LCHelilover

My Feedback: (15)

I've been using the Great Planes "Laser Incidence meter" and I've never been happy with the reproducibility of the measurement due to bearing friction in the laser rocker mechanism. I just ran across this digital "inclinometer" and adapted it for use with the Great Planes Bracket....

The inclinometer is designed for use with table saws, and it has a magnetic bottom, so I just put a short piece of iron angle iron on the center of the bracket and the meter will stick to it for use with incidence measurement. It is light enough to sit on a control surface to measure deflection angles and it can be "zero'd" at any angle. I'll be working on a way to secure it to control surfaces so it doesn't fall off with down deflection<g>...just need a little flat piece of ferrous material.......

Anyway, here are some (I hope) self explanatory photos:

[img][/img] [img][/img] [img][/img]


The device is called a "Wixey Inclinometer":

http://www.wixey.com/anglegauge/index.html

Not bad for 40 bucks and reproducibly accurate to 0.1 degree.

G

LCHelilover

My Feedback: (15)

Well, the images didn't go where I intended, but they ended up with the post<G>

G

handglider

My Feedback: (23)

Hi George,

I need one of those, that looks great.

The Robart is really the only decent hobby meter, but what you have here looks like a great tool.

I'm ordering one today

thanks, Dean

Boogie

What about Angle Pro from Hangar9?

MHester

My Feedback: (1)

I got 2 when they first came out. One of mine is semi-accurate, the other can drift .3 degrees sitting still. That won't work....

I thought maybe I had a bad one but apparently it's common....or more common than it should be. I have a modified smart tool that I use, now THAT thing is accurate! (But pricey)

-M

Mastertech

My Feedback: (31)

A deal isn't a deal unless it works like it's supposed to.

jrpav1

My Feedback: (17)

I just got 2 of the Wixey inclinometers / angle gauges. They look pretty nice. I'll run some tests and let you guys know what I find. Right now I'm using a digital level - like Mike said, it's good but it's pricey. I've seen some of these recently at Home Depot however for about $50.00. That's not too bad. Sometimes you get what you pay for (as in low-cost = low quality) but eventually prices come down all on their own and then the high quality stuff becomes within reach of a hobbyist.

John Pavlick
Team Black Magic

KGSS28

How did you zero it ? on the bar or off and on what surface ?

Thanks

onewasp

It depends on how you have your plane held.
If you've zeroed your stab with the plane on a flat surface, then the flat surface works.

If not you can fix the plane in position and zero the stab with the meter and go from there.
I have the Smart Tool ($$$$) and holder set up but recently switched to a self made height gauge.
The height gauge is faster and very, very accurate. At LEAST as accurate as the Smart Tool.

I know that to be true as I indexed the results with my Smart Tool set up and it proved to be dead on.
As I said, way simpler and way FASTER!

Will I dispense with the Smart Tool set up?-No. But neither is it seeing much use after being the "Tool of Choice" for incidence setting for several years.
I now set up with the home made height gauge and then do a double check with the Smart Tool set up.

Troy Newman included a height gauge design he uses in the Focus 110 assembly article.
I had used a similar set up years ago but had been carried away with the "Digital" everything!

Troy's comments brought me back to basics. The first ship set up with the new height gauge was my first ever with zero clicks of trim !!!
Prior to that I had had several "one clickers" with the Smart Tool. That was my standard.


Troy's posts here:
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_63..._2/key_/tm.htm Post #46 through #49.

In the late sixties we had used a jig and cradle set up which was substantially similar. I simply had lost track of the basics.