Hi mike, have you tried resetting the tape measure when retracted, press the middle lower button to reset I think. then it will speak the right measurement, and be careful whether you include the case in the measurements or not. there is a button for that too. hth. Hope to hear from you soon. From Martin. Please email me at: m.wilsher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Or contact me using skype from www.skype.com my skype name is dobbinequine twitter name is BigPawedBear. http://twitter.com/BigPawedBear Thanks Please visit my website: www.martin-wilsher.co.uk _____ From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Mike Moore Sent: 29 August 2010 17:48 To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [access-uk] Poor quality of equipment? Hello all, This is not strictly computer related, but involves accessibility equipment.... Does anyone know of a good quality talking tape measure; other than the Cobalt one? I have two of these, and a year is about the most I can get out of both them, as they always end up giving spurious measurements- such as 2513 inches when the tape is fully retracted. Replacing the battery etc does no good. Do we have to put up with inferior quality materials every time? Regards, A disgruntled Mike