Loos gauge vs load cells?

[jeffbonny]

Lately I've run into a couple of situations where I would have liked to have put load cells temporarily into systems with 1/4" and 5/16" wire but for several reasons it wasn't logistically possible. I'm not of the pushing up the wife-beater scratching yer belly "jeez, I hope this works" school and I gotta learn a way of quickly and accurately measuring dynamic loading without an in-line device like a load cell or dynamometer. Never having used a Loos gauge I'm wondering if it would be of any use to me or if it's real value is just measuring relative tension? Any other tools that would fit my bill?

Any experience and advise on this one appreciated.

jeff
vancouver.bc.ca