Hi Guys
Is it worth a try to repair one of these? A piece of grit managed to get between the measuring surface and the circuit and the caliper has gone haywire, not switching off etc. I have opened it before to clean it so I know how to do this.
After noticing the problem last night, I opened it again and saw that some of the segments at the back of the circuit had been scratched by a piece of grit. Looking at the damage with a 10X loupe, I saw none of the segments had been scratched/cut right through. I carefully used a fibreglass propelling pencil to brush out any shorting circuit copper bits which might have been between the segments, but there weren't really any.
I put everything back together again carefully but the problem remains.
The surface on the caliper's measuring scale is also scratched.
I don't know how these things work. Does the segments on the back of the circuit pick up measurements by induction or by resistance?
Any ideas for a fix appreciated.
Cheers
bulgin
Is it worth a try to repair one of these? A piece of grit managed to get between the measuring surface and the circuit and the caliper has gone haywire, not switching off etc. I have opened it before to clean it so I know how to do this.
After noticing the problem last night, I opened it again and saw that some of the segments at the back of the circuit had been scratched by a piece of grit. Looking at the damage with a 10X loupe, I saw none of the segments had been scratched/cut right through. I carefully used a fibreglass propelling pencil to brush out any shorting circuit copper bits which might have been between the segments, but there weren't really any.
I put everything back together again carefully but the problem remains.
The surface on the caliper's measuring scale is also scratched.
I don't know how these things work. Does the segments on the back of the circuit pick up measurements by induction or by resistance?
Any ideas for a fix appreciated.
Cheers
bulgin
These things are capacitive, IIRC.
If your needs are modest, these things can be bought for as little as $15. People have compared these cheap calipers to mitutoyo et. al. and they are surprisingly accurate. I have checked my cheap Harbor Freight caliper on some feeler gauges and it works pretty well near zero - seems to be near .01-.02mm
I've never ripped one of these apart, but it could be either fun or frustrating trying to get it to work again. Depending on how you feel about it - go ahead and try fixing it.
If your needs are modest, these things can be bought for as little as $15. People have compared these cheap calipers to mitutoyo et. al. and they are surprisingly accurate. I have checked my cheap Harbor Freight caliper on some feeler gauges and it works pretty well near zero - seems to be near .01-.02mm
I've never ripped one of these apart, but it could be either fun or frustrating trying to get it to work again. Depending on how you feel about it - go ahead and try fixing it.
Digital Caliper...
Hi Conrad
@Ron & All
I'm a bit pushed for time and took the easy way out this afternoon and bought another caliper, brand new at Cash Converters for the equivalent of US$8.-. It was marked @ +- US$12 with a broken clip on the battery compartment lid. Sez ol' bulgin "What good is this thing with a falling-off battery cover?"
So, I made them an offer they couldn't refuse. Took about 10mins to make a micro repair and all's well.
I'll have a go at the other one later as the damage is minor.
Yup, I agree, these things are pretty accurate. I use mine a lot, measuring cart bits. The new one is a bit of an improvement on the older one. It has a third "off" button.
Thanks for your kind replies.
bulgin
Hi Conrad
@Ron & All
I'm a bit pushed for time and took the easy way out this afternoon and bought another caliper, brand new at Cash Converters for the equivalent of US$8.-. It was marked @ +- US$12 with a broken clip on the battery compartment lid. Sez ol' bulgin "What good is this thing with a falling-off battery cover?"
So, I made them an offer they couldn't refuse. Took about 10mins to make a micro repair and all's well.
I'll have a go at the other one later as the damage is minor.
Yup, I agree, these things are pretty accurate. I use mine a lot, measuring cart bits. The new one is a bit of an improvement on the older one. It has a third "off" button.
Thanks for your kind replies.
bulgin
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