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if you look on UCS/gill's websites, you could pay as much as $460 for a tool to measure the crossbar. there has to be a method that is just as efficient and cheeper than these options and much safer than putting a ladder in the box and sending someone up to measure! What does everyone else use?

You what a simple system?
Go to home depot. In the paint section are extension pole for painting high places. They come in numerous lengths so close the one you will need. Also, grap a foam roller handle. They have a blue handle and cost about three dollars. The extensions are about $30ish.
The best part of this system is that you can throw the pole into your pole bag without damaging your poles.
The only bummer is that you have to measure from the bottom of the extension to the bottom of the roller holder which is screwed to the extension.
E-mail me and I will send you picts. I don't have the long extension but you will know what you will need to buy.

That $400 + devise is well worth the price. I just came back from Women's Big Ten and we used it there. Yes it is expensive, but it is so quick and so accurate - really worth the price. Anytime you touch the bar with anything you will have to get some deflection and there goes your accuracy. Ask anyone who has seen the laser used and they will tell you it is really the best. Another case of you get what you pay for. Just my .02.

Dan

PS - Don't be fooled with one of those $70 "laser" measuring devices. They shoot a red laser dot, but measure with a sound wave and they are not very accurate.

The $400 solution isn't any better than a paint pole, and a heckuva lot harder to transport.

The laser measuring device is priced in the several thousands, and if it's as good as what they used to measure the javelin at the New Orleans Trials, I'll stick with the paint pole and metal tape.

The newer devices may actually work as advertised, but as of five years ago I had yet to see an optical measuring system that held up to the scrutiny of a cold, hard steel tape measure.

I've gotten word from two other members of this board that the laser device ($560) actually works. I'm going to have to check it out.

Although it's hard to feel like a "real" pole vault official when you don't haul a paint pole into the arena . . .

i think they are worth it cuz when someones going at a record it is quick and simple so they dont have to wait

LOL

You must have been watching Babco's record in Reno . . .

no i acually wasnt but i kno him real well and i practice at his facility but i was talking about with me they took for ever trying to get a ladder and then getting the stuff away from the box but im sure ill hear about that story later

nitro makes a very good point. When an athlete is ready to take their attempt, the last thing they want is to wait while some well meaning, but poorly equipped official, tries to measure the bar.

vaultmd wrote:I've gotten word from two other members of this board that the laser device ($560) actually works. I'm going to have to check it out.

Although it's hard to feel like a "real" pole vault official when you don't haul a paint pole into the arena . . .

they were using a laser device at NCAA D3 Nationals back in 2004. they seemed to think it worked. now, would the $50 laser from sear's work? HAHA

For practice, I've used the "paint" pole extension. Our standards are not exact, so measuring with this device works well, plus I use it as a bar (or bungie) "putter upper".

I drilled holes every inch in the extension piece from about 8 feet to about 16 ft so it is adjustable to the inch. Spent about $30.

I'm sure it's not official, but works well for practice!

ya something like that would work great for things but idk if it is official but if it is it would be cheep and easy