25' Starrett Digitape question

[s3s@m3_]

My buddy's been wrestling with this old 25' Starrett Digitape he dug out from years ago.

He popped in a new battery, but the instructions are long gone, of course.

He can get perfect measurements when he's just checking the length of a board. hooks it on one end, lets the case butt up against the other, and boom, perfect read.

But here's the kicker, he can't figure out how to use the digital part to actually mark a cut line.

He's tried extending the tape, locking it, and then reaching under to guide his pencil along the front of the case.

The problem is, the front of the case isn't perfectly straight, so his marks are always off by about a 1/8 of an inch, depending on where his pencil lands.
I'm trying to help him and wonder if there's some trick with the digital function to mark a precise cut, or if he just has to give up and use the old school physical marks on the tape. Any ideas?

 

[it's me Tommy]

Ah that's a classic misunderstanding of the Digitape's design intent as the display is for reading not for marking. Your buddy still needs to use the printed graduations on the blade after pulling to the target # on the screen. Its main electronic function was for inside measurements. Does his model have the button to toggle that feature? @s3s@m3_

 

[Mellissa]

Digital tape measures like the Starrett Digitape are kind of gimmicky, they're great for quick reads but terrible for accurate marking. Your buddy's better off trusting the old-school physical tape for precise cuts

 

[GripAndRip]

The digital display is meant purely for measuring, not for marking. It's still best to rely on a physical scale to ensure your cut lines are accurate.

 

[ScrewdriverPhil77]

Ran into the same issue with an old Digitape I found in my dad's toolbox. Yeah, it's great for measuring, tricky for marking. From what I've seen, the digital readout doesn't help much with marking unless you're using a jig or stop block setup.

 

[Kiw111]

@s3s@m3_ I think all the comments nailed it, just want to add that the best way for your friend to get a precise mark is to stick with the physical graduations on the blade itself.
tell him to hook the tape on one end, extend it to the target number, and then use the very edge of the tape to guide his pencil or a marking knife.
this is the oldest trick in the book for a reason, which is the most accurate way to transfer a measurement from a tape to a workpiece.

 

[Jesiah_Black]

If I were helping your buddy, I'd pair the digital precision with a simple physical aid: tape a thin, stiff shim or ruler to the blade’s edge aligned at zero, so when he locks the reading, that shim gives a straight guide to mark against. Use the display to get perfect extension, then use that guide to draw the line.

 

[bridger]

I had a need on a recent job for fast accurate measurements in the 3' to 25' range(91 cm to 760 cm). I dug into the specs of every digital laser unit I could find on the market at the time, with a wide variation in price. They all have about the same accuracy, about 1/32". Not good enough for that job. I ended up buying a large vernier caliper for the stuff under iirc 42" and trial and error for the stuff above that.

There is a definite spot in the market for better equipment in that size range

 

[Alan]

Interesting point about the accuracy gap in that range @bridger seems like there's a real need for something between standard digital lasers and specialized equipment