Mettler Toledo BC-60 Manual, Explained: Setup, GEOCAL, Keypad, Modes, Calibration and Error Codes

This Mettler Toledo BC-60 manual guide covers GEOCAL setup, the keypad, modes and calibration for the NTEP Mettler Toledo BC-60U, on sale for $726.00 (regular $1,325.00), in stock.

The Mettler Toledo BC-60U is a 150 lb by 0.05 lb (60 kg by 0.02 kg) shipping scale with a stainless platter, a graphical display and USB and RS-232 ports. Its manual covers the whole BC family, from the BC-15 to the BC-150, so this guide keeps only what applies to the BC-60, with menu names as they appear on the display.

BC-60 specifications from the manual

Item	BC-60 (BC-60U)
Capacity x readability	150 lb x 0.05 lb (HB44 default) or 60 kg x 0.02 kg
Approval	NTEP Class III, Certificate of Conformance 13-111A5 (postal weight classifier); Measurement Canada and OIML builds
Units	lb, lb-oz, kg and g; a second unit appears when unit switching is enabled
Display	Graphical 240 x 160 pixels; 12 mm digits, 21 mm with the DOWN key
Keypad	UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT and ENTER, with softkeys on screen
Interfaces	USB (HID POS, virtual serial or keyboard wedge) and RS-232; Ethernet and Bluetooth need an option board (not included)
Power	5 VDC, about 100 to 150 mA, from the PC’s USB port; universal 110 to 220 V adapter in the box for RS-232, Ethernet, Bluetooth or standalone use
Platter	Stainless steel, about 353 x 312 mm (13.9 x 12.3 in); ball-top and roller-top versions
Environment	0 to 40 °C, 10 to 90 percent relative humidity

Setting up the BC-60

1. Unpack it. The box holds the scale, a 10 ft USB cable, a 10 ft RS-232 cable and the power adapter. Scales ordered as USB-only ship without the adapter and serial cable.
2. Level it. Turn the feet until the bubble sits in the center of the level, then tighten the lock nuts.
3. Seat the platter. It is a compression fit on rubber grommets; press it down evenly and make sure nothing touches its edges.
4. Connect it. USB is the preferred link and also powers the scale, so no adapter is needed. For RS-232, Ethernet, Bluetooth or a scale with no PC, plug in the adapter.
5. Answer the start-up prompts (GEOCAL, below), then check zero with nothing on the platter.

The BC-60 has no power switch, like a keyboard or mouse. To turn it off, unplug the USB cable (or the adapter).

GEOCAL: the first power-up wizard

Gravity varies with latitude and altitude, so METTLER TOLEDO calibrates the BC at the factory and corrects it with a Geo code for where you use it. On the first power-up the scale walks through up to three prompts, depending on how it was ordered:

1. Geo code (00 to 31). Texas has two codes: 12 northeast of the Colorado River and 11 southwest of it. The Houston area sits northeast of the Colorado River, so code 12 applies there. The full table is in appendix H of the manual.
2. Language and units: English in lb, or English, Spanish, French, German or Chinese in kg.
3. Manifest software: Current (no change), FedEx Ship Manager, UPS WorldShip, DHL EasyShip or Purolator E-Ship. This loads that carrier’s serial settings.

Use LEFT and RIGHT to change a value and ENTER to accept it. The wizard runs once; the stored Geo code shows later under Home > Info > Cal Info. On the 7-segment remote display the same prompt reads GEo in: ZERO scrolls the code and UNITS accepts it.

The keypad and softkeys

Key or press	What it does
UP, held 5 seconds	Opens the Home screen: Info, Deflt, OPMode, Setup and END
DOWN, pressed once	Switches to large 21 mm digits; press again to return
LEFT, held 3 seconds	Turns the backlight on or off (software 1.00.006 and later)
ENTER, held 5 seconds (in setup)	Jumps straight to the END screen
Arrows and ENTER (weighing)	Move between the softkeys at the bottom of the screen and press the highlighted one

Softkey	Function
Zero	Zeroes the empty scale
Switch Units	Toggles primary and secondary units, if unit switching is enabled
Mode	Opens the mode list; hidden when Basic is the only mode
Tare	Tares a container for net weight
APW	Takes an average piece weight in Bulk Mail / Count mode
Hold	Keeps a large parcel’s weight on screen after it is lifted off (Basic mode)
SendWT	Sends the weight to the PC when Send Weight is set to the softkey

The Zero softkey usually works within 2 percent of capacity (Setup > Scale > Zero > Pb 0 offers 2, 5 or 100 percent, or off). If it will not zero, clear the platter, cycle power and, if that fails, recalibrate. See scale will not zero or keeps drifting.

Operating modes

Modes are switched on at Setup > Scale > Func (behind the metrology lock) and then picked at Home > OPMode. Press the Mode softkey to change between them.

Mode	What it is for
Basic	Gross weight only, with Hold for parcels that block the display (hold time 2, 5, 7, 10, 15 or 20 seconds)
Weight and Tare	Net weight in a container; tare clears automatically at zero gross (Auto-C) or with the key (Key-T)
Label Offset	Adds a set weight for labels and packing lists added after weighing; the display shows G+. METTLER TOLEDO designed it for applications that are not legal for trade
Take Away	Shows the weight removed, for pulling letters out of a tray
Product Verification	Shows the weight added at a packing station, to check an item went in
Bulk Mail / Count	Counts identical letters or parts from a 10, 20, 50 or 100 piece sample (APW to four decimal places)
Price	Shows a price the PC calculates, through MT-SICS commands

Home menu, carrier defaults and saving

Home > Deflt loads a complete set of settings in one step: METTLER TOLEDO, FedEx, FedEx 2, UPS, DHL, Purolator, Toledo OIML, SICS or a Custom set you saved earlier. Setup holds the display, communication, scale and maintenance pages. Display settings include language, filter (None, Light or Heavy; None from the factory), key feedback, a custom message, contrast, backlight and a password of one to six arrow presses.

Nothing changes until you save. Go to END and choose Save (the scale restarts with the new settings), Abort (restarts without them), No (back to Home) or CstDft (store the current settings as your Custom default, then Save). Calibration is the one exception: it saves itself and restarts.

Connecting the BC-60 to shipping software

The USB port has three modes under Setup > Communication > USB. Choose the one your software expects; for cables and adapters in general, see how to connect a scale to a computer.

Setting	How it works	Use it for
HIDPOS	Microsoft HID point-of-sale scale; plug and play, no driver	Shipping programs that support USB POS scales; several programs can share the scale
Virtua (virtual serial)	A serial protocol over the USB cable; needs METTLER TOLEDO’s PC driver	Software that expects a COM port
KBWed (keyboard wedge)	Types the weight into any program as if from a keyboard, followed by nothing, Tab or Return	Spreadsheets, web forms and order screens

For RS-232 (or virtual serial), set Setup > Communication > Serial: baud 1200 to 57600, 7 or 8 data bits, parity None, Even, Odd, Mark or Space (None with 8 bits), and 1 or 2 stop bits. Then choose the protocol: Toledo, MT-SICS, or the FedEx, UPS or Purolator presets. A carrier default under Home > Deflt sets all of these at once.

SendWT controls when weight goes out with keyboard wedge or the Toledo protocol: Send K (the softkey), AutoSe (each stable non-zero weight, after no delay or 0.5, 1.5 or 2 seconds) or Contin (every 0.1 to 1.5 seconds). Common host commands: in the Toledo protocol, W returns the weight, H a high-resolution weight, Z zeroes and T tares; in MT-SICS, S sends a stable weight, SI the weight immediately, SIR repeats it and Z zeroes.

With the Ethernet board (not included), choose DHCP or a static address; the port, usually 82, is on Home > Info > IP, and the serial protocol settings still apply. With the Bluetooth board (not included), enable it and pair; the paired device shows on the Info screen.

The metrology lock and the CAL button

Capacity, increments, zero, rounding, the mode list and calibration sit under Setup > Scale, behind the metrology lock. To open it on the BC-60, lift off the platter and unscrew the green or black cap to the right of center on the housing; press the SW2 button under it with a stylus or pencil. The Scale menu appears, and you press the button again after you leave it.

On a scale used for trade the cap carries a Weights and Measures wire seal, and the PCB cover screw underneath carries a second one. Breaking a seal takes the scale out of its sealed state; in Texas, have a registered service technician reseal it and place it back in service. Our TDA-registered technicians do this on site; see TDA scale certification in Texas.

How to calibrate the BC-60

Choose the calibration weight first at Setup > Scale > Calib > CalWgt: pounds or metric, then one of four values. Calibration weights are not included; see our calibration weight classes guide and shop calibration weights.

BC-60 units	Cal 1	Cal 2	Cal 3	Cal 4
Pounds	25 lb	50 lb	100 lb	150 lb
Metric	10 kg	20 kg	45 kg	60 kg

1. Press the CAL button (above) and go to Setup > Scale > Calib > Cal. GEO Adjust is highlighted: set the Geo code with UP or DOWN and press ENTER.
2. Highlight Calibration and press ENTER. At Empty scale, check the platter is seated, empty and touching nothing, and press ENTER to capture zero.
3. At Put Load, place the weight shown at lower left and press ENTER to capture span.
4. At Empty Scale again, remove the weight and press ENTER.
5. Calibration was OK appears; the scale counts down, saves and restarts. No END step is needed.
6. Check zero and span with test weights, placing the weight at several spots on the platter. For trade use, confirm the metrology lock is enabled.

To check calibration without changing it, use Setup > Maintc > CalChk: a zero test, then a test weight read at ten times resolution. CalPrm can remind operators to run that check every 5,000, 10,000, 50,000 or 100,000 weighments. UseGeo lets a technician calibrate at one site and set the Geo code for the scale’s final location, while the original code stays on record under Cal Info.

Zero and rounding settings

• Pb 0 (push-button zero): off, 2, 5 or 100 percent of capacity.
• >0<: shows the center-of-zero icon when the scale is within a quarter division of zero.
• AZM: automatic zero maintenance, typically within half a division.
• Pwr 0: zero captured at power-up within 10 or 20 percent of capacity, or off. If it fails twice, recalibrate.
• Round: Classifier (rounds up, basic weighing only), Normal, USPS (basic weighing only) or Expand (raw weight at about ten times resolution, not a legal mode).

BC-60 error messages and codes

The scale logs its last five errors; hold UP for 5 seconds and go to Home > Info > Errors. Shown on the weight display, they start with E.

Message (graphical) / 7-segment code	What to do
New Approval selected, but SetDft not configured	Go to Setup > Scale > SetDft, choose Yes, review the settings, then Save or Abort
Error Menu Parameters / Err 6	Check the setup menu, or reconfigure the scale
Error Uart Parameter / Err 7; Error Uart Framing	Match baud, data bits, parity and stop bits on the scale and the PC
Error LC disconnected / Err 8	Check the load cell and its cable
Overload occur	The load was over capacity; remove it
Error Calibration WT / Err 22	Pick a calibration weight no larger than capacity and at least a tenth of it
Error Read Span Tolerance / Err 24	The test weight read out of tolerance; check the weight and the CalWgt setting
Error Clear Calibration Parameter / Err 23	Recalibrate with no vibration
Error GEO Set / Err 26	Set the Geo code again
Error read EEprom / Err 1 to 4	Restart the scale; if it repeats, the board needs service

For drifting, blank or frozen readings and the error codes of other brands, see our scale error codes guide; if an error will not clear, our repair bench can help.

The 7-segment display

Some BC scales use the 0270 basic display, as the main display or as a remote by the keyboard. It has only ZERO and UNITS keys and runs Basic weighing. Hold UNITS for 5 to 8 seconds to reach its short setup list: GeoCal, CAL, rounding mode (shown as Node, since the display cannot draw an M), serial defaults and Save. ZERO scrolls, UNITS accepts, and the CAL button is still needed for anything behind the metrology lock.

Selling by weight

The BC-60 is NTEP approved, Class III, under Certificate of Conformance 13-111A5 as a postal weight classifier, so it suits charging for shipping by weight and selling general goods by weight. For buying or selling precious metals by weight, choose a Class II model such as the A&D EK-1200i (1,200 g x 0.1 g) or the A&D FX-200iN. Our legal for trade jewelry scale guide and EK-1200i vs EK-610i explain the Class II options.

Texas note: TDA does not require an NTEP certificate for every device, but the scale must meet NIST Handbook 44 and suit its use; some scales do need one, so we recommend NTEP models and can check yours. See TDA’s scales used in trade guidance (PDF) and our TDA scale certification guide, or call us or TDA to confirm your use.

Not sure your use counts as trade? Try our free legal-for-trade scale checker, or read what NTEP means.

Care and cleaning

Wipe the keypad and platter with a soft cloth dampened with a mild cleaner. Skip industrial solvents such as toluene or isopropanol, which can damage the display finish, and never spray cleaner straight at the display or near the connectors. Setup > Maintc also shows how many times the scale has been overloaded and runs a display test. Moving from an older Mettler Toledo shipping scale? See PS60 vs BC-60, and browse all shipping and postal scales.

Calibration, repair and rentals

• Calibrated before it ships: in-house calibration or NIST calibration with a certificate for scales from 35 to 150 kg, which covers the 60 kg BC-60; contact us for a quote. See NIST vs in-house certificates.
• On-site service: on-site calibration is $295 plus $2 per mile per visit, plus the calibration fee for each scale. Our TDA-registered technicians calibrate and seal shipping scales at your packing stations across the Houston area.
• Mail-in calibration: pack the scale well and ship it to our shop with the mail-in calibration service.
• Cypress pickup by appointment: drop off or pick up at our Cypress, TX shop (21249 FM 529 Rd, Cypress, TX 77433).
• Repair: load cell, cable, display and keypad problems go to our scale repair bench.
• Rentals: we rent all types of scales; ask about a scale rental while yours is in for service.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find the Mettler Toledo BC-60 manual?

METTLER TOLEDO publishes the BC Shipping Scales User’s Service Manual (30126862), which covers the BC-60 and the rest of the BC family, as a PDF.

How do I calibrate a Mettler Toledo BC-60?

Remove the platter, open the green or black cap and press the CAL button. At Setup > Scale > Calib, choose the weight under CalWgt (25, 50, 100 or 150 lb), set the Geo code, then run Cal: empty scale, place the weight, empty scale. The scale saves and restarts.

What is the GEO code for Houston on a BC-60?

Texas uses two codes: 12 northeast of the Colorado River and 11 southwest of it. The Houston area sits northeast of the Colorado River, so code 12 applies. The scale asks for it on first power-up, and you can change it in the calibration menu.

How do I get into setup on a BC-60?

Hold the UP key for 5 seconds to open Home, then choose Setup. Scale settings also need the CAL button under the platter. Hold ENTER for 5 seconds to jump to END and save.

Does the BC-60 work with UPS WorldShip and FedEx Ship Manager?

Yes. Pick the carrier at the start-up prompt or under Home > Deflt, which loads its serial settings, or use USB in HIDPOS mode for software that supports USB POS scales.

Does the BC-60 need a power adapter?

Not on USB; the PC’s USB port powers it. Use the adapter, which ships with the standard scale, for RS-232, Ethernet, Bluetooth or standalone use. There is no power switch; unplug it to turn it off.

Why won’t my BC-60 zero?

Push-button zero usually works within 2 percent of capacity. Clear the platter and check nothing touches it, then cycle power; if it still will not zero, recalibrate.

Is the Mettler Toledo BC-60 legal for trade?

Yes, it is NTEP approved, Class III, under CC 13-111A5. For buying or selling precious metals by weight, choose a Class II model such as the A&D EK-1200i or FX-200iN.