Pelouze(R) 5 Lb Internet Downloadable Rate Calculating Scale

Pelouze(R) 5 Lb Internet Downloadable Rate Calculating Scale | The "internet download" part is useless, so consider it a limited but functional stand-alone scale

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Pelouze(R) 5 Lb In...

	Pelouze(R) 5 Lb Internet Downloadable Rate Calculating Scale Pelouze Scale Company Pelouze Scale Company average customer review:based on 4 reviews view larger image
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Price is for EA.

No replacement chips needed when rates change. Scale downloads rates from the Internet. Includes popular rates for U.S. Mail including First Class, Priority, Express and Airmail to Canada and Mexico. Auto-shutoff when scale is not in use. Tare allows weight of container to be removed from scale display so only the weight of the contents is displayed. Scale includes error and overload warnings.

Not as useful since post office made size a bigger factor in price

1. The unit comes with no rates in it. You must hook it up to your computer using a special cable (hope you have the right port for it) and then sign up at pelouze to get the rate file and the software that loads it into the unit. i had a lot of trouble getting the downloaded file to run - windows felt it was not safe to open (it is a self-extracting zip file and ends with two suffixes, .zip.exe, and windows did not like it). I had to call customer service. Also, the phone number given in the box for customer service is the old customer service number from before pelouze was bought out and it does not work.

2. When the rates change, you will have to pay pelouze for the new rate file, and it is expensive.

3. After you place an item on the scale it gives the weight. You must then press another button to get the cost of postage. If you have 50 things to mail, you get to press this button 50 times. The previous pelouze scale i had (the one that you can set the rates yourself) did not make you press a button each time like this.

4. since the postal rate now also depends both on the size of the item as well as the weight, you still need to keep a paper postal rate chart and a ruler for larger items. since you need these items anyway, and since this scale is so much more expensive than a scale that does not calculate the rate, my advice is just to get a simple scale and use the money you save to buy stamps.

5. if you really must have a scale that calculates the postage, get the pelouze rate-programmable (not internet downloadable) one.Pelouze(R) 2 Lb. Rate-Programmable Electronic Scale

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The "internet download" part is useless, so consider it a limited but functional stand-alone scale

I received the Pelouze PS5DL 5-lb scale as a gift, to use in my home office. Initially, the "internet download" of postage rates looks like a nifty feature. However, it ends up being next to useless. That leaves you with a stand-alone digital scale with some limitations, and for that it's overpriced.

Consider other 5-lb standalone scales like Digital 5 Pound Letter Scale, Postal Scale, Mailroom Scale.(special Design for Letter or Light package.) ($19.99) or USPS PS50 5-Pound Postal Scale ($34.95).

Here's why the internet download feature is next to useless.

First, this product plugs into your computer via a serial RS-232 DB-9 female connector. Most computers these days have no serial port, only USB. So you need to get a USB to Serial Adapter like Dekcell CPA-1027 USB to Serial RS-232 (DB9 Male) Adapter with 6 ft. USB Cable. (Surprisingly these range from $6-$30 -- shop carefully!) I borrowed such an adapter, but without the right driver, the adapter doesn't provide Windows a COM port, and so it doesn't do the job. Pelouze tech support had no workarounds for me.

Second, once you have a working connection, you need pay to download rates. Actually, the first download is free with the scale, but you have register on Pelouze's web site and download three separate items. Future rate downloads cost something (price unknown). Add this on to your operating costs.

Third, the scale's concept of rate scales is limited to the USPS tariffs before the May 2008 changes. The scale doesn't have a way to give you different rates for small vs large envelopes below 3.5 oz. It doesn't have a rate step for the new 3.0-3.5 oz band. For those, you still need a printed rate card. It doesn't handle any rates but USPS (which is a bummer for me, I live in Canada).

So, I've come to the conclusion that this gift is only useful to me as a scale, without any postage calculation possible.

As a scale, it has its strong points. It's a compact, sleek design. It measures up to 5 pounds, with 0.1 oz accuracy. That's plenty for my small office use. It runs off a 9v battery (not included), and shuts off automatically. I just keep it on a shelf, and pull it down when I need it.

It also has weak points. It's a pity they didn't include even a 9v battery, let alone the optional $17 AC adaptor Pelouze ADPT2 AC Adapter for Digital Postal Scales. It's a pity that it can't switch between ounces and grams (I mail both USPS and Canada Post letters, so I really need both). It's a pity I can't load my own rates into it. It's a pity that it doesn't handle UPS, FedEx, or other services.

But mostly, it's a pity that it's a $70 product which does no more than $20 or $30 products. I received it as a gift, so it's worth every penny *I* paid for it. You, however, might want to keep shopping.

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