On Friday, November 11, 2022 at 11:04:03 AM UTC-6, John Larkin wrote:> On Fri, 11 Nov 2022 08:43:35 -0800 (PST), Lamont Cranston > <amd...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >On Friday, November 11, 2022 at 9:40:10 AM UTC-6, Ricky wrote: > >> I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some time ago about this and some had found different brands that worked better than others, in this regard. > >> > >> Anyone recall the names of the brands that don't drain the battery? > >> > >> -- > >> > >> Rick C. > >> > >> - Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging > >> - Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209 > > > >I don't, but that is the reason I buy dial calipers, I buy cheap, but stainless steel calipers (they make plastic dial calipers) . > >I misuse them by scribing lines, but that function is so handy, it is worth replacing a set occasionally. > > Mikek > The good ones last forever. I like the analog display too. > > I scribe lines on copperclad FR4 and that doesn't seem top dull the > points. They could be sharpened too.Yes I have been using them on a project lately and one point is dull, I looked it over and decided it can be sharpened without affecting accuracy. I'm in the market for a new one as the one I have has a problem, sometimes it zeros at a zero sometimes at 0.004". Probably something got in the gear track, but I don't see it. I've had them close 10 years, I got my money's worth out of them, $15,99 at Harbor Freight. Now there $29,99 and I never see them on sale. Mikek
Digital Calipers That Don't Drain the Battery
Started by ●November 11, 2022
Reply by ●November 12, 20222022-11-12
Reply by ●November 12, 20222022-11-12
On Fri, 11 Nov 2022 11:43:18 -0500, Joe Gwinn <joegwinn@comcast.net> wrote:>>Anyone recall the names of the brands that don't drain the battery? > >Yeah. The expensive ones, like Mitutoyo.Mitutoyo is a high quality brand. But be aware that there is a very large number of fake copies on the market. If you get the cheapest one form Ebay, you WILL get a fake. James over at the "Clough 42" Youtube channel has made a video where he looks at some differences between the real and the fake ones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG6I2gNGVwM He also measures current draw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG6I2gNGVwM&t=1691s Spoiler: The fake one draws 14 times more current in the off state, compared to the genuine one. -- RoRo
Reply by ●November 12, 20222022-11-12
On 11/11/2022 8:22 PM, Mike Monett VE3BTI wrote: [...]> The company is www.igaging.com, San Clemente, CA > > The caliper is CAD$65.33 on Amazon Canada > > https://www.amazon.ca/iGaging-0-6-Inch-Display-Digital- > Caliper/dp/B001AQEZ2W/ > > It is the best caliper I have ever owned.I have that one and like it a lot. I got it for the fractional scale, but that scale is really a PITA: 1/128 is too fine. Quick: what's the closest recognizable fraction to 111/128? (7/8 - 112/128) BTW - your Amazon.ca's $65 is $30 on Amazon.com
Reply by ●November 12, 20222022-11-12
On Sat, 12 Nov 2022 04:08:34 -0800 (PST), Lamont Cranston <amdx62@gmail.com> wrote:>On Friday, November 11, 2022 at 11:04:03 AM UTC-6, John Larkin wrote: >> On Fri, 11 Nov 2022 08:43:35 -0800 (PST), Lamont Cranston >> <amd...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> >On Friday, November 11, 2022 at 9:40:10 AM UTC-6, Ricky wrote: >> >> I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some time ago about this and some had found different brands that worked better than others, in this regard. >> >> >> >> Anyone recall the names of the brands that don't drain the battery? >> >> >> >> -- >> >> >> >> Rick C. >> >> >> >> - Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging >> >> - Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209 >> > >> >I don't, but that is the reason I buy dial calipers, I buy cheap, but stainless steel calipers (they make plastic dial calipers) . >> >I misuse them by scribing lines, but that function is so handy, it is worth replacing a set occasionally. >> > Mikek >> The good ones last forever. I like the analog display too. >> >> I scribe lines on copperclad FR4 and that doesn't seem top dull the >> points. They could be sharpened too. > > Yes I have been using them on a project lately and one point is dull, I looked it over and decided it can be sharpened >without affecting accuracy. I'm in the market for a new one as the one I have has a problem, sometimes it zeros at a zero sometimes at 0.004". > Probably something got in the gear track, but I don't see it. > I've had them close 10 years, I got my money's worth out of them, $15,99 at Harbor Freight. Now there $29,99 and I never see them on sale. > > MikekTake the dull one home. They are great for home shop use too.
Reply by ●November 12, 20222022-11-12
On Fri, 11 Nov 2022 07:40:06 -0800 (PST), Ricky <gnuarm.deletethisbit@gmail.com> wrote:>I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some time ago about this and some had found different brands that worked better than others, in this regard. > >Anyone recall the names of the brands that don't drain the battery?Two sets here in two tool boxes. I keep a spare battery in their cases - expect to have to change at least annually. If you only pick them up once, every year or two, then dead batteries will be no surprise. A Cdn Tire 'MOTO whatever' branded set (5yrs) seems to keep battery better than the other generic set. It has an on-off 'switch', but will time-out. It was 'free' from a junk pile clearance (I tend to avoid their retail mark-up for this chinese-sourced crap). The other relies solely on time-out, and is the more common culprit - but came in a gen-you-wine deeloox wooden presentation case 20 years ago. A new battery sends it into some kind of fit - as though it were trying to remember whether it was a caliper or a clock-radio. Mech calipers (40yrs) are back-up. RL
Reply by ●November 12, 20222022-11-12
On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 1:02:46 PM UTC-4, legg wrote:> On Fri, 11 Nov 2022 07:40:06 -0800 (PST), Ricky > <gnuarm.del...@gmail.com> wrote: > >I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some time ago about this and some had found different brands that worked better than others, in this regard. > > > >Anyone recall the names of the brands that don't drain the battery? > Two sets here in two tool boxes. I keep a spare battery in their > cases - expect to have to change at least annually. If you only > pick them up once, every year or two, then dead batteries will be > no surprise.Think about that for a minute. If I can't expect a battery in an unused device to last a year sitting in the case, why would I expect an extra battery to be good? This is clearly bad product design. End of story. -- Rick C. -+- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging -+- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209
Reply by ●November 12, 20222022-11-12
On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 10:04:57 AM UTC-6, John Larkin wrote:> > Yes I have been using them on a project lately and one point is dull, I looked it over and decided it can be sharpened > >without affecting accuracy. I'm in the market for a new one as the one I have has a problem, sometimes it zeros at a zero sometimes at 0.004". > > Probably something got in the gear track, but I don't see it. > > I've had them close 10 years, I got my money's worth out of them, $15,99 at Harbor Freight. Now there $29,99 and I never see them on sale. > > > > Mikek > Take the dull one home. They are great for home shop use too.All my projects are home! I fully retired 4 years ago. Mikek
Reply by ●November 12, 20222022-11-12
Ricky <gnuarm.deletethisbit@gmail.com> wrote:> On Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 1:02:46 PM UTC-4, legg wrote: >> On Fri, 11 Nov 2022 07:40:06 -0800 (PST), Ricky >> <gnuarm.del...@gmail.com> wrote: >> > I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery >> > while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be >> > removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some >> > time ago about this and some had found different brands that >> > worked better than others, in this regard. >> > >> >Anyone recall the names of the brands that don't drain the battery?>> Two sets here in two tool boxes. I keep a spare battery in their >> cases - expect to have to change at least annually. If you only >> pick them up once, every year or two, then dead batteries will be >> no surprise. > > Think about that for a minute. If I can't expect a battery in an > unused device to last a year sitting in the case, why would I expect > an extra battery to be good?A disconnected battery will last significantly longer than one that is being actively drained because the 'off' button was interpreted by the Chinese engineer as "turn off the display" instead of as "use as little quiescent current as possible". How often do you make use of the calipers? Implying that they "sit in the case" for a year between uses means you seldom ever reach for the calipers. In that case, your best course of action is to invest in a nice pair of vernier calipers, invest the small amount of time needed into learning to read the vernier, and then never have to worry about "dead batteries" ever again (because vernier calipers have no batteries). Otherwise, if you do use them often, then either invest in a supply of fresh batteries, or invest in a better quality caliper that does not drain the battery so fast while 'off'.> This is clearly bad product design.Yes, but you can't change the design of the ones you have, all you can do is remove the battery after each use so it is not drained by the always on electronics of the pair you have.
Reply by ●November 12, 20222022-11-12
On Friday, November 11, 2022 at 10:40:10 AM UTC-5, Ricky wrote:> I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some time ago about this and some had found different brands that worked better than others, in this regard. > > Anyone recall the names of the brands that don't drain the battery? > > -- > > Rick C. > > - Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging > - Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209Yes, mitutoyo, Starrett. I own one of each. Battery life for each is many years. IIRC, the batteries last 4-5 years. I use them sporadically, so most of the time they are sitting on the shelf in their box.
Reply by ●November 12, 20222022-11-12
On Fri, 11 Nov 2022 15:10:40 -0800 (PST), Ricky <gnuarm.deletethisbit@gmail.com> wrote:>On Friday, November 11, 2022 at 7:02:12 PM UTC-4, Joe Gwinn wrote: >> On Sat, 12 Nov 2022 08:49:39 +1100, Sylvia Else <syl...@email.invalid> >> wrote: >> >On 12/11/2022 2:40 am, Ricky wrote: >> >> I, like many others, have digital calipers that drain the battery while sitting, and have no on/off switch, so the battery must be removed when not being used. I recall a conversation here some time ago about this and some had found different brands that worked better than others, in this regard. >> >> >> >> Anyone recall the names of the brands that don't drain the battery? >> >> >> >For the record, I got so tired of this problem that I bought a >> >non-electronic one. There's a slight learning curve, but they're very >> >easy to read to the nearest 0.1mm, and can do 0.02mm with a bit of effort. >> I can no longer see well enough to use vernier calipers. I still have >> dial calipers, and that works, but I've gone over to digital calipers >> that don't exhaust themselves between uses. They are just too >> convenient. > >What brand?Mitutoyo. I get the coolant-proof kind, so an accidental splash does not kill the caliper. Joe Gwinn
