RE: Throw Measurement
Don't agonize over the throws....
Setting them to "about right" is sufficient.
You can later tune things if you want more throw.
The only thing you need to avoid is having far too much throws dialed in, and no way of setting things down if the plane is in the air.
Your best bet is to set the high rates for something approximating the recommended throws for a model of this type and size, and then set the low rates for about 60% of this.
That way if you find the plane too twichy in the air, you can flip to low rates and bring it down to adjust.
Typically however I go the other way....
I set high rates to give me everything I CAN get, with 50% expo applied...
Then low rates to 50% of this just in case, with 35% expo.
After I fly the plane I'll start adjusting the throws to suit my preferance and flying style.