Problem with Tilt Meter

[BillyP]

Bob, nope, not a bad sign at all. Just being a little forgetful, on your part. Did you forget the bungee cord? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[zuiko]

Anybody happen to have a picture of their tilt meter? Im having a tough time visualizing how static electricity would stop it from working.

 

[markie61]

here.

 

[DennisArrow]

Wish I could give something that the others havent.......good ol Rick is doing his best, as always, of standing by the product no matter what..............the static guard sprayed on with grounding the unit sounds BEST............cant understand how much that thing must vibrate.......mine is on top of my hood and rocks and rolls a lot..........Reminds me of an ol Harley I used to have before I switched to BMW's...........lolol....or was it a 450 honda...........anyway....keep trying ........havin it work is worth whatever it takes.......Dennis

 

[DavidJ]

If it's static, and I don't doubt that it is, it's the plastic that the tube is made of, or more precisely the interaction between the base material and the tube. Wetting the tube disapates the charge and all is great until it drys and charges again. Changing the tube material might help but I would think an anti-static wrist strap grounded to the frame and stuck to the tube would eliminate the problem.

 

[_RaT_]

Just the opposite would be the desired way to do it, except that since its plastic already, it doesn't really ground. Grounding is exactly what one would do to eliminate a static charge. Out here in the dry West, it's not unusal to build up static charges everywhere, carpeting, decks, etc., well that is with the exception of the last 5 days. We have had a ton of humidity from the tail end of this Carmelitta hurricane from the Gulf. As high as 50%! I don't know how you guys back there deal with it, but give me 105 degree dry days anytime, this humidity stuff is not pleasant.


P.S. Curious how many people have and use tiltmeters. My L48 came with a tiltmeter but for my needs, it was really not used.

 

[BillyP]

Rat, the idea of the rubber grommets were to keep the two plastic services from rubbing against each other. Thus not creating a static charge?

Last Friday it was 103 with 80% humidity. Talk about hot. It's been fairly nice since but August is right around the corner.

 

[_RaT_]

Billy, it's certainly worth a try, who knows, static electricity is not always easy to deal with.

103 degrees and 80% humidity, man, I have to think you got to be pretty tough to work all day in weather like that.

Out here, one thing that happens from about May to October is we get no rain. Irrigation is obviously the only way to keep things green. Rat.

 

[Slamfire]

105 and no humidity, sunshine actually painful to the skin, no thanks, I'll stick to my shirt in this humidity. Depends to keep my seat from sticking to my pants. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[RBManufacturing]

Hi Guys,
First, let me clarify something that has not been mentioned.
A full refund has been given, INCLUDING shipping. Also, a
second tiltmeter was sent at no charge.

Now, that out of the way, lets address the static thing.
I have sold well over 50,000 tiltmeters in the last 7 years and
I have them on everything from tractors, dozers, a submarine, fire trucks, militray trucks, material handlers,
oil drilling rigs, mining equip. test airplanes, 4wd hill climbing
jeeps, just to mention a few. I am aware of less than 25
meters sticking. I have done EXTENSIVE research, and found
that static IS the problem when one sticks.

The tube is GLASS. Precision ground glass. The windshield on
a car, I am told is ground to 50X. My tubes are ground
internally to 150X. The static buildup is INSIDE the glass tube.
My experiments with grounding, insulating, etc. has not
stopped the static in the RARE cases where it occurs.
Since glass is non-cunductive, I cannot explain why spraying
the tube with water helps.
I have even added a drop of anti-static fluid to the liquid in
the tube. It did not help.
I spent 4 days at a highway dept. tractor shed 2 years ago
trying to find out why the meter stuck on one tractor, when
it did not stick on 21 other identical tractors. I tried 5 different
meters. Glass ball in tube, stainless steel ball in tube, and
5 different fluids in tube. Insulated meter, grounded meter,
and CUSSED meter. Nothing stopped the sticking. Remember,
21 other identical tractors. No others stuck. Tried meters off
of 3 other tractors, and all stuck on the one tractor, but not
on the original tractors. All meters were mounted on hoods.
The different balls, and fluids changed the time, degree, and
frequency of sticking, but nothing stopped it. Ended up
mounting meter from canopy, and the sticking stopped.
The only meters that ever stuck were on either tractors, or
dozers. Never had one stick on anything else. The highway
dept. tractor meter only stuck from mid-day on. Mornings
were o.k. Cloudy, or cool days were o.k. Hot days that
started out with dew on ground were o.k. until dew was gone.
I got to know the operator of that tractor well. I spoke to him
a year later, and the meter never stuck again. When one
stuck on a dozer, we tried 3 different locations before we
found a mounting place that the ball did not stick. Extreme
vibration is not always the culprit. Seems to be more of
what I call harmonic vibration. I recommend the meters
be mounted with the tape first, before any holes are drilled.
On the few that have stuck over the years, all have occured
from May to Nov. None from Dec. to April. I had the highway
dept. tractor operator re-install the sticking meter last year,
and it did not stick on his first use in April. Left the meter
mounted, and it started sticking in late May.

As always, my tiltmeters are fully covered on warranty, and
If anyone has ANY problems, I offer a full refund, INCLUDING
shipping. I will do everything possible to make the customer
happy. I stand behind my meters 100%. You got a problem,
it will be addressed by me personally, and immediately.

Thanks guys. Rick