I'm Old School, No Metric System!

[BOBBYBOB]

I am an old cranky American and I want measurements expressed in
inches, not millimeters or centimeters. I just can't figure out the
conversion, how many millimeters are there in an inch anyway? (grumble)

 

[srvctec]

Try this or better yet [URL="http://www.worldwidemetric.com/metcal.htm"]this
[/URL]

 

[Culhain]

I use this free converter program:

http://www.bellsoft.net/windows/converter/

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

http://www.onlineconversion.com/

It is a pain when manufacturers of flashlights don't list both Metric, and English measurements.

 

[Noxonomus]

There are exactly 25.4mm in an inch.
For convenient estimations go with 10cm is about 4in
For web conversions I recommend google, you can type in your conversion in English and expect it to just spit out an answer: 3.2m in ft, 17gbp in USD... It is particularly nice if you use a browser with some sort of google search box or shortcut.

 

[PhantomPhoton]

But metric/ SI is superior in almost every way... :nana:

Google is a convenient converter. Into the google search bar for example you can type "6.6cm in in" and it will convert for you. The operator is "in" and it will recognize all sorts of abbreviations and symbols as well as do currency conversion.

 

[jzmtl]

Nice, I didn't know google does conversion. I have a google search box in Opera so conversions are gona be much easier now.

 

[Daniel_sk]

I always do the conversion in Google. I wish everyone would adapt the metric system .

 

[rodfran]

It's the conversions(english to metric, metric to english) that make it a pain.

I've been using metric for over 30 yrs. in the lab. Everything in powers of ten-you simply move the decimal point.

 

[Empath]

Everything in powers of ten-you simply move the decimal point.

Only if you can convince everyone else to use the same system.

Demonstrate for us the conversion of kilometers to miles by simply moving the decimal point.

 

[The_LED_Museum]

Generally speaking, when I'm writing a web page where physical dimensions (size), weight, or temperature are stated, I use both English and metric.

 

[nerdgineer]

...I want measurements expressed in
inches...

Er....I guess the others want measurements to be expressed in cm, and they pretty much have you outvoted...

Like a native language, everyone has their own internal representation for thought, and measurements; and everyone has to accommodate whatever the convention is in their environment if they want to be fully functional.

Don't worry, you're already used to it to some degree. You know that a 9mm is like a .38, and 10 mm is .40 cal...

[yes, I know 9 mm is not 0.38 inch, but you get the point, I hope...]

 

[dulridge]

Only if you can convince everyone else to use the same system.

Demonstrate for us the conversion of kilometers to miles by simply moving the decimal point.

Quite easy! You just have to get used to fractional movements of the decimal point. Just move the decimal point by 0.621371192 to conjvert kilometres to miles

 

[AndyTiedye]

Even the English don't use the "English" system anymore.

 

[Khaytsus]

:shakehead

 

[dulridge]

Even the English don't use the "English" system anymore.

Or the Scots, Welsh, Irish.....

And in fluid measures we never did. US fluid ounces, pints and gallons are wildly different - a US gallon is about 80% of a UK gallon. Actually we are an odd mix in the UK - by law weight and volume measures are metric which means I buy a container with 2.272 litres of milk in it, i.e. four (UK) pints. I buy fuel in litres (at about US$2.12 per litre) but express fuel consumption in miles per gallon even when living in a completely metric country where distances were kilometres and fuel in litres.

Speeds are invariably mph - and there will be chaos when they change the signs as some idiots interpret these as mph speed limits.

People's weights are in stones and pounds (1 stone is 14lb). My weight is 84kg but I did have to resort to a calculator for that.

Temperatures may be either. I tend to use metric units, but have to translate for those over 55 or aged between about 35 and 42.

When I was at school we were going to go completely metric (This was 40 years ago - long before the UK became part of the EU) but were taught both (sorta). Then this plan was dropped owing to the universal hostility of the retailers. Then it was picked up again.

My passport says I am 1.76m high, I say I'm 5' 9". Metric heights for people are just not meaningful for me despite everyone around me using them every day.

So the picture is far from clear. Imperial (They would certainly never be called English here) measures are still in very wide usage.

 

[gadget_lover]

I find nothing wrong with metric measurements. The imperial system just does not play well with it.

There's a direct relationship between measures of metric length, area and volume. That makes it easy to convert by knowing a fairly small number of rules. 1 liter = 1000 cubic centimeters.

Since there's no logical connection between inches, feet, gallons, bushels and miles you have to remember much more complex rules to convert to metric. 1 gallon (U.S.) = 231 cubic inches or 128 fluid ounces. Huh?

I'd rather that we bite the bullet and chose a date, then make all new items in metric. For a generation we will still need some conversions, but I have SAE, metric and Whitworth tools, so I don't see it as insurmountable. Just a hassle for a while.

BTW, ask any High school senior what an acre is, or how many are in a square mile and you are likely to see some very odd answers.... unless they have access to google.

Daniel

 

[nerdgineer]

...I'd rather that we bite the bullet and chose a date, then make all new items in metric...

That of course is only part of the answer. The real switch is when you go from "soft metric" (where things are still made in English dimensions, e.g. 3/8" x 32 pitch/inch thread) to "hard metric" (where things are re-sized to even numeric values in metric (e.g. 9 mm x 1 mm screw thread). That is much harder and is what will create the biggest payoffs of having a unified system of measures.

We are not there yet...

 

[chmsam]

Can I have a imperial pint while I'm busy converting parsecs to rods? Mmm, maybe two.

It is nice to have a conversion site bookmarked or use conversion calculation software. Such things save overworking the brain cells for an old coot like me. However, I find that for most of my uses an "in the ball park" conversion works OK, much like my foreign language skills. You see, high school and college were a long, long time ago and such capabilities get rusty without continuous use.

Has anyone else noticed this -- I've found out that saying English measurements very loudly and very slowly, and even shouting them, doesn't make the meaning any clearer to those who only use the Metric System. Why is that? What's wrong with them?

Ah, I look at it as if it's the scientific/mathematical equivalent (Oops! Sorry for the pun) of the Tower of Babel. It always helps if you are willing to try to comprehend what others are saying. Both measurement systems certainly have their advantages.

 

[dulridge]

I find nothing wrong with metric measurements. The imperial system just does not play well with it.

I'd rather that we bite the bullet and chose a date, then make all new items in metric. For a generation we will still need some conversions, but I have SAE, metric and Whitworth tools, so I don't see it as insurmountable. Just a hassle for a while.

Indeed! But...

When that happens it will be impossible to get spare parts that fit. An "overnight" transition is not going to happen.