by Aaron Addison » Apr 8, 2009 4:37 pm
The CaveCompass looks interesting, but it is not 1:10 (or maybe it is!). Really depends on your terminology I guess. In cartography, "1:10" is a RF or Representative Fraction. It simply means that 1 of something on the map is the same as 10 in the real world. The ratio is unitless. To that end, you could use the scale to sketch in metric. You would simply resize the sketch after scanning.
I think what they mean to say is that 1" = 10' which in this case each foot is represented by on-tenth of an inch on the scale bar.
A good example of RF is on USGS topographic maps, which are mostly 1:24,000. That translates to 1" = 2,000'.
Cheers,
Aaron
BTW: If you don't like the scale on the plastic, just tape a piece of survey paper over it marked off with the scale you do like.
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Aaron Addison
Stop and ask yourself - "What is this map for?"