Electronic caliper with precision control?

[Roger Jensen]

There was a thread about this several months ago, but I was wondering a there was a new product released since then that I wasn't aware of.

I would like to use an electronic caliper, but I don't like the way they are constantly changing the precision/denominator in the display. For example, as it gets smaller it goes from 1/4 to 31/128 to 15/64 to 29/128 to 7/32, etc. Needless to say, it gets pretty tedious to do the rounding from 1/128ths back to 1/16ths, which is as close as I usually care to make it.

I was wondering if anyone knew of a tool that allowed you to set the precision (e.g. 1/16th of an inch) so the denominator wouldn't display finer denominators.

Of course, I can always stick with my old dial calipers... :)

Thanks,

Roger

[Mike Henderson]

One advantage of a dial caliper is that you can see which side of the major division your measurement is on. For example, suppose you're rounding your measurements to 16ths. On a dial caliper you can see that the piece is a bit smaller than what you're going to call it. On an electronic caliper with rounding, you lose that knowledge because you don't know whether it's rounding from high or low.

Like you, I'll stick with my dial caliper.

Mike

[Josiah Bartlett]

You might have to get one with a 10ths/100ths decimal readout to do that.

[Roger Jensen]

Since we're designing the ultimate digital calipers here (that will never be built), we could add a +/- to the display to indicate it is slightly over or under the precision. For example, if you had set 1/8th inch precision, it would increase from '0' to '0+' to '1/8-' to '1/8' to '1/8+', etc.

Upon further review, I'll give up on my search for the precision configuable caliper. Oh well...

[Chip Lindley]

...1/16ths, which is as close as I usually care to make it.

...set the precision (e.g. 1/16th of an inch) so the denominator wouldn't display finer denominators.
Roger

To the nearest 1/16th is not an awfully precision measurement. Why not just use a tape measure or metal rule. Interpolation by eyeball gives you all the precision you need with 1/16ths. (I can read wayy finer than 1/16ths on a scale, and my eyes ain't what they used to be!)