My remarks, while true were mostly tongue in cheek because someone wanted Elecraft to use measurements in Fahrenheit instead of Celsius. Electronics is the one area in the US where metric is usually used. Hams of all people need to have their "knower" bilingual since we converse with the world and most of the world uses metric. In 1978 I lived in Scotland for a while on a job and they were reluctantly for some converting to 100 pence to the pound sterling, litres for liquid sales such as gasoline and milk and weights were in grams or kilos. People would tell you their weight in stones, but I expect their doctors kept their weight in kilos. A big problem with conversion, particularly in my industry which was oil and gas is engineers who do not want to change. The thing that amuses me is that I have been wanting to "go metric" since I was 15 or 16 and I am now 73 and we have not made it yet. I think it is about time to give up. But I still need two sets of tools to work on my car. At least screwdrivers, pliers and Cresent wrenches are not metric and "English". At least Whitworth is out except for British antiques. Willis 'Cookie' Cooke, TDXS DX Chairman K5EWJ & Trustee N5BPS, USS Cavalla, USS Stewart
On Sunday, June 22, 2014 6:01 PM, Don Wilhelm <w3...@embarqmail.com> wrote: Well, that may be more possible than many years ago when a switch to metric was proposed. At that time, the machine tool industry was well invested in the English system for such things as screw threads and such. Now that the automotive industry uses mostly metric hardware, the switch may be easier than it was 'back then'.I think the main stumbling block right now is a 'consumer attitude' in the US that thinks in the English system.I can go to the hardware store and buy Metric fasteners, no problem, so in terms of hardware availability, no problem exists - I think the major problem is in the minds of the US consumers who are well indoctrinated into the English system of weights and measures.Even at that, it is not entirely English - my weight is in Pounds, but in England, it would be in Stones, while the rest of the world would measure weight in Kilograms.So much for standardization.73,Don W3FPR On 6/22/2014 6:43 PM, WILLIS COOKE via Elecraft wrote: > In High School, 1953 to 1958, I was introduced to the Metric System in > Chemistry and Physics. I thought "WOW, what a system, I can soon forget the > obsolete feet, inches, Fahrenheit stuff and use a system that makes sense." > In college in Engineering School I used mostly the Metric system which > confirmed that we could soon forget the "English System of Measurements". In > 1978 when I worked in Scotland, I found that even the English did not use the > "English" system and were converting to Metric. I checked and only the > United States, Burma and Liberia still used the "English" system. I worked > nearly 50 years using the "English System" that even the English found too > difficult. Now, I am retired and we are still trying to hold on to the > obsolete system of measurements. Even QST gave up on it 40 years ago! > Enough! It is time for the USA to quit fighting the rest of the world and > switch to Metric > >______________________________________________________________Elecraft mailing >listHome: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraftHelp: >http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htmPost: mailto:elecr...@mailman.qth.netThis list >hosted by: http://www.qsl.netPlease help support this email list: >http://www.qsl.net/donate.htmlMessage delivered to wrco...@yahoo.com ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
