Alright I'm pretty sure on what it's saying, but I just want to make sure. It says it reads lbs and ounces, and has 2 spots for the lbs, then it has this : with another dot above it, so 3 dots, then it has the place for ounces and says oz under. So I figured it would go up to 16 and go to the next pound.

Well I was check it with some stuff in my room and when I weighed something one came up :40.

So I'm guessing this is 4 tenths of a pound? One thing read 5:96. Again this could only mean it's 96 hundreths of a pound? So basically I won't be able to know what exacly the ounces are?

Yep, sounds like your scale reads in tenths and hundreths of a pound.  Don't be discouraged, I've found very few scales that read in ounces rather than decimals.  If you want to know the ounces just multiply the tenths of an ounce by 1.6 and you get the ounces (but only the tenths).  So if you weighed a bass that was 2.1-lbs it would be 2lbs 1.6 oz.  and a 5.8lb bass would be 5lbs and 12.8oz.  Just round to the nearest tenth and it makes it easier.

Hope that helps

Yep, sounds like your scale reads in tenths and hundreths of a pound. Don't be discouraged, I've found very few scales that read in ounces rather than decimals. If you want to know the ounces just multiply the tenths of an ounce by 1.6 and you get the ounces (but only the tenths). So if you weighed a bass that was 2.1-lbs it would be 2lbs 1.6 oz. and a 5.8lb bass would be 5lbs and 12.8oz. Just round to the nearest tenth and it makes it easier.

Hope that helps

Oh good I figured it was just  because I got the cheap BPS brand. It was on sale for only 15, so I had to. Thanks for the help!

I'd rather a scale that reads in the 100ths, simply for my own nerdy pleasure, LOL. That really boring class you took all through school, called Math will help you through it.  This is a pretty good explanation of how to apply the mathematics: http://www.wikihow.com/Convert-Tenths-of-a-Pound-to-Ounces.

There's a contradiction if your scale says it reads in pounds and ounces and then gives a reading like 5:96. I don't suppose you still have the owner's manual?

And even if it reads in decimals, why a colon rather than a period?

That's exactly what I was thinking. Seemed stupid to tell me it measured lbs and ounces when it did that. Plus it even says under where the lbs are and where the "ounces" are. But yeah I've looked the manual over and it doesn't say anything about it.

I would very strongly advise that you weigh a few things on a certified scale at your supermarket, then weigh them on your scale. Knowing the items' exact weight, that should tell you what your scale is saying.

Well I weighed my tackle bag on it and the scale said 5:96? I knew it was way more so I went downstairs to my moms scale and it weighed 19 lbs? My moms was accurate with my weight, but 19 sounded a bit over kill. But it is extremely heavy so I'm not sure. I do know I caught at LEAST a 2lb bass today, probably pushing 3 and it read 1:14. I'll post a picture soon.

So I figured if my moms scale is right, then everything weighed on my fish scale should be multiplied by 3, which would make a WHOLE lot more sense.

Nick, what kind of scale is it?  Is there a chance that you can have 2 or 3 different modes?  Standard/metric type stuff going on?

Nick, what kind of scale is it? Is there a chance that you can have 2 or 3 different modes? Standard/metric type stuff going on?

It's a cheap little BPS brand. I'd probably go ahead and take it back but it's an hour away. So taking it back would only pay for the gas.

But yeah you can have 2 modes. One will measure in lbs and ounces it says and one is in kgs.

Nick, what kind of scale is it? Is there a chance that you can have 2 or 3 different modes? Standard/metric type stuff going on?

It's a cheap little BPS brand. I'd probably go ahead and take it back but it's an hour away. So taking it back would only pay for the gas.

But yeah you can have 2 modes. One will measure in lbs and ounces it says and one is in kgs.

Well the tackle bag on your moms scales doesn't add up but if your bass scaled at 1:14 that's close to your guessed weight 1:14kg=2lb8oz.  idk,weird.

Nick, what kind of scale is it? Is there a chance that you can have 2 or 3 different modes? Standard/metric type stuff going on?

It's a cheap little BPS brand. I'd probably go ahead and take it back but it's an hour away. So taking it back would only pay for the gas.

But yeah you can have 2 modes. One will measure in lbs and ounces it says and one is in kgs.

Well the tackle bag on your moms scales doesn't add up but if your bass scaled at 1:14 that's close to your guessed weight 1:14kg=2lb8oz. idk,weird.

That is weird and I even thought maybe who programmed it just had the things flip flopped or whatever but when I weighed stuff in kgs it definitely wasn't lbs.

Here is the fish it said was 1:14. 2lbs 8ozs sounds about dead on.

And right about now I feel like an idiot. Just checked the reviews, and other posted saying it was way off. There went 15 dollars I could've spent on another 1.5. 

And of course I don't have the receipt anymore. Maybe since it's a BPS brand, they'll at least give me credit. I might be heading back this week anyways.

I don't know if your in school or not, but what about taking it to a chem/sci class or even a local mom and pop grocery with a certified scale and see about comparing weights?

I don't know if your in school or not, but what about taking it to a chem/sci class or even a local mom and pop grocery with a certified scale and see about comparing weights?

Actually I do have chem lab every tuesday morning, except for this week. But I don't think I've ever seen anything like that in there. I'll just try a couple different weight scales for people and put my thing of plastics on there and then weigh it on my scale to see what kind of difference I'm looking at, then divide the actual into my scale and I'll be able to know what I need to multiply by on my scale to get the actual weight.

Just get one of the berkleys. they are cheap and are accurate, at least within about an ounce. I have two and have checked them against a Salter with different size classes of fish and they are always within an ounce.