[Elecraft] Units

[Dave Yarnes]

I think I agree with Don too, but I also learned something.  I had never 
thought about the fact that "kc" needed to have a lower case "k".  I'm one 
of those old guys who still has trouble speaking in "herz" vs. "cps" unless 
I really stop to think about it.  I think I have plenty of company though!

The big "M" vs. small "m" is something I'm very aware of usually, but I'm 
not sure what a big "K" indicates vs. a small "k".  I've always just 
considered either to mean "kilo".

Interestingly, back when I went to work for the bank I retired from (I went 
there from the public accounting field), I was somewhat dismayed to discover 
that people were consistently abbreviating "thousands" by using a large "M". 
If they wanted to say "millions", they were using the expression "MM".  Now 
I know that the financial industry does use the abbreviation "K"  (or 
"k")for "thousands", and you see it all the time in reference to bond 
issues, etc.  So I put out a memo criticizing the use of "M" for 
"thousands", and got a whole bunch of flak back about it.  I simply expanded 
my explanation in a follow-up memo, pointing out the basis for using such 
abbreviations--K=kilo, M=mega, and m=milli.  I said if anyone could provide 
published authority for using "M" for "thousand", I would concede.  No one 
responded, and many, but not all, dropped the practice.  I may have erred, 
based on Don's memo, by using a large "K" for kilo however.  But it's too 
late now--I'm retired!!!!   But I still have no idea how they ever got 
started using "M" that way.  It sure didn't make any sense to me.

Dave W7AQK


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom" <n5ge at n5ge.com>
To: "Elecraft Reflector" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, December 08, 2008 7:49 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Units


On Mon, 08 Dec 2008 07:58:53 -0500, you wrote:

>Wait just a minute.  Those old units should be "kc" and "Mc" to be correct.
>The proper units multiplier designations and their abbreviations are:
>kilo = k = 1000
>Mega = M = 1,000,000
>milli = m = .001
>
>That is why the capitalization/non-capitalization of "M/m" is so important.
>
>73,
>Don W3FPR
[snip]

I agree 100% Don.  Thanks for pointing that out.

Tom, N5GE

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