[alfa] Mitutoyo electronic calipers

[alfacybersite <acs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks to several Digesters, including our esteemed publisher, Richard,
I did order a 6" digital electronic caliper to replace my 16 year old
Starrett earlier version.

Semi impressed. Liked that all one has to do is slip a cover off to
replace the single battery, how the four buttons are set up, as opposed
to two doing all the functions, the large readout.

Not impressed: After zeroing out, the caliper varied somewhat (could be
me) between .1990" and .1995" as to what a (theoretically) 'absolute' 2"
rod measures. Jim S., was correct (as opposed to the salesman on the
phone) ten thousandths are either 0, 5, or the next 0.

Slightly better than hand-grenades and horseshoes, but gosh, it's
Japanese - I thought they cared about these things.

True, the Starrett read to three decimal points in inches and used nine
hash marks to indicate ten thousandths - should one care that much - but
at least this old vintage electronic piece cared enough to give you All
the information and held in there for lo those many years.

Suspect the Mitutoyo is merely another disposable electronic device.
Pity.

Mixed emotions: There's an on/off switch. Used to always bitch (to
myself) that the Starrett (without an on/off switch) would shut-off just
as I was about to use it again. Now I walk away from the Mitutoyo, come
back, and wonder why it is still on. I'll get used to it and hopefully
the battery will actually last a year - unlike the Starrett's.

Anyone ever come up with a short quick connect rod for an electronic
caliper so they can be used to measure (+ or - five ten thousandths of
course) valve adjusting shims? Since the electronic caliper can be
zeroed anywhere, should be a piece of cake to run through those leftover
shims and accurately measure them. I'll take one if it'll fit my
Mitutoyo.

Biba
Irwindale, CA USA
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