Every wireless air bag scale has to get sensor readings from the axles to your device. How it does that, by RF frequency or Bluetooth, has a real effect on range, reliability and battery life. AirRide Scale uses RF sensors for good reasons. Here is a fair look at both sides.
RF wireless air bag sensors
RF (radio frequency) sensors transmit over a dedicated radio link to a hub. Pros and cons:
- Longer range. RF comfortably covers a full tractor and long trailer combination.
- Stronger signal. More resilient across the length of a truck and trailer and around metal.
- More reliable. Fewer dropouts when many sensors run at once.
- Ideal for truck and trailer. Built for the distances onboard weighing actually needs.
Bluetooth air bag sensors
Bluetooth sensors pair directly with a phone or nearby device. Pros and cons:
- Low power for the individual link, and simple pairing.
- Good for short range setups where the device is close by.
- Limitations: shorter range, more prone to dropouts over a long combination, and typically supports fewer sensors, which makes full multi group coverage harder.
How AirRide Scale gets the best of both
AirRide Scale uses RF between the sensors and the AirRide Air Link hub for range and reliability, then the Air Link converts the signal to Bluetooth for the final short hop to your phone. You get the long range, multi sensor strength of RF where it matters, supporting up to 16 sensors and around 50 metres of range, with the convenience of a Bluetooth connection to the Loadsense app.
Why it matters: on a long air bag trailer, a sensor link that drops out is a weight you cannot trust. RF to the hub keeps every axle group reporting reliably.
Works on air bag suspension only. AirRide Scale reads load through the air springs, so it fits trucks and trailers running air bag (air) suspension on each axle group you want to weigh. Steel, leaf and mechanical spring axle groups are not supported. If your steer, drive and trailer groups ride on air, you are ready for AirRide Scale.
RF recommended
For full truck and trailer axle group weighing, RF sensors deliver the stronger signal, longer range and reliability that matter. That is why AirRide Scale is built on RF, with Bluetooth only for the last step to your phone.