What's in a "foot"? (Surveying)

[Oldpath05]

USS Zumwalt built on metric measurements by a workforce still using US standard measuring, could be one reason why each ship was built 3 times. Now the US Navy has gone back to the Arliegh Burke glass destroyer and the standard measuring system, so even the US government cant make up it's mind, me I dont care which system JUST PICK ONE ALREADY.

 

[k0ua]

The metric unit I have a tough time with is temperature. Especially hearing forecasts.

(IMHO) Metric Celsius units are too coarse, that is, when you hear the forecast as (say) temps will be 15-20 deg C one day, but maybe 20-25 deg C another day, to my Imperial mind it doesn't seem like that big of a change; but's it's a huge difference in whether you should put on shorts and t-shirt or need to wear pants, long sleeves and bring a sweatshirt.

I suppose with more use, I'd get familiar, and yes: 0 =freezing, 100 = boiling is more logical....but...

Anybody ever go to another country (say Canada) and try to figure out what your gas "mileage" is (BTW: what is the metric word for that? Meterage? ) or how much the gas "really costs"? Throw in currency exchange rates and that can hurt your brain.

@kOla: Some people (Conservatives) just don't like change. "Dang-gummit! That's the way it was and we liked it!"
View attachment 633378

What is REALLY ironic. is I am a conservative AND I WANT to move to the metric system. ANd I want to STOP converting. I want to throw away the imperial tape measures. Yes, just put them in the round file and buy new metric ones.

AND on top of all of that I am old. I am supposed to be "set in my ways", and here I am wanting to jump off of the metric cliff. And I have wanted it all my life. I think the system of weights and measures we use is INSANE, and I want to get away from it and have always wanted to do so. I just can't get many to follow me. And they cant really tell me why.

Yes of course the C temp scale is a little coarser than the F scale.. So what.? Can you tell the difference between 65 degrees and 66 degrees F? No you cannot. And that is what we are talking about here. And if you need precise measurement of temp, we can always say 20.3 degrees C now can't we? or 20.321579 degrees if that is what is needed.

"follow me folks" and I will lead you into the new world... And we will all be better off for it. Jeez... I sound like a "progressive". dadgumit....

 

[2LaneCruzer]

And why?... Care to expound on your reasons?

I too, have a scientific background; worked as a technician and Research Chemist in a research laboratory for many years and used the Metric system every day. Converting to the Metric system would ultimately result in a more rational system, but we are so historically married to the English system, particularly with our infra structure, architecture, building materials and tools, that the transition would be somewhat painful. I could probably still use my table saw, provided I could get 10" blades or the equivalent; my spindle sander provided I could get sanding tubes, and my band saw if blades were available in the approximate sizes. Things like drill bits, taps and dies, dowels, wrenches and tools sized or using English calibrations would eventually require replacement; plans in Metric would require conversion, etc.

The English system has never caused a lot of problems that I'm aware of; armaments made through use of this system enabled us to win WWII and to develop Western Civilization.

 

[CobyRupert]

Why the opposition:
Here's an interesting (IMHO) Wiki article on wide variety of reasons for metric opposition:
Metrication opposition - Wikipedia

If you google "metric system communism communist plot" you get some really interesting (far out!) articles...

 

[fried1765]

Lets get down to brass tacks on subjects that MATTER MOST when it comes to metric or not...... bra cup size. Do we have to relearn womens cup sizes if we go metric? :shocked:

For that conversion.......
Using the braille method is always best!

 

[fried1765]

I can see that I am about the only one in the room with my hand raised.

I guess why I am such a big proponent of the metric system is my scientific roots.

Confusion between the metric system and English system nearly killed me and the 240 people seated behind me.

Very early, one dark and stormy morning, after flying our DC-10 (tired) across the Atlantic to Copenhagen, the flight engineer (second officer) handed us the ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) information......... with the WRONG altimeter setting shown.
He had copied the setting in inches of mercury, when it should have been in millibars (now called - Hpa - Hectopascals).
We (co-pilot and I) set our altimeters to inches of mercury, as the info sheet showed.
Co-pilot was flying (his turn), and I was watching for the runway.
We broke out of the clouds when both our altimeters read about 1100 ft.
I saw the water come into view immediately, perhaps about 300 ft. below the A/C.
We were 800 ft. too low, and several miles out from the runway ( VOR/DME)
Had the clouds been even lower, and had we continued down to the legal approach minimum altitude, we would have obviously crashed.
I immediately initiated a go-around, and while wetting our pants on the go-around, we discovered the error.

The flight engineer (we called them second officers) had heard the correct numbers, but had written them out as being inches of mercury instead of millibars (we had been on duty 15 hours, and were all very tired).
This was just one of many incidents that have occurred over the years.
NASA tracks such incidents, and I made a report upon returning to the USA
Many similar incidents have resulted in deaths.

Can you guess which side of the metric/English measurement system issue I am on?
Metric of course!
THAT is how the majority of the aviation world lives!

The then co-pilot and I are both retired.
Before he retired, he was a victim (unhurt) in an India crew hotel terrorist attack.
Twice lucky!

 

[Ford850]

Back to engineers or surveyors wanting to stick with the US foot, it's always confused me why they use 10ths and 100ths of a foot in their measurements. It seems like they must use it for more precision and easier calculations, but doesn't that admit that Metric would be the best system overall rather than adding an alternative system with tenths and hundredths? Here's a description of tapes available from a surveyor's site:
-Imperial (English) = feet and inches, usually to the 1/8th or 1/16th. Official unit of measure in the USA.
-Engineers’ (Tenths) = feet, 10ths and 100ths. Most commonly used by Engineers, in this unit of measure the foot is divided into 10’ths and 100ths.
-Metric (SI)= meters, decimeters, centimeters and millimeters. Official unit of measure in every country except Liberia, Myanmar and the USA

 

[k0ua]

Back to engineers or surveyors wanting to stick with the US foot, it's always confused me why they use 10ths and 100ths of a foot in their measurements. It seems like they must use it for more precision and easier calculations, but doesn't that admit that Metric would be the best system overall rather than adding an alternative system with tenths and hundredths? Here's a description of tapes available from a surveyor's site:
-Imperial (English) = feet and inches, usually to the 1/8th or 1/16th. Official unit of measure in the USA.
-Engineers’ (Tenths) = feet, 10ths and 100ths. Most commonly used by Engineers, in this unit of measure the foot is divided into 10’ths and 100ths.
-Metric (SI)= meters, decimeters, centimeters and millimeters. Official unit of measure in every country except Liberia, Myanmar and the USA

And Myanmar is changing soon. That is going to leave us and Liberia....SMH.

 

[k0ua]

Confusion between the metric system and English system nearly killed me and the 240 people seated behind me.

Very early, one dark and stormy morning, after flying our DC-10 (tired) across the Atlantic to Copenhagen, the flight engineer (second officer) handed us the ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) information......... with the WRONG altimeter setting shown.
He had copied the setting in inches of mercury, when it should have been in millibars (now called - Hpa - Hectopascals).
We (co-pilot and I) set our altimeters to inches of mercury, as the info sheet showed.
Co-pilot was flying (his turn), and I was watching for the runway.
We broke out of the clouds when both our altimeters read about 1100 ft.
I saw the water come into view immediately, perhaps about 300 ft. below the A/C.
We were 800 ft. too low, and several miles out from the runway ( VOR/DME)
Had the clouds been even lower, and had we continued down to the legal approach minimum altitude, we would have obviously crashed.
I immediately initiated a go-around, and while wetting our pants on the go-around, we discovered the error.

The flight engineer (we called them second officers) had heard the correct numbers, but had written them out as being inches of mercury instead of millibars (we had been on duty 15 hours, and were all very tired).
This was just one of many incidents that have occurred over the years.
NASA tracks such incidents, and I made a report upon returning to the USA
Many similar incidents have resulted in deaths.

Can you guess which side of the metric/English measurement system issue I am on?
Metric of course!
THAT is how the majority of the aviation world lives!

The co-pilot and I are both retired.
Before he retired, he was a victim (unhurt) in an India crew hotel terrorist attack.
Twice lucky!

More than one rocket and satellite payload have bought the farm for similar reasons. You were lucky.

 

[RobS]

Count me in on the metric vote!