Suggestions on new 100 & 200 foot measuring tapes?

[TillaMurphs]

We have been using a 100 foot tape and a 200 foot tape. These seem to cover most situations and we are happy with them. However, the 200 foot tape broke and our 100 foot is fading fast.

Can you recommend new measuring tapes for replacements?

 

We would prefer the 100 footer to be lightweight and not too bulky.

 

Our 200 footer had a geared wind-up mechanism with a 3X rapid rewind speed and that was such a great feature that we want our new one to have it also. Our existing 200 footer is an Ace Hardware brand – it was perfect except that early on the fiberglass tape started to break where it connects to metal end piece so we would prefer to try another brand this time.

 

Any suggestions or ideas or general conversation would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks.

[southpawaz]

I have a Harbor Freight 165'/50m 1/2" fiberglass tape, SKU 35712. $10, made in China, not super durable but I don't use it too often. Metric scale as well as inches and feet so I don't need to convert from the metric on the datasheet.

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

I use my DeLorme PN40 and it hasn't let me down yet. It works even in the thick brush where dragging a metal tape is difficult if not impossible. It will even allow you to see if you are measuring along the correct heading!

 

Before you decide to buy a new tape check to see how much stretch it will have, it may be more stretch than you are willing to accept.

 

John

[TillaMurphs]

I use my DeLorme PN40 and it hasn't let me down yet. It works even in the thick brush where dragging a metal tape is difficult if not impossible. It will even allow you to see if you are measuring along the correct heading!

 

Before you decide to buy a new tape check to see how much stretch it will have, it may be more stretch than you are willing to accept.

 

John

 

Hi John,

 

We have certainly spent a lot of time dragging and threading tapes through brush and trees. How accurate is your PN40 when you are performing the procedure you describe above?

 

Thanks,

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

I use my DeLorme PN40 and it hasn't let me down yet. It works even in the thick brush where dragging a metal tape is difficult if not impossible. It will even allow you to see if you are measuring along the correct heading!

 

Before you decide to buy a new tape check to see how much stretch it will have, it may be more stretch than you are willing to accept.

 

John

 

Hi John,

 

We have certainly spent a lot of time dragging and threading tapes through brush and trees. How accurate is your PN40 when you are performing the procedure you describe above?

 

Thanks,

 

When measuring over a distance of up to 120' to 150' It will put me within 1 step (or less) of the mark I'm looking for. It also has the advantage of giving the bearing/heading needed to get right to the mark.

 

If you know the bearing needed to get to the mark, you need to add 180° to the heading on the GPSr. The reason for that is because you set the waypoint for the 'tie' that you are measuring from, then set the GPSr to go to that waypoint. When you walk away from that 'tie' you read off the distance and heading to get to the point you want to find. When you are at the correct distance and heading you will be standing very close to the point you seek. The key for it to work is that you set the waypoint at the same time that you are ready to search for that mark. You cannot set the waypoint today and then come back in a day or 2 and have it work due to the changes in the satellite positions, GPSr expected position error changes, weather conditions, etc.

 

I haven't done any long range measuring (over 150') to know if that would make a difference, but I doubt that it would.

 

Pratice on a known triangulation station (preferably one that you have already found and measured.) that gives distance and direction to the RMs and see how well you do.

 

John

[AZcachemeister]

One thing to keep in mind is that us desert-dwellers rarely have to contend with much of a tree canopy, therefore GPS accuracy will be maximal. Up in the Pacific Northwet, you may not get quite such good results.

I have a 50-footer that I owned before Benchmarking, and I think I have used it no more than a handful of times. If I can't find the mark by just looking for it, I will use the waypoint projection feature (Magellan Meridian, but most models/brands can do this).

[+2Jeeps2Jacks]

We use the Keeson 200 foot fiberglass from Northern Tools

 

Keeson 200 Foot

 

That and our Trumeter 5505E distance wheel covers our measuring needs.