The Spinlock Rig Sense tension gauge has served us well in the Nacra 17. It is a good replacement for the older PT Series alternatives which come standard with plastic bumpers. Even though these can be upgraded to durable metal bumpers, I’ve found that this alone changes readings significantly and the spring mechanism tends to wear out. The Spinlock gauges come in 2 versions, one for 2-5mm wires and one for 5-8mm wires, and reads tension in kg. I’ve found this to be a more useful unit of measurement as smaller increments can be read and it’s a more literal translation of what is happening to the wire.
In order to ensure a repeatable measurement I have to push the clamping piece up to the same place every time. I recommend drawing a mark to make this easier. This gauge like all others is still susceptible to heat; therefore, it is important to store it in a cool dry environment and check that it is not hot before making a measurement. It maxes out at 450 kg which is quite high, but after tests with several different Spinlock gauges it is clear that its accuracy decreases at higher tensions. This is still an improvement compared to the PT Series gauges.
In summary, I would recommend this gauge over the PT Series for wire rigging, but am still looking for a better digital option to come to market. If you know of any, please tell me!