Someone on another forum pointed me to these RC helicopter blade pitch indicators and I realised they could be used as Digital Angle finders (DAFs)
At only ~US$7 (including postage) everyone can afford to have at least one in their CS sharpening kit.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-LCD-...=eee4cf9a13e64fa497f6c9464f505c0a&pid=100102&
The packet contains the DAF mounted in a bracket and sheet of Chinese only instructions but the controls are simple to use.
The DAF itself is held by magnets onto the Pitch blade bracket and is easily removed.
It takes two 2032 batteries.
A disadvantage is the box is plastic and not square. If I were using one for Raker angle measurements I would glue a strip of brass or Al square onto the box so that the plastic will not wear as it needs to rest on sharp cutters to perform a raker angle measurement.
In terms of accuracy I compared it to my Beale digital Tiltbox and the cheaper unit seems to read about 0.2º too low at around 45º and 0.3 -o,4 too loa at around 90º. For less than 10º rakers angles this difference is negligible.
On the plus side this thing can perform absolute measurements which none of my other DAFs can. There is no indication as to how to get the thing to measure in absolute terms and the instructions are not that useful to non chinese readers but I figured how to get it to do that and that is to switch it on and hold the switch down until the ABS indicator lights up.
At only ~US$7 (including postage) everyone can afford to have at least one in their CS sharpening kit.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-LCD-...=eee4cf9a13e64fa497f6c9464f505c0a&pid=100102&
The packet contains the DAF mounted in a bracket and sheet of Chinese only instructions but the controls are simple to use.
The DAF itself is held by magnets onto the Pitch blade bracket and is easily removed.
It takes two 2032 batteries.
A disadvantage is the box is plastic and not square. If I were using one for Raker angle measurements I would glue a strip of brass or Al square onto the box so that the plastic will not wear as it needs to rest on sharp cutters to perform a raker angle measurement.
In terms of accuracy I compared it to my Beale digital Tiltbox and the cheaper unit seems to read about 0.2º too low at around 45º and 0.3 -o,4 too loa at around 90º. For less than 10º rakers angles this difference is negligible.
On the plus side this thing can perform absolute measurements which none of my other DAFs can. There is no indication as to how to get the thing to measure in absolute terms and the instructions are not that useful to non chinese readers but I figured how to get it to do that and that is to switch it on and hold the switch down until the ABS indicator lights up.