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September 28, 2008, 10:23 PM | #1 |
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Lyman 1200 DPS II, Anyone got one?
Im looking to buy a Lyman 1200 DPS II and wondering how good they are for the money? It seems to be everything that I need and can replace alot of items on my bench with it if it works as good as they say. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks, Mike
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Mike B. Gun control= Being able to hit your target. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pifinnercircle Last edited by mikenbarb; September 29, 2008 at 07:58 AM. |
September 29, 2008, 07:03 AM | #2 |
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Can't go wrong with these
I have one and love it, have used the RCBS unit also but like the 1200 better.
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September 29, 2008, 07:55 AM | #3 |
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I got it on the way and cant wait to give it a try.
VA, How accurate is the metering and scale with it?
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September 29, 2008, 11:58 AM | #4 |
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I love mine
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September 29, 2008, 03:27 PM | #5 |
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Don't remember what they claimed but seems to be well withen .05 or better from what I have seen, just make sure you set it up on a very solid surface with no vibrations and it will stay calibrated, check it as much as you like with included cal weight.
Takes a few minutes to warm up and it plenty quick enough to keep you loading, it's a fast accurate way to load, enjoy. |
September 29, 2008, 04:02 PM | #6 |
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I have had my 1200 II for a couple years and upgraded it to a 1200 III a few weeks ago with the little kit they are selling for ~$20. The 1200 II was painfully slow. The 1200 upgraded to a III is much faster, almost too fast with some powders. It'll outrun itself at times and overfill the pan. Never by more than .2 or so, but I dump a little out and slow trickle to my desired charge weight. The 1200 III also improves the removal of powder from the hopper. They recontoured the bottom of the hopper to eliminate the dead spots powder always gets trapped in on the 1200 II. I like that.
Made in China, don't like that. Keypad is not the sturdiest thing in the world, mines has flaked out a few times. If kept not perfectly level and steady it will act all funky on you. Cal *beep**beep* Those that have one know what I'm talking about. If I did it again I'd get a PACT, the OEM for RCBS. |
September 29, 2008, 05:49 PM | #7 |
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I like the 1200 better then the RCBS but that's the only other I have used. That's not to say the RCBS is a bad choice but I do like the 1200 better and think it is a more quality scale. It is a very accurate powder dispenser as long as it's on a solid surface, if not you would have a experence of un even load's like above post stated. The scale itself is very senitive and any vibration could cause inaccurate readings. I have also worked in lab's with high dollar scales and can say the 1200 scale is accurate enough to satisfy me and lot's of other reloaders it should be a good choice for for most anyone looking for a good dependible unit that will last many years..
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September 29, 2008, 06:05 PM | #8 |
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spencer, I dont see a III listed and only a II.???
I got a few baffles for powder measures and will have to put one in it. Im going to dedicate this for my BR loads if its accurate enough and from what I have heard, It is. I will let you all know when it comes in and I try it out.
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September 29, 2008, 08:06 PM | #9 |
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Thanks for the feedback guys. I guess I will have to buy one now. THB
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September 30, 2008, 02:25 PM | #10 |
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I went with the Lyman over the RCBS because of the IR connection between the two units of the RCBS. I have fluorescent lights in my reloading room, they will make the units act weird. The Lyman is a single piece unit, no issues there
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September 30, 2008, 04:06 PM | #11 |
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The current RCBS machine is a single unit, too. The old one was the OEM version of the PACT unit with IR link. The current RCBS has the weighing pan on a tray above the buttons and sports the one important feature I think the PACT design is missing: a draft shield. The current PACT may be faster, however. I have one (the PACT) and it is plenty quick after it learns a load. I had some problems with scale drift, however. Almost all the modern inexpensive scales have plastic single point load cells instead of the metal 4-point cells that the old Dillon and Denver scales had and that laboratory scales still have. When I finally bought a lab grade Acculab scale with those features and more resolution (0.02 grains), I discovered the smaller of my PACT check weights was not as precise as the heavier one, being 0.08 grains low. I recently added some solder to it and took a file and recalibrated it, but have not re-studied the drift issue to see if that helped any?
I would concur with the fluorescent light issue, but not because the IR port sees the flickering. Instead, I see mostly AC line noise emissions due to the fluorescent ballasts. You can usually hear them on an AM radio if you tune it to a weak station, then hold it near them or the nearby outlets. You can sometimes even trace wiring in the walls by that means. Anyway, picking up a line noise filter and putting its ground wire to an earth ground is a good idea. Some of the filters are better than others. The one I linked to should be adequate for up to 1 Amp A.C. You don't want to buy them oversize. I also got one of those cheap grade B 9" x 12" granite surface plates that Enco sells for about $15, and put some hard neoprene feet on it to serve as a vibration damping stand and temperature stabilizer. The PACT instructions recommend 20 minutes of on-time to stabilize anyway, and that plate seems to help. I made a draft shield from plastic. I was recently testing the .50 cal Savage ML-10 muzzle loader for smokeless powder. Not counting the fouling shot, 10 rounds over 43 grains of SR 4759, weighed out on the PACT and lit by CCI #209 primers ran 2147 fps with only 10 fps extreme spread and stayed in about an inch and a quarter at 100 yards. Not too shabby for saboted 250 grain pistol bullets, I thought.
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September 30, 2008, 06:33 PM | #12 |
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AM radio, Whats that?? LOL. The 1200 should be in my paws tommorow and im gonna run to meet the post lady and run up to the man cave and have some fun with the new toy. Its like Christmas all over again.LOL.
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October 1, 2008, 03:18 PM | #13 |
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I have used my 1200 DPS-II for a couple of years now. It works plenty fast with flake and extruded powders, and works well medium and large sized ball powders. Accuracy, when checked against another digital standalone scale ($129 Lyman) is dead on between the two.
As as example, loading 25.0-gr of Varget it finishes each measured drop in about 12-15 seconds. -Have a case and your funnel ready, -pull the pan when you hear the beep, -pour and return pan to scale -hit START for the next charge -jiggle the funnel -check primer on next case and get funnel ready -BEEP the next one's done. I have only had one issue with it giving less than great performance. With Accurate #5 the tiny ball particles get in between the measuring tube and the plastic bushings on either side which support it. There's just enough room for really fine powders (Like AA#5) to get jammed in there and slow the tube down almost to a halt. I sat there sometimes for over a minute for it to slowly trickle out the last of a measured charge. All other powders work exceptionally well. Also, my instructions didn't mention it, but for emptying and cleaning you can remove the tube, allow all the powder that can to fall out of the chute, and then push in on the back of the hopper. It clicks and slides right out the back and presto you dump what's in the bottom and you're totally empty.
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October 1, 2008, 04:03 PM | #14 | |
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Quote:
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October 1, 2008, 07:44 PM | #15 | |
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Quote:
When the pan goes back on the scale, it takes less than a second to hit a button so I simply never looked for a speedier method. But now you have me curious if auto-measure is an available feature on a Lyman. DD, you are correct that the unit counts every charge thrown during the session and displays it every time the unit reaches the set charge. The counter clears the screen each time you start another throw. I've yet to feel the need to get the upgrade to III in spite of it being a very inexpensive purchase. Again, and I realize that I'm repeating myself, as the powder granules get smaller the speed seems to slow down a bit. When I use Varget and H4350 it actually finishes before I am ready (final examination of each case). I use mine for rifle loads for the most part. But it comes in very handy when throwing charges for pistols and revolvers that are at or near MAX charges. I just feel safer. I still double check almost every throw when I'm loading such rounds, but it's always shown to be dead on or ±0.1 grain.
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October 2, 2008, 07:09 AM | #16 |
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A freind had problems with a flake powder in his RCBS but don't remember which one and RCBS replaced his unit, then the new unit ended up having some key problems so they replaced it again, and again for the same and now he has a unit he can use that is free of problems. I have not heard this before or since and have never heard this about the 1200, I am sure other users of the RCBS can give more history on some of the above issues.
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October 2, 2008, 06:02 PM | #17 |
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I have a DPS 1200. There are a few pointers I would like to suggest.
I turn mine on at leat 6 hours before I plan to use it. After all the calibrations I watch the pan weight. Normally mine will read -129.9 without the pan on the scale. If it reads anything else, I put the pan on and hit the CAL button. This will almost always put the reading without the pan back at -129.9. I get more uniform throw by doing this. The scale reading without the pan is the part that will wonder. I also use a powder throw to put a little less than the target weight in the pan and have the DPS finish it off. This cuts down on load time alot. I aways check the scale reading after it beeps indicating it has filled a charge.
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October 2, 2008, 06:20 PM | #18 |
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I use Lee Dippers with mine to save on gas
WilddiphitbuttonbeeprepeatAlaska ™ Tim, never noticed a diff between a long warm up and the regular warm up on the DPS |
October 2, 2008, 06:24 PM | #19 |
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I never saw a difference on warm up pass a half hour.
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October 3, 2008, 11:06 AM | #20 |
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Got my DPS today, I Love it!
I finally got it in and absolutly love it! I dont like the 30 minute warm up but its well worth it. Does anyone overide the warm up feature and throw charges with it cold, If so, How accurate it it that way? Im going up to play with this thing for a bit and enter some load data. Thanks for the comments everyone. I appreciate it, Mike
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