Anyone have any specific knowledge/experience of ultrasonic measures?
I'm looking for a simple accurate way of measuring things like door frames, alcoves, cupboard interiors etc rather than complete rooms.
Most seem to have a minimum range of 60cm which is fine, maximum range whatever. Like one with a laser pointer to make life easier.
Just searched the B&Q (bloody useless) site for 'ultrasonic measure'. Only two results, B&Q own brand & Ryobi. I know they do B&D + Stanley, I've seen them in there.
Specification for the Ryobi 'Stud Sensor & Ultrasonic Measure' icluded the phrase "2 year warranty. Must be connected by qualified electrician".
Is inserting a 9v battery really covered by Part P?
Good for approximate measurements IME, not usually that accurate.
The best ones are the Leica laser measures. But be prepared to spend £200 ish for one of those.
Depends on where in the electrician you insert it ;-)
Err ain't that what a tape measure's for?
I was 'presented' with one quite a few years (maybe 15 years or so) ago as an aid to measuring the height of overhead lines. I wasn't overly impressed, but the technology might have improved over the years. It was something of a toy; it's lying around somewhere in one of the gsrage cupboards now.
Well, yes. In t'olden days tapes used to have 'add xxx' on the base so you could accurately measure inside dimensions, but none of my tapes seem to have that now.
Gulp!
Methinks a digital tape with an 'include case' function might be better.
Lets not go there...
All mine have including the =A31 5m metric only from Tesco, except that = has the "add xxx" in imperial!
As for ultrasonic measures, they aren't that good unless your tolerance = is
+/- 1 foot in every ten. Good enough for estate agents but I wouldn't trust one for short distances or for any accuracy. You really don't know= what it is getting reflections off, even with a laser spot. Doing the width of an alcove cupboard, is it "seeing" the open cupboard door or th= e wall reccessed 6" further back or some combination?As Mr Rumm has said you if you want decent accuracy you need to go to laser only, at least then you can be sure what you are measuring from th= e spot location. They don't come cheap and I'm not sure what the minimum range is either.
The B&Q wbiste doesn't have half the things you'll find in store. It's mostly "home wares" rather than DIY stuff, I guess so they don't compete= with the sister company Screwfix.
Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes =3D "If you can read this, you are over educated". Not sure quite what this has to do with DIY.
Now if your tag was "Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere", that would make sense!
Rob
I recently bought the Bosch DLE50 - so good, I wish I bought one ages ago.
Has a simple press button to change the measurement reference point from the back edge of the box (the default, and what you'd naturally do for any internal measurement), to the front edge, to a little pop out spike(for getting into corners), to a tripod point (can't see me using that one).
Checked accuracy with tapes at all sorts of distances, better than their spec.
Didn't think I'd use the area and volume measures, or cumulative memory - but they've made them very easy to use, so I do.
It was on offer at my builders merchants (Ridgeons) so paid less than the Screwfix price and got a quite reasonable free watch (which will be somebody's crimbo present).
Where it comes into it's own is the places hard to measure accurately with a tape on your own - and you want to measure several spots to pick out the narrowest point etc.
I did wonder if I was "over-buying" something that would get limited use, but I'm finding it gets used a lot - above all because it's supremely easy to use - and quick.
I walked past ALDI yesterday on the way back from the dentist, and noticed they had some. I didn't note any of the details or price, sorry.
Shh, you will have Andy rolling in his grave. They didn't look to be very good to me, IIRC they were £15.
Ultrasonic measures are survey tools not building tools IMO.
I suppose a garden deck is OK if one side is 5% longer than the other.
Simpler, and more accurate:
I have the Ryobi one and I have found it to be wildly inaccurate for measuring any distances (under-read by 10 feet in one case). I have never got anything even approaching an approximately correct measurement. It's ok for finding wall studs though.
HVB
Reckon you'm buying from the wrong sources! Even the el cheapo that Father Christmas brought me last year when we were out for lunch on the 25th (DSL promeasure) has the width of case marked - +3 7/8"/99mm. It even has a built in light to help read the scale in dark corners!
A tape measure often needs someone to hold the 'silly' end, or you struggle on your own. With a laser or ultrasonic measure, you can do it single handed.
That's why they are so popular with surveyors, carpet fitting estimators and ... handymen.
' I'm looking for a simple accurate way of measuring things like door frames, alcoves, cupboard interiors etc rather than complete rooms.'
A 1" tape will quite happily support itself over short distances. As others have commented, and based on my own experience, there can be quite a wide margin of error with ultrasomnic devices, unless, I guess, you're using a high spec model.
Thats exactly the situation I find.
Not if I build it! That could work out at 8" on a 15' deck. I'd accept maybe 1/4" over 15'.
The Medway Handyman brought next idea :
I have tried two or three and all have been reasonably accurate, given the low resolution of the displays. They are fine for rough measurements, but really not intended to replace a tape measure.
They can suffer errors if the surface they are aimed at isn't flat or if it has things protruding from the surface.
Dave,
Well simply measure the case at the bottom (just in case your not sure of the bottom - it's where the tape 'thingy' sticks out) and then add that on to your measurement!
Ah! And don't forget to take into account the thickness of the bent 'thingy' on the end of the tape - you know, that 'hooky' thing that usually slides to account for thickness differences on inside and outside dimensions --that is of course if you want to be accurate in youre measuring!
Simple really - providing you can do the complicated maths. ;-)
Tanner-'op
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