Digital Protractors: Resolution
- This topic has 10 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 06/03/2018 at 1:47 am by
.
-
I own either a Wixy or AccuRemote battery powered digital protractor (can’t recall which offhand). I recently picked up on a recommendation for a digital protractor while doing some searches on the forums. I think someone mentioned that they recommended the Floureon DXL360S (Floureon’s current version on Amazon) over the one that WE sells (similar to my own.) Is that degree of resolution desirable in the world of sharpening?
There may be features on the DXL 360S I haven’t thought about when it comes to sharpening and I’m interested in hearing about them. I will say that one reason for investing in the 360XL is the price and number of the damned CR2025 button batteries I go through in a year if Left in the unit. Makes the price for a USB charging feature seem worthwhile.
Hi Nick: I have a DXL360 which has 0.02 resolution. My older Igaging AngleCube and Wixey have 0.1 resolution. I like the DXL more because it seems more repeatable and has less “bouncing” in the readout, so it settles faster. I have no doubt that it’s at least 5X as accurate. There is a negative associated with this in that you tend to focus on achieving the exact angle setting when something much less accurate would be acceptable. Of course, this was true for the original AngleCube as well. Before that, we depended on the 1-degree detents in the angle bar and hoped we could get within a half-degree. And we sharpened a lot of knives that way. That said, I wouldn’t give up my DXL360 for anything – except maybe my USB ‘scope.
The DXL360S is the same unit with 0.01 resolution. Not having tried it, I don’t know its settling time and its repeatability. You really don’t need that level of precision, but it gives your confidence a huge boost when you have it and you trust it
3 users thanked author for this post.
Morning TC,
Your mention of the stabilization of the reading with less bounce (good stasis) is probably more important to me than the .05 resolution spec. Its really a pain when that reading is taking time to stabilize. Thanks again!
1 user thanked author for this post.
So I coughed up the bucks for a DXL360 after reading several reviews… Well actually I used some reward points from my AMEX card so it wasn’t painful at all! The DXL 36oS unit is well made Very fast to settle into a stable reading and repeat that stable reading time after time equally fast. What is really impressive is this unit has a calibration mode that is not available on less expensive protractors. Nice! I wish the display were color simply for better contrast in bright light but white on blue isnt too bad. Guide is fairly well written although I’m still trying to figure out what “PLUMPING” is.
Note 1) The zero button on my unit is rather stiff and requires quite a bit of pressure to activate the zero. As a result you end up moving the unit quite a bit while trying to zero. My Wixey has a nice soft button easily depressed and it hardly requires much pressure to activate the “zero”…maybe it will soften up with use but rtigh now I’m not thrilled with it…
1 user thanked author for this post.
Those are “membrane” buttons and they’re not likely to change. With my unit, I have to push the “zero” button twice to zero-out the axis I use. Comes automatically after a while. Glad I don’t have to press hard, as my thumb joints are pretty arthritic.
“Plumping” probably should say “plumbing.” I have some history of dealing with Japanese manufacturers trying to write in English. One of my early ones was a horizontal boring bar back in the late 70’s. In the logic diagrams (they didn’t have high speed CPUs back then, so it was hard-wired) the electrical engineer had spelled “brake” as “blake.” No kidding. Worse yet, he spelled “count” with one less letter. Guess which one.
Just so nobody thinks I’m anti-Japanese, I’ve had three Toyotas and four Honda Accords. I’ve been to Japan several times and really enjoyed drinking with them. They’re a very rigid culture based on total respect for everyone, but they like to let their hair down and the Sake helps.
I watched a video by the manufacturer of the Floureon DXLs and it seemed clear that they were Chinese.
2 users thanked author for this post.
Ha! Well obviously TC my international translation thesaurus was off that day! For the life of me I couldn’t come up with the word they intended to use.
Sounds like yours has a much softer touch. Right now its taking me multiple attempts to zero the unit simply because of the button resistance. If I can’t get used to it I’ll probably ask for a replacement. I think they’ve incorporated quite a few useful features so its not a washout by any means.
1 user thanked author for this post.
I believe I have to press “zero” button twice in quick succession to zero my DXL360S.
My WEPS stays out on my work space. I have checked the zero of the WEPS each time I use it; sometimes months since my last sharpening session. It has always been zeroed leading me to conclude the DXL360S holds the zeroed set point.
Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)2 users thanked author for this post.
I’m ok with +/-0.01-0.02 degrees. The true tell for me is the consistency and repeatability. When I reclamp a knife for a touch up at my recorded clamp settings and measured angle rod angle settings and my bevel is flat and right on the previous bevel, when observed via usb microscope, then I have everything I could hope and expect to have.
Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)1 user thanked author for this post.
Just so MarcH, I have no issues with a +/-0.01-0.02 degree zero either. The way it behaves on a consistent basis is what important. For me I have a mechanical issue: the effort necessary to zero and 2) I’m now seeing zero drift well above that spec and thats not good…funny its almost like it developed the zero drift after a while….maybe showing my grandson how to pulloff a backhand slap shot with it wasn’t such a reasonable test of durability… 😉 (J/K!)
Sooooo Return and Replacement initiated.
I’ve attached a color version of its manual that I found online. Much better than the little manual included with the unit.
1 user thanked author for this post.
That drift might be the result of “precession,” the constant shifting of the Earth’s magnetic poles caused by the sun, moon and other planets. 😉
Note what I said about becoming obsessed with the accuracy bug. Don’t let it distract you from your goals.
Seriously though, thanks for the link to the instruction manual, Nick.
2 users thanked author for this post.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.