. All this for $45 after thousands of loads over the last two years. I'll happily pay another $45 two years from now if necessary.

I now have two new ChargeMaster Combos sitting on my bench ... it sure is nice to have a spare.

 

[Navy_Guns]

Yup - I have had nothing but INCREDIBLE service from RCBS on the rare occasion I've had to call them for something. Top notch company!

 

[Rokman]

1858, you should be twice as fast now. As soon as chargemaster 1 starts to trickle charge, hit dispense on chargemaster 2. I love my chargemaster, but sometimes I am so spoiled I get a little ansy waiting on it to stop trickleing. Glad RCBS took care of you.

 

[Slamfire]

My keyboard failed on my RCBS automatic powder dispensor. It was within warranty so RCBS replaced it, but it still cost me shipping.

Now that the warranty has expired, if the keyboard goes bad, I am tossing the thing out.

 

[Ala Dan]

No, your not going too get reamed by me; as I too operate my handloading
using the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 combo. I've owned it awhile; but just
now got a'round too using it~! I hope RCBS gets yours fixed in a timely
matter; but until then, enjoy your new one~!

 

[L.Puckett]

Hmmm, interesting that it occurred on machines of 2 plus years vintage. Danged warranty ends at 2 years.

Mine failed exactly as described by the OP. It is about 3 years old and hasn't loaded a lot of rounds. I guess the $45 is what bugs me, I know it shouldn't but I leave it on the bench and just use the Harrells Culver and trickle up. I do really enjoy walking by the RCBS and cussing it though.

Guess, I'll send the little pain in the butt back and hope that they have the problems worked out.

LP

 

[Rokman]

Now that the warranty has expired, if the keyboard goes bad, I am tossing the thing out.

If and when mine konks out again I will give them $45.00 bucks to fix it. Mine has loaded a ton of ammo and I am not paying $300.00 for a new one.

 

[MCMXI]

1858, you should be twice as fast now. As soon as chargemaster 1 starts to trickle charge, hit dispense on chargemaster 2. I love my chargemaster, but sometimes I am so spoiled I get a little ansy waiting on it to stop trickleing. Glad RCBS took care of you.

HA! The 1500 is plenty fast enough for me and I'm sure I'd find a way to screw things up if I had two running at the same time! My new 1500 is working fine so I'll test the replacement that just arrived to make sure it works then I'll most likely leave it in the box until my new one needs to be repaired.

My keyboard failed on my RCBS automatic powder dispensor. It was within warranty so RCBS replaced it, but it still cost me shipping. Now that the warranty has expired, if the keyboard goes bad, I am tossing the thing out.

I can believe that RCBS had a problem with some keyboards a couple of years ago and it's also possible that the problem has been resolved. $45 plus shipping back to RCBS isn't unreasonable for a product that's out of warranty. Bear in mind that RCBS shipped me a brand new unit as a replacement (including the scale which was working but damaged) ... I'm a happy customer.

 

[martside]

This is an old thread, but I'm posting this because it's prominent on a Google search.

I had the same problem: buttons performing the action of the button to their right, or doing nothing at all even though the RCBS Chargemaster 1500 Combo beeped. I could calibrate, but then pressing Zero started the calibration process over again.

My unit is about six years old (although I've only used it about 10 times), so RCBS wouldn't replace it for less than $200 plus the cost of shipping mine back. I pointed out that it would be cheaper for me to buy a Lyman or Hornady dispenser from Amazon.

That's when an RCBS tech support guy suggested that I unscrew the scale, clean the male & female sides of the electrical connector with electrician's contact cleaner spray, let it dry, and try again. I used isopropyl alcohol and a Q-Tip to rub the male and saturate the female. After drying and reconnecting, my Combo worked perfectly once more.

Hope this works for others out there. I really didn't want to sink $200+ into another unit that might do the same thing. Glad I didn't have to. :^)

 

[MCMXI]

Good info and welcome to THR! I haven't had any problems with either charger since I started the thread more than four years ago but if a similar issue does crop up I'll be sure to try the method that worked for you.

 

[420Stainless]

Good to hear that they service the problem and even offer advice on how to correct some problems. Getting trouble shooting advice over the phone these days for mechanical and electrical issues is a very rare thing these days.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I was just curious about something and wanted to ask even though the key pad sounds like it may have an issue according to this thread.

My question is were you talking on your cell phone or did you have your cell phone on playing music or anything when the key pad started acting up?

My smart phone (I-phone) messes with mine. I can't talk to someone on the phone when I running it or have it sitting on my reloading bench when I'm running it or I start getting overcharges or random number on my display when I push buttons.

I'm using a Hornady Auto Charge but I was wondering if the chargemasters were affected by a smart phone also.
My $1200 laser level won't work around a cell phone either. I have to turn it off when using it. I messes up the receiver on the stick.

 

[martside]

I did have my iPhone on, about four feet away, when I first noticed my Chargemaster keypad problem. I read online that others had issues with their phones and dispensers, so I moved my phone upstairs--no change in the Chargemaster malfunction. After cleaning the electrical connectors, I haven't had another problem with the RCBS, even with my iPhone back in the room. Hope this helps!

 

[tightgroup tiger]

That's good information for everyone to know.