Spoke tension gauge

Not cheap, but I guess if David at DCR uses one, then it must be good!

Tools – DCR Wheels https://dcrwheels.co.uk/products/misc-parts/tools/

Couple of years back I bought a cheap version, Wiggle's LifeLine X-Tools Spoke Tension meter, and it's been very beneficial for my occasional wheel building. My main discovery was something that I had already suspected, that I wasn't putting on enough tension. Winding 120kgf onto a driveside spoke takes quite some finger strength but it needs to be done. Modern carbon rims are rated for that sort of tension.

No recommendation then but I do think they are a worthwhile tool.

Well, there's some cheap ones on EBay, but I've only ever tried the Park Tool one which is overpriced.

To be honest, I don't find a spoke tension guage that much use as once you've built a couple of wheels, you can pretty much tell which spokes are too loose or too tight by trying to deform them or if you're musically minded, plucking them and listening to the tones.

However, I may not be the best person to make recommendations as I'm in the middle of building a Prime Carbon 60 rear wheel but bought the wrong spokes - I calculated that I should use 260/262mm ones but soon realised that they're too long. Now mucking around with swapping the 260mm spokes with 258mm ones and will replace the 262mm with the 260mm ones. I hope I don't have to get even shorter ones.

Edit: just seen that there are some phone apps for judging spoke tension by the note - similar to a guitar tuning app.