Range finder?????

[gene stoner]

I've heard the fish scaler can be used a range finds but have never found a source for this or how to do it. Any help would be appreciated.

[Halberdier]

You can use any marked object as a rangefinder. Here's how:

1. Find or mark a six foot tall object.
2. Measure a 25 yard distance from it.
3. Vertically line up the base of the fish scaler with the bottom of it.
4. Make a notch to line up with the top of it.
5. Now repeat 50, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 yards away, making a notch for each.

You now have a rangefinder for a man-sized object at these distances. Next time you see a man at some distance, line his feet up with the bottom of your scaler and you'll know how far away he is based on the notch lining up with the top of his head. Using the same method, you can create the a scale for any size object at any distance .

[detron]

nice, thanks!

[captain spaulding]

Good to know. 

[gene stoner]

Thanks for your help that's what I was looking for.

[shibafu]

Here's something interesting.  The fish scaler has 8 serrations per 30mm, so each serration is about 3.75mm.  If you hold it at arm's length then - give or take a bit of arm length variation - it will be about 2ft or 600mm from your eye. 

With those two measurements you can work out the apparent angular size of each serration when held at arm's length:  3.75/600 ≈ 0.006 radians = 6 milliradians or mils.

A mil is a handy unit of angle measurement for range finding: it's the angular size of a 1 ft object at 1000ft (or a 1m object at 1000m etc).

So 6 mils is 6ft at 1000ft: therefore if a 6ft man matches the size of of 1 serration (6 mils), he is about 1000ft away.  2 serrations = 500ft, 4 serrations = 250ft, and so on.  (Assuming I've got my sums right!)

Maybe it will be clearer with an amateurishly photoshopped diagram:

[detron]

Here's something interesting.  The fish scaler has 8 serrations per 30mm, so each serration is about 3.75mm.  If you hold it at arm's length then - give or take a bit of arm length variation - it will be about 2ft or 600mm from your eye. 

With those two measurements you can work out the apparent angular size of each serration when held at arm's length:  3.75/600 ≈ 0.006 radians = 6 milliradians or mils.

A mil is a handy unit of angle measurement for range finding: it's the angular size of a 1 ft object at 1000ft (or a 1m object at 1000m etc).

So 6 mils is 6ft at 1000ft: therefore if a 6ft man matches the size of of 1 serration (6 mils), he is about 1000ft away.  2 serrations = 500ft, 4 serrations = 250ft, and so on.  (Assuming I've got my sums right!)

Maybe it will be clearer with an amateurishly photoshopped diagram:

very nice break down.  the graphic does a great job of explaining it too.

[SAK Guy]

Here's something interesting.  The fish scaler has 8 serrations per 30mm, so each serration is about 3.75mm.  If you hold it at arm's length then - give or take a bit of arm length variation - it will be about 2ft or 600mm from your eye. 

With those two measurements you can work out the apparent angular size of each serration when held at arm's length:  3.75/600 ≈ 0.006 radians = 6 milliradians or mils.

A mil is a handy unit of angle measurement for range finding: it's the angular size of a 1 ft object at 1000ft (or a 1m object at 1000m etc).

So 6 mils is 6ft at 1000ft: therefore if a 6ft man matches the size of of 1 serration (6 mils), he is about 1000ft away.  2 serrations = 500ft, 4 serrations = 250ft, and so on.  (Assuming I've got my sums right!)

Maybe it will be clearer with an amateurishly photoshopped diagram:

very nice break down.  the graphic does a great job of explaining it too.

+1!!!!

[Halberdier]

Excellent shibafu. Saved the image. The arm's length part is an important detail I left out.

[comis]

Here's something interesting.  The fish scaler has 8 serrations per 30mm, so each serration is about 3.75mm.  If you hold it at arm's length then - give or take a bit of arm length variation - it will be about 2ft or 600mm from your eye. 

With those two measurements you can work out the apparent angular size of each serration when held at arm's length:  3.75/600 ≈ 0.006 radians = 6 milliradians or mils.

A mil is a handy unit of angle measurement for range finding: it's the angular size of a 1 ft object at 1000ft (or a 1m object at 1000m etc).

So 6 mils is 6ft at 1000ft: therefore if a 6ft man matches the size of of 1 serration (6 mils), he is about 1000ft away.  2 serrations = 500ft, 4 serrations = 250ft, and so on.  (Assuming I've got my sums right!)

Maybe it will be clearer with an amateurishly photoshopped diagram:

very nice break down.  the graphic does a great job of explaining it too.

+1!!!!

+1 too.  Great job on the image, saved!

[shibafu]

I want a Swisschamp now.  The whole reason I never bought one was because of the uselessness of the fish scaler

[gene stoner]

I want a Swisschamp now.  The whole reason I never bought one was because of the uselessness of the fish scaler

I use my fish scaler a lot. I thought it was useless to untill I started to carry one on my Craftsman. Now I don't have to have one one on me but I prefer to have one on me.

[n4vgm]

Cool bit of info, thanks!

[ColoSwiss]

Great explanation and great illustration!   

A variation on this: Knowing a 6' tall man is 'x' notches you can use multiples of that to get a rough estimate of the hight of a cliff, waterfall, tree, etc.

[Luna Knife]

Cool to know.  SAKs are amazing

[shibafu]

You could do something similar with the saw too.  The current Vic 91mm/93mm saw teeth have an interval of 2.25mm, which works out to a 6ft man at 1600ft or 500 metres.  Not as memorable or convenient as 1 tooth = 1000ft for the fish scaler.  So the fish scaler will be easier to use for this purpose.

[sir_mike]

Very cool and thanks for sharing it!  I am starting to like that fish scaler more and more with these kinds of uses!

Already can use them for a poker, stirrer, scraper and now a range finder.  Can't wait to hear more ideas!

Thx.

[Aloha]

This by far is the most interesting use of the fish scaler. 

[windson]

Great idea! I programmed an online calculator for range finding some time ago; see here migrated to my new site: http://wndsn.com/rc/. Also added the example to the explanation page: http://wndsn.com/?d=notes/simple_navigation.txt

 

[ironraven]

Ok then... I figured the only other use it had was as soft material (sheetrock) saw.

[Aerocap]

Waw, this is fantastic to know, thank you very much for all the explanations!

[Don Pablo]

Fish Scaler rangefinder. 
Anyone actually did this?

[windson]

Fish Scaler rangefinder. 
Anyone actually did this?

There is not much to "do", you just use the fishscaler to 'measure' the (angular) size of the object in question and do the calculation in your head.

Or, shameless plug: you use one of my low-tech distance meters without doing ANY calculation at all: https://store.wndsn.com/collections/navigation-tools

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

[Don Pablo]

Fish Scaler rangefinder. 
Anyone actually did this?

There is not much to "do", you just use the fishscaler to 'measure' the (angular) size of the object in question and do the calculation in your head.

Or, shameless plug: you use one of my low-tech distance meters without doing ANY calculation at all: https://store.wndsn.com/collections/navigation-tools

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

I understand, but I meant has anyone used the fish scaler for this, as opposed to a calibrated stick or something? 

Cool meters. 

[Syncop8r]

Call it a Manscaler?

[Tired_Yeti]

With this use in mind, this tool should have been standard in the Huntsman model.
"Fish Scaler", aka sniper's rule.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[windson]

With this use in mind, this tool should have been standard in the Huntsman model.
"Fish Scaler", aka sniper's rule.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Certainly! Just a matter of what you call it. "Range Scaler"

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

[Tired_Yeti]

With this use in mind, this tool should have been standard in the Huntsman model.
"Fish Scaler", aka sniper's rule.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Certainly! Just a matter of what you call it. "Range Scaler"

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

Indeed. It does seem like it would have been reasonable to include in the Huntsman. Of course,  for that matter, I'd like to see a retractable range finder/ruler in place of the corkscrew on the Huntsman--but that's just me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[KandiKlover]

Nice, I'll try this tomorrow but with houses instead so it's more consistant and there is plenty all the same height.

[VICMAN]

Here's something interesting.  The fish scaler has 8 serrations per 30mm, so each serration is about 3.75mm.  If you hold it at arm's length then - give or take a bit of arm length variation - it will be about 2ft or 600mm from your eye. 

With those two measurements you can work out the apparent angular size of each serration when held at arm's length:  3.75/600 ≈ 0.006 radians = 6 milliradians or mils.

A mil is a handy unit of angle measurement for range finding: it's the angular size of a 1 ft object at 1000ft (or a 1m object at 1000m etc).

So 6 mils is 6ft at 1000ft: therefore if a 6ft man matches the size of of 1 serration (6 mils), he is about 1000ft away.  2 serrations = 500ft, 4 serrations = 250ft, and so on.  (Assuming I've got my sums right!)

Maybe it will be clearer with an amateurishly photoshopped diagram:

Thanks for the information and diagram!