measurement unit consensus.

[brandnewb]

I actually have a (definitely) non-metric one ;·)

View attachment 101537

Oh, and I have some sets of non-metric wrenches, I had to service an old Perkins engine for years.
-

Hey My Spanish brother. Only now I realize you are from the sunny side of our continent.

¿como estas?

 

[timselectric]

I have a full set of metric sockets and wrenches.
For work and personal use. You have to, if you want to work on certain things.
But only because I have to.

 

[brandnewb]

But only because I have to.

this is a rather ambiguous statement left open to interpretation

Do you want to?

Don't worry bro, still love you either way

 

[camelCase]

SAE sizes are as familiar to me as breathing but it irks me that I can't go to the store and buy a tool set to keep in my car that doesn't contain both SAE and Metric wrenches and sockets. Why oh why do I need both when the only car I own any longer that has SAE fasteners was built in 1951?

 

[eXodus]

The identical products produced for the rest of the world have all the scales and displays marked in Celsius. In fact in many countries you cannot sell equipment that is "non compliant" with the declared national standards.
As the American market is only a very small percentage of the world market, America will eventually be forced to change.

America still gets products, but will be tend to be few generations behind. The newest products are made for the metric markets and if capacity permits a few items for the the non-standard (imperial) markets will be built.

We already see that in HVAC systems and Power Electronics, where it takes like 5-10 years for innovation to trickle through to the American consumer. Most A/C equipment in the US is still single stage compressors, something you can't even buy anymore in Europe and many Asian markets. Variable speed is already fully adopted over there.

Here lies the issue with your argument, the American consumer in large is not a very demanding one. Americans don't go on the streets and block all interstates like the French when fuel prices go up etc.
USA Consumer tend to be fine with a rumbling A/C unit, having unreliable overhead powerline, the choice between one internet provider, random gaps on Tesla cars all around and roof material they have to regularly replace every 10 -20 years.

We in Germany tend to over engineer everything, ridiculous complex and precise and can not be repaired without going to school for 3 decades. The German consumer is very demanding and only wants to have the best and is happy to wait and to pay for that.
But homes are unaffordable at best, and metric fasteners don't help an unreliable BMW or Mercedes engine.

 

[brandnewb]

hahah Please take the following in the correct spirit. I love Germans and their beer and sausages. My sister in law is of that good kind.

But BMW I do not like. Well at least this new all electric with those weird doors. it's trash and should be send back to the recycle station where it belongs.

For the rest I am still very much happy with my neighbors.

 

[Don B. Cilly]

USA Consumer tend to be fine with a rumbling A/C unit...

"Flakes" is 1979 ;·)

-
All what we got here's American made
It's a little bit cheesy, but it's nicely displayed
Well, we don't get excited when it crumbles 'n breaks
We just get on the phone and call up some Flakes
They rush on over and wreck it some more
And we are so dumb, they're linin' up at our door
Well, my toilet went crazy yesterday afternoon
The plumber he says, "never flush a tampoon"
This great information cost me half a week's pay
And the toilet blew up later on the next day, ay, ay
Yay, yay, yay
Yay, yay, yay
Yay, yay, yay
Blew up the next day

-

 

[brandnewb]

@Don B. Cilly ? please don't be silly.
pun intended.

at least This does not feel like the thread to share lyrics in does it?

for the rest your contributions are much respected.

 

[Don B. Cilly]

Well, I thought this had rambled far enough... but the lyrics are about Flakes, therefore about US consumers' mindsets - by a Sicilian-American genius (they weren't all in organised crime, obviously ;·) and... it's a great song anyway. Probably has more to do with solar installations than most of the rest of the thread, actually :·)
-

 

[brandnewb]

i'll look up the song tomorrow. now I need sleep

 

[OffGridInTheCity]

It's not metrics that bother me - its the pronunciation of Aluminum
Me - A loo mi num.
Europe - Ali min i um



Took me a while to understand what Ali min ium was when first listening to Solar DIY youtubes!

 

[timselectric]

this is a rather ambiguous statement left open to interpretation

Do you want to?

Don't worry bro, still love you either way.

To clarify.......no, I don't want to.
But, it's a global market. And foreign products require that I do.

 

[camelCase]

It's not metrics that bother me - its the pronunciation of Aluminum
Me - A loo mi num.
Europe - Ali min i um

View attachment 101555

Took me a while to understand what Ali min ium was when first listening to Solar DIY youtubes!

Hear, hear.

Sir Humphry Davy discovered aluminum in 1808 and the name he gave it only has one "i". The IUPAC are a bunch of chowder heads.

Aluminum. Aluminum. Aluminum.

It's kind of like the word "Math". Americans continue to use the ancient abbreviation of the word Mathematics, whereas the British added an "s" in the early 20th century and are now apparently now abbreviating the word Mathematics'es.

 

[eXodus]

But BMW I do not like. Well at least this new all electric with those weird doors

haha yeah the design is not universal loved. I owned 3 BMW and all had engines issues and the new design are really weird.

I love Germans and their beer and sausages.

thanks I love American culture, software technology and BBQ.

Metric is a great system, the consumer needs to demand change otherwise nothing will happen.

 

[camelCase]

I gotta say, this is a fun thread!

 

[timselectric]

My elementary school teacher said that we needed to learn metrics, because soon that's all that would exist. 50 years later....... although I rarely buy a two liter of soda, I know how big it is. lol

 

[justgary]

this is a rather ambiguous statement left open to interpretation

Do you want to?

Don't worry bro, still love you either way

At this point, it doesn't matter if we switch. One thing I can guarantee: if you specify 5/16-24 thread to the Chinese who will built it, they are all over it. All that matters at this point is what the drawing says. Most of us in America agree.

And Jheeze, just changing all of the mileposts on highways in America to kilometer posts would take too much effort. We're not switching!

 

[Rednecktek]

I didn't understand it until many years later, but there was a place in my home town called ToolTown and once a year they had a special event where you could buy a 5 pack of 10mm wrenches or 10mm sockets for $10. They always sold out in a couple days.

I never understood as a child why everyone wanted 10mm all the time when everyone knew it was a 5/16 wrench you needed.

Now I understand that the 10mm socket is the Hide and Seek Champion of the World!

 

[timselectric]

Now I understand that the 10mm socket is the Hide and Seek Champion of the World!

You've got that right.

 

[brandnewb]

"Flakes" is 1979 ;·)

-
All what we got here's American made
It's a little bit cheesy, but it's nicely displayed
Well, we don't get excited when it crumbles 'n breaks
We just get on the phone and call up some Flakes
They rush on over and wreck it some more
And we are so dumb, they're linin' up at our door
Well, my toilet went crazy yesterday afternoon
The plumber he says, "never flush a tampoon"
This great information cost me half a week's pay
And the toilet blew up later on the next day, ay, ay
Yay, yay, yay
Yay, yay, yay
Yay, yay, yay
Blew up the next day

-

hahhahaha. only now I understand the relationship with this thread.

Yeah, I do not know much about Frank Zappa other than he is renowned. Critical etc.

A bit before my time I think as I do not remember much air time for him on the radio when I grew up.

 

[brandnewb]

I gotta say, this is a fun thread!

thank you. That's all I ever intend. not to fight but to entertain and learn.

 

[koppted]

My first Journeyman couldn't read a tape measure any closer than a 1/4". Anything in between the quarter marks he'd count as itty bitty marks. Like... 3 itty bitty marks past 1/2". That was a real pain in the butt. He had just recently learned that he could see the back of his head with 2 mirrors once he began to let that 70s barber style his hair instead of keeping it in a forever summer cut.

I laughed harder at this than i probably should have. Keep these anecdotes coming.

 

[brandnewb]

I guess they also kept pints for drinks because... it's irrelevant.

I tend to disagree. Or maybe agree depending on what it is exactly you meant to say.

I still very much rather go into a bar and order a proper pint than what is it? 500milli liters of beer?

Nah some things are meant to never be changed

 

[brandnewb]

I think Heber, California is about -15'elev. I was born at -102' on the 2nd floor. I used to run the electric shop in a geothermal power plant that was in Heber.
Oops...Heber is at -10...must be just north on Dogwood.

Wow Ozark, I am trying to wrap my head around this. Admitted my head is not renowned for it's wrapping capabilities.

So somehow unit conversion mishaps can lead to location mishaps? what ever the case I do love getting stuck on some brainteasers every now and again.

I do know about time dilation, and if not taken into account then GPS is pretty much useless.

 

[brandnewb]

I tend to disagree. Or maybe agree depending on what it is exactly you meant to say.

I still very much rather go into a bar and order a proper pint than what is it? 500milli liters of beer?

Nah some things are meant to never be changed

On a more serious note though. I do think having metric as a back bone is important and in fact already in place by our friends in the West.
All US units are officially/legally denoted in metric. weird but fun fact.

So imagine this. I get into an argument with the rather good looking bar-tending lady that supplied me a pint of the UK's best beer over the volume of this gold liquid.

I can fall back to my metric measurements cups I always carry around

I did start to notice however that more and more bouncers at the most happening venues are no longer letting me in. Could it be my backpack full of cups and such?