Digital Caliper Problem. Anyone ever? - Page 2

Doc Hoy · December 4, 2014, 12:48 PM

I think many of the digitals that are sold under a different name (including some of the reputable gunsmith folks) as simply renamed chinese inexpensive devices. (Lipstick on a pig?)

I have them as well as the higher quality digitals and as regards accuracy and repeatability there does not seem to be a nickel's worth of different. Reliability is a different story.

BUT

If you wait until Horrible Freight puts them on sale, you can get fifteen calipers for the same price as one Mitutoyo. A strategy that I (as a thoroughly cheap SOB) have put to use. (Ten bucks for a new caliper....Three bucks for a replacement battery? I go both ways.) Additionally, you can occassionally bring a digital back to life by simply removing and cleaning the battery. Sometimes it gets you through a project, sometimes not.

jepp2 · December 4, 2014, 10:29 PM

Battery life will be much better if you buy silver oxide batteries and not alkaline for your calipers.

jcwit · December 4, 2014, 10:36 PM

$3.00 for a battery?????????????????????????????

Plan ahead, these are name brand, and shipping is included.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/20-NEW-LR44-...item3a8768f56a

mehavey · December 4, 2014, 10:56 PM

How about 29₵ (shipping included) at Amazob
http://www.amazon.com/dp/7884890364/...541850_TE_item

jcwit · December 4, 2014, 11:11 PM

????????????????????????

That's almost a nickel higher.

Clark · December 5, 2014, 12:01 AM

My wife challenged me to make a low cost fat meter.
I feel on my face. I could not get amplitude immunity in the phase detector.
Then my cousin gets a patent at Mitutoyo for a coolant proof caliper.
I asked how he got the amplitude immunity and he said he used a 3 phase system.
I can't do anything new. I can only design the same thing over and over like a conditioned response.
But I charged a lot for my same old song and dance.
So with the money I bought one of his coolant proof calipers.
It's pic shows up in some of my posts here.

http://patents.justia.com/patent/6525530

Drm50 · December 5, 2014, 12:18 AM

I had pair of 29.95 digitalis, now used for wrench. Lucked out, when industry
was folding up around here I bought all kind of top grade measuring tools at
yard sales. Got Starret dial calipers now. I have specialty gauges that I would
never been able to afford. People selling had no idea of value. I couldn't trust
the cheap ones, never read same twice.

mehavey · December 5, 2014, 05:12 AM

Quote:

????????????????????????
That's almost a nickel higher.

1-Click Amazon and done is worth it.

Salmoneye · December 5, 2014, 06:41 AM

Local dollar store has blister cards of four 357 batteries for...Um...

A dollar...

jcwit · December 5, 2014, 10:08 AM

Quote:

1-Click Amazon and done is worth it.

My PayPal account is a one click also. As is my Amazon acct.

I like saving money even when it's a small amount.

Hey, If you feel good spending more for the same item, have at it.

Don P · December 5, 2014, 10:35 AM

Quote:

If you wait until Horrible Freight puts them on sale, you can get fifteen calipers for the same price as one Mitutoyo. A strategy that I (as a thoroughly cheap SOB) have put to use. (Ten bucks for a new caliper....Three bucks for a replacement battery? I go both ways.) Additionally, you can occassionally bring a digital back to life by simply removing and cleaning the battery. Sometimes it gets you through a project, sometimes not

We have become a throw away society. We continue to buy cheap junk and they keep making it. Never ending cycle

mehavey · December 5, 2014, 12:40 PM

Quote:

If you feel good spending more...

30 seconds to save < 50₵ total is about my limit at this point in life.

(Now if you ask my wife....)

aherrera773 · December 6, 2014, 12:17 AM

At home on the reloading bench I use dial calipers. At work (machinist) I use Mitatoyo digital calipers. The dial calipers are brand called IIHP that bought for $20 they also make test indicators with a .0001 resolution for about $30 that are used everyday. I mention this because I too am a cheapo but I require dead on measuring tools. Good measuring tools can be had if you look around.

Hammerhead · December 6, 2014, 02:19 AM

I paid $125 for a 6" digital Mitutoyo when I went to Tool & Die school in 1984. Used it at work for many years. Now it's my reloading caliper, still going strong.

745SW · December 9, 2014, 04:04 PM

I have/use both digital and analog micrometers and calipers, all name brand like Mitutoyo, Starret and Brown and Sharp. Over the years I’ve had more issues with the digitals. Digitals have the features and ease of reading but tend to be problematic like having the battery corrode and fits of incorrect functioning. Moving the adjustment too quickly on a digital can cause the zero to shift.

LCDs have a limited temperature operating range like on a watch. I once knew another who road his motorcycle in very cold weather. The LCD display went blank and stayed that way for a while.

In terms of inexpensive watches the electronic module (guts of the watch) will develop some kind of internal short that will kill the battery within hours or days. Brands like Radio Shack and Casio come to mind. Quartz analog Seiko is better but I feel the ETA Quartz movement found in many European brands to be superior.

I seldom use a precision measurement tool but when I do usually grab the mechanical, no battery to reinstall and no crossing my fingers.

jcwit · December 9, 2014, 07:29 PM

Quote:

In terms of inexpensive watches the electronic module (guts of the watch) will develop some kind of internal short that will kill the battery within hours or days. Brands like Radio Shack and Casio come to mind. Quartz analog Seiko is better but I feel the ETA Quartz movement found in many European brands to be superior.

Oh Really!!!!!

My watch collection amounting to over a 100 watches all the way from $5.00 WalMart Quartz watches to $3,000 Tag Heuer Chronograph watches. All Have been taken care of, all run for approx. 3 to 5 years on fresh batteries. Yet to experience a "short" of any kind.

As far as having the battery corrode in a caliber, that just plain neglect, nothing less, nothing more.

And as I stated earlier, what's is the problem with having a battery go dead, people are unable to plan ahead and have extras on hand. Do you run out of powder or bullets for the same reasons?

Oh My, I'm out of 125 gr. 9 mm bullets, what a shock!!!!!!!!!!!!

I take it this Casio will be ready to take a dump after the 1st day of use from a short?

http://www.amazon.com/Casio-EQS500DB...ce+casio+watch

December 4, 2014, 12:48 PM	#26
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	I am with Phudd.... I think many of the digitals that are sold under a different name (including some of the reputable gunsmith folks) as simply renamed chinese inexpensive devices. (Lipstick on a pig?) I have them as well as the higher quality digitals and as regards accuracy and repeatability there does not seem to be a nickel's worth of different. Reliability is a different story. BUT If you wait until Horrible Freight puts them on sale, you can get fifteen calipers for the same price as one Mitutoyo. A strategy that I (as a thoroughly cheap SOB) have put to use. (Ten bucks for a new caliper....Three bucks for a replacement battery? I go both ways.) Additionally, you can occassionally bring a digital back to life by simply removing and cleaning the battery. Sometimes it gets you through a project, sometimes not. __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

December 4, 2014, 10:29 PM	#27
jepp2 Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2008 Location: Loveland, CO Posts: 1,476	Battery life will be much better if you buy silver oxide batteries and not alkaline for your calipers. __________________ NRA Benefactor Life member

December 4, 2014, 10:36 PM	#28
jcwit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2007 Location: Upper Indiana Posts: 609	$3.00 for a battery????????????????????????????? Plan ahead, these are name brand, and shipping is included. http://www.ebay.com/itm/20-NEW-LR44-...item3a8768f56a __________________ U.S. Army Veteran NRA Certified Range Officer

December 4, 2014, 11:11 PM	#30
jcwit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2007 Location: Upper Indiana Posts: 609	???????????????????????? That's almost a nickel higher. __________________ U.S. Army Veteran NRA Certified Range Officer

December 5, 2014, 12:01 AM	#31
Clark Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1999 Location: WA, the ever blue state Posts: 4,678	My wife challenged me to make a low cost fat meter. I feel on my face. I could not get amplitude immunity in the phase detector. Then my cousin gets a patent at Mitutoyo for a coolant proof caliper. I asked how he got the amplitude immunity and he said he used a 3 phase system. I can't do anything new. I can only design the same thing over and over like a conditioned response. But I charged a lot for my same old song and dance. So with the money I bought one of his coolant proof calipers. It's pic shows up in some of my posts here. http://patents.justia.com/patent/6525530 __________________ The word 'forum" does not mean "not criticizing books." "Ad hominem fallacy" is not the same as point by point criticism of books. If you bought the book, and believe it all, it may FEEL like an ad hominem attack, but you might strive to accept other points of view may exist. Are we a nation of competing ideas, or a nation of forced conformity of thought? Last edited by Clark; December 5, 2014 at 12:07 AM.

December 4, 2014, 10:56 PM	#29
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,896	How about 29₵ (shipping included) at Amazob http://www.amazon.com/dp/7884890364/...541850_TE_item

December 5, 2014, 12:18 AM	#32
Drm50 Senior Member Join Date: November 10, 2014 Posts: 1,382	Digital calipers I had pair of 29.95 digitalis, now used for wrench. Lucked out, when industry was folding up around here I bought all kind of top grade measuring tools at yard sales. Got Starret dial calipers now. I have specialty gauges that I would never been able to afford. People selling had no idea of value. I couldn't trust the cheap ones, never read same twice.

December 5, 2014, 06:41 AM	#34
Salmoneye Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 2,076	Local dollar store has blister cards of four 357 batteries for...Um... A dollar...

December 6, 2014, 12:17 AM	#38
aherrera773 Member Join Date: November 27, 2014 Posts: 51	At home on the reloading bench I use dial calipers. At work (machinist) I use Mitatoyo digital calipers. The dial calipers are brand called IIHP that bought for $20 they also make test indicators with a .0001 resolution for about $30 that are used everyday. I mention this because I too am a cheapo but I require dead on measuring tools. Good measuring tools can be had if you look around.

December 6, 2014, 02:19 AM	#39
Hammerhead Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,432	I paid $125 for a 6" digital Mitutoyo when I went to Tool & Die school in 1984. Used it at work for many years. Now it's my reloading caliper, still going strong.

December 9, 2014, 04:04 PM	#40
745SW Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2011 Location: California Posts: 776	I have/use both digital and analog micrometers and calipers, all name brand like Mitutoyo, Starret and Brown and Sharp. Over the years I’ve had more issues with the digitals. Digitals have the features and ease of reading but tend to be problematic like having the battery corrode and fits of incorrect functioning. Moving the adjustment too quickly on a digital can cause the zero to shift. LCDs have a limited temperature operating range like on a watch. I once knew another who road his motorcycle in very cold weather. The LCD display went blank and stayed that way for a while. In terms of inexpensive watches the electronic module (guts of the watch) will develop some kind of internal short that will kill the battery within hours or days. Brands like Radio Shack and Casio come to mind. Quartz analog Seiko is better but I feel the ETA Quartz movement found in many European brands to be superior. I seldom use a precision measurement tool but when I do usually grab the mechanical, no battery to reinstall and no crossing my fingers.