Reading a clinometer

Thailog

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Sep 11, 2004
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Trying to figure out my elevation with a clinometer but apparently I'm clueless. On the side it reads 80 but when I look through the sight it says 40? Which number do I use ? :confused:
 
Thailog said:
Trying to figure out my elevation with a clinometer but apparently I'm clueless. On the side it reads 80 but when I look through the sight it says 40? Which number do I use ? :confused:

Some clinometers are marked with percentage of grade, which is a trigonometric term of the opposite (the altitude divided by base or the distance from the sighting position to the object). It's been a long time since I've studied trigonometry, buy I believe that this is the tangent.

The percentage of grade is usually about twice that of the actual angle, with 100% being at exactly 45 degrees.
 
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