Digital Caliper Problem. Anyone ever?

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Cowboy_mo

New member
Okay, I have a Frankford Arsenal Digital Caliper. It has worked well for the 2 years I have had it.

Yesterday I was going to load some new rifle rounds. I opened my caliper box and the instrument was going crazy flashing from one measurement to another. I pushed the on/off button to try and turn it off and nothing happened. So, I took the battery out thinking this would create a reboot situation similar to turning off a computer. When I put the battery back in, the same thing happened.

Simple solution, buy a new caliper which I did. But my inquiring mind is still wondering what could have gone wrong while the instrument was safely stored in it's case?:confused: Anyone have any ideas?
 
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jdscholer

New member
My ideas?-- Have a little redundancy in your system, for instance a pair of dial or even veneer calipers to use when the new fangled letrical types go toast on ya.

Of course I'm kinda primitive in my equipment, and have yet to own even a digital scale.:rolleyes: , which may be the subject of my next thread. jd
 
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HiBC

New member
I have nothing against digital calipers.I have been told some of the Mitutoyos hold up well to coolant.
The FrankfordArsenals,etc are certainly inexpensive.

For myself,just my preferences,I like the good old Browne and Sharpe/Tesa type mechanical dial calipers.

And,on my reloading bench I have a nice old 6 in vernier.I don't have to worry about a dead battery or a powder granule in the rack.I do have to take a few extra seconds to squint in order to see which lines are lined up,but,part of the fun!
 
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jdscholer

New member
Now if I could just replace this old slide rule with one of those lettronical cypherin thingys that I see the kids using these days.:p jd
 
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wogpotter

New member
Frequently low batteries will blink, flash or do something "OFF" to let you know there is a problem. Try a new battery first as others have suggested.

Some calipers only auto OFF if they are reading "00.0" so do a zero as you put them away if there is no ON/OFF switch as such.

FWIW I keep a fresh spare battery in the case so if there's a problem I'm prepared.:cool:
 
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madmo44mag

New member
All my measuring tools are old school.
Back in my machine shop days I saw more screwed up parts from guys using digital mics and calipers.
Nothing beats a good tool that holds "O.000" after it is dropped.
Do that with a electronic device and you have to recalibrate, if it survived the fall.
 
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pathdoc

New member
Mine did the same thing recently. New battery failed to cure the problem. I am getting a dial caliper for Christmas. It doesn't go wonky in the cold, and will never need batteries.
 
C

Cowboy_mo

New member
Thanks guys. I will have to locate a new battery and give it a try. If that fixes it, I will have one for backup.

JD: if that old slide rule ever breaks, let me know. Pretty sure I have mine from college in the basement. It hasn't been used since 1975:D:D
 
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Bart B.

New member
A lot of times, leaving the battery out overnight lets a lot of the circuits discharge completely. Put the battery back in the next morning. But cross your fingers, first.
 
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GeauxTide

New member
I've noticed the same thing with mine. Batteries discharge when off in mine. I keep 2-3 extra and haven't had anymore problems.
 
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jcwit

New member
Check out E-Bay for the batteries, much, much cheaper. I usually get a couple of cards of 10 each, the lazer we use for a kitty toy takes the same batteries. Also a couple of my pen flashlights take the same batteries.
 
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phudd

New member
The Frankford Arsenal are cheap Chinese junk. They eat batteries and don't hold zero well. I have Mitutoyos with year(s) old batteries. They are very dependable and worth the money.
 
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rebs

New member
I never had that happen with mine that I bought at Harbor Freight. But I do have a dial caliper for backup.
 
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Unclenick

Staff
I have several sets of digital calipers fro 4" to 12", a good Mitotoyu digital micrometer, and a digital height gauge on my surface plate. Every one of their displays blink when the battery gets low.

What I think most people don't realize is that the on/off button on these devices is a software on/off. It's not a mechanical power switch that fully disconnects the battery, or you would feel it click. What it does is greatly reduce the power drain by putting the electronics into standby mode, but still awake enough to sense when you push the on/off button again to bring the unit back on line. This is also the reason you can turn one of these devices off with the jaws open, and when you turn it back on it still shows the same measurement. It draws enough power to remember where it is. Bottom line, the off switch does not shut it down completely.

You have to remove the battery when you store one of these devices if you want to maximize battery life. Just bear in mind that batteries all have a small amount of reverse leakage current so they eventually run themselves down even if they aren't being used. That's why they have a shelf life. If you go purchasing batteries in quantity, be sure you will use them up before they can lose too much stored energy that way. I try to buy a quantity that I will use up by about the time half the shelf life is gone. Near the end of published shelf life they already are not lasting as long.
 
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jimbob86

Moderator
A lot of times, leaving the battery out overnight lets a lot of the circuits discharge completely. Put the battery back in the next morning. But cross your fingers, first.
Click to expand...

IDK about digital calipers, but some digital instruments (my Delmhorst moisture meter comes to mind) can lose calibration if completely discharged, either by a battery going bad or being removed completely for long periods .....

If you were going to "keep a back-up" it might be a good plan to keep a dial caliper that did not rely on batteries, which would be the most likely cause of failure in your digital caliper, as your "back-up".
 
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jdscholer

New member
So one day my chick calls me up from the Goodwill store, and says, "I think there's sumpthin down here you might be interested in."
I headed down there after work, and here's what I got for twenty bucks. The calipers are Mitutoyo, and the dial indicator Chinese, but not too bad. Calipers alone would cost -- up around a hundred I think. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than smart. jd

 
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jdscholer

New member
If you've been getting away with referring to women as "chicks" these days, I think the lucky part is a given.
Click to expand...

You probably just have no idea how young and hip we are.:rolleyes: She's my chick, and I'm her dude. What she DOESN'T like is "my ol' lady", and "the old hen" is outa the question. jd
 
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