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I'm toying with a digital distance measure for my Christmas pressie for me...had one a few years ago but I never trusted it and always ended up checking with a steel tape.

So...do you use a digital tape measure, and to what extent do you trust it?
Over how long (or short) a distance do you use a digital one rather than a steel tape?
 
i use a piece of string with a knot every fathom. never got round to determining if they are digital knots or analogue.
 
I'm toying with a digital distance measure for my Christmas pressie for me...had one a few years ago but I never trusted it and always ended up checking with a steel tape.

So...do you use a digital tape measure, and to what extent do you trust it?
Over how long (or short) a distance do you use a digital one rather than a steel tape?
Same as you , didn't trust it . Near enough for non critical , but couldn't bring myself to rely on it.
 
useful in certain situs. e.g estate agents measuring rooms because they are too thick to use a tape measure.
 
Tel! you are cruising...
estate agents too thick to use a tape measure?
Nuff said...
Leica Disto 2, if you are too thick to use it, don't buy one!
It does so much more than simply measure a distance!
I love mine!
 
Ha! What does Tel know?
A fathom is 6 feet, always has been, always will be...as a Pirate and seafaring man I know this!
Thus, fathoms are Imperial measures, and a knot, in a piece of string, is simply a knot...unless it is a hitch, or a bend...but that's a whole different story.
However, a knot, as a measure of speed, that's a different thing altogether. A mile is 1760 yards, a nautical mile is 2006 yards approximately, so 1 knot speed is about 1.1 mph.
Proper nautical charts show depths in fathoms and fractions...the new-fangled crappy ones use metres...so 2 metres is a bit more than 1 fathom...took me ages to "fathom" that out!
To be fair, Tel...I do need to get out more...
 
Wouldn't be without my Leica now, I use it most days.
I was measuring a factory out the other day for traywork and cable the factory ended up at 89m long by 45m, that would have been fun with a tape measure although that's how I used to do it, that or a wheel.
 
I use one for pricing up and quotes mainly. Useful for working out long cable runs. But for finer measurements such as downlights i find good old tape, long ruler and pencil comes out top for me.
 
Ha! What does Tel know?
A fathom is 6 feet, always has been, always will be...as a Pirate and seafaring man I know this!
Thus, fathoms are Imperial measures, and a knot, in a piece of string, is simply a knot...unless it is a hitch, or a bend...but that's a whole different story.
However, a knot, as a measure of speed, that's a different thing altogether. A mile is 1760 yards, a nautical mile is 2006 yards approximately, so 1 knot speed is about 1.1 mph.
Proper nautical charts show depths in fathoms and fractions...the new-fangled crappy ones use metres...so 2 metres is a bit more than 1 fathom...took me ages to "fathom" that out!
To be fair, Tel...I do need to get out more...
to measure the speed of a ship in knots, a piece of wood tied to a rope with knots in was thrown overboard. the knots ( spaced at 47ft 3 inches )passing through a sailor's hands were counted over a set time thus giving the speed in knots. a knot being 1 nautical mile per hour or 6080 ft/hour.
and i need to get out more also.
 
Wouldn't be without my Leica now, I use it most days.
I was measuring a factory out the other day for traywork and cable the factory ended up at 89m long by 45m, that would have been fun with a tape measure although that's how I used to do it, that or a wheel.
Years back working at a department store in Sutton someone (not me) had to cut a load of armoured at 100 mtr so borrowed a tape reel, next day the spark was off so he had to borrow another sparks tape reel, at the end of the day it was fun as the first spark had a 100 mtr reel which was the length the armoured needed to be cut to, the second spark had a 66 mtr one, oooops
 
Tel is quite right, as usual! The speed of a "log", a piece of wood, passing the knotted line through your hands...

And the length of a piece of string is obviously twice as long as half its length...the Microsoft answer!

Here is a fine example of a ship's log:
Digital tape measure WP_20181203_19_46_07_Pro[1] - EletriciansForums.net

The casing revolves to reveal the pointers/scale, and swivels back, sealed with tallow, to keep the mechanism watertight as it is towed through the water.

This one is Edward Massey's Patent Yacht Log, and I can confirm its accuracy is amazing.
 
Had 2, both Hilti ones and found them to be really accurate. Have their limitations though (eg measuring between recessed light points when no 'target' wall). And usually not just straight line measurement by area and volume too.
 

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