frog-measuring calipers

[Richard Pyle]

I went with Fowler's Ultra-Cal IV (54-100-412).  I can't find this exact
model in their online catalog (http://www.fvfowler.com/hand.html), but the
Pro-Max seems close (http://www.fvfowler.com/promax.html).  They're not
wireless, but they use standard RS-232C, so I imagine there might be
3rd-party products that could convert the caliper output to a wireless
signal.  The Ultra-Cal IV is water resistant, and holds calibration
extremely well (in my experience). The company provides easy-to-use
interface software and all sorts of open-source code to develop your own PCA
interface (which I did with very little effort).

I bought these several years ago, and have not kept up with the latest
technology.  If there are other brands with similar/better features, I would
very much like to hear about them.  The one thing I do not like about the
Fowler calipers is they are not needle-point; but I have found this to be
much less of an encumberance than I had expected it to be.

Aloha,
Rich

Richard L. Pyle, PhD
Ichthyology, Bishop Museum
1525 Bernice St., Honolulu, HI 96817
Ph: (808)848-4115, Fax: (808)847-8252
email: deepreef at bishopmuseum.org
http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/pylerichard.html



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Taxacom Discussion List [mailto:TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU]On
> Behalf Of Frederick W. Schueler
> Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 5:51 AM
> To: TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU
> Subject: frog-measuring calipers
>
>
> Taxacomers,
>
> I hope I'm not presumptuous in querying the list before gooogling the
> subject, but the dial calipers I was given in 1974 by the then National
> Museum of Natural Sciences, National Museums of Canada, have failed, and
> I need to seek a replacement.
>
> I know there are a lot of digital recording calipers out there, and I
> haven't recently looked at what's available, but when I was aware of
> them they seemed clumsy and of unstable calibration. So I'll describe
> what I'd want, and maybe those who use such systems would be so kind as
> to comment on what's available.
>
> I'm taking measurements between 0.5 and 180mm, and I'd like to be able
> to push one button to save each measurement, and then push another
> button to send the series of measurements to the clipboard as a
> comma-delimited string, for importation into an application. Accuracy,
> light weight, a wireless interface, water-resistance, moderate cost, and
> a user-friendly and flexible host program would all be desirable
> features.
>
> I know this is the kind of equipment where one person detests a system
> that another finds effective, but I wonder what others experiences have
> been with them.
>
> thanks,
>
> fred.
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>            Bishops Mills Natural History Centre
> Frederick W. Schueler, Aleta Karstad, Jennifer Helene Schueler
>       RR#2 Bishops Mills, Ontario, Canada K0G 1T0
>    on the Smiths Falls Limestone Plain 44* 52'N 75* 42'W
>      (613)258-3107 <bckcdb at istar.ca> http://pinicola.ca
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