RX data length: 9 is not valid for datacodes

If you are using the http bulk input api then yes that is normal. the buk api has been left behind due to the focus on MQTT over recent years and created a divergence. @TrystanLea did start on work to converge the 2 input methods (named and indexed) but I don’t think it was included in the move to v10 (see Development: Indexed Inputs and GitHub - emoncms/emoncms at indexedinputs).

If using http, then no, aside from personal notes the names are not used. If you use MQTT the names are used as topics and carried over to emoncms inputs automatically. But the scales are used for both, but rarely needed for decimal values over serial, they are more for use with integers when (for example) 240V is passed as 24000 to allow greater precision to hundredths of a volt.

You could find the scales useful for quick and dirty minor calibration adjustments and/or aligning pulse counts to watts where 1 pulse doesn’t equal 1 Watt.