Very interesting reading. Thanks.
But it brings up a question for me. Why are Veeder-Root counters still so expensive? Because they are small or because they are precise. I have a measuring wheel that I bought for less than $20 that has a direct continuous drive to the feet/inches dial. I haven't tested it to see if it always shows the same exact number of feet and inches for a large number of revolutions. The plastic housing that includes the dial is a little bigger than a deck of cards, so much larger than the Veeder-Root housing.