[GreenKeys] The Metric System (was Independence Day

Fri Jul 7 17:31:45 EDT 2017

    When I took physics back when the dinosaurs roamed, we learned about 
obscure measures such as the poundal and slug. We worked strictly in MKS 
but the old measures are found in many historical papers. There are also 
such oddities as surveyor's chains (still used I think).
    A peculiar standard, or lack of one, is orchestral pitch AKA Concert 
Pitch. This is now nominally 440Hz for A over middle C but the frequency 
has changed significantly over the last couple of centuries, maybe as 
much as 2:1. There is an article at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concert_pitch
    At least into the last century European orchestras used a different 
pitch than American ones.  This can lead to difficulties for those who 
are restoring very old recordings in attempting to find the correct 
playback speed. Unless you know for certain the tuning pitch you can't 
really determine what the speed of the recorder was. Nor is tempo of 
much help because it is a matter of the judgement of the performer or 
conductor (in the case of an orchestra). I found this in comparing two 
recordings of "Rhapsody in Blue". One was a modern recording of a 
"Forsetzer" (sp?) piano roll punched by George Gershwin, this is a 
machine that records the touch and rhythm of the pianist quite 
accurately and the other was the famous recording by Paul Whiteman's 
orchestra with Gershwin on the piano. When I played the recording of the 
piano roll I thought the tempos were wrong, in particular a part where I 
thought it was too fast. Come to find on the ancient 78 disc the tempo 
was identical!  It was evidently the way Gershwin wanted it.

On 7/5/2017 9:51 AM, Dave Wade wrote:
> David,
> 
> Well a US “pint” of water is around a pound of water, but the others 
> have no correlation…
> 
> .. of course a UK Pint @ 20 fl oz isn’t, but it seems a more convenient 
> measure than a US pint, which is perhaps you use the “quart” more often 
> than in the UK where its really arcane.
> 
> Dave
> 
> G4UGM
> 
> *From:*greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
> [mailto:greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net] *On Behalf Of *david freeman
> *Sent:* 05 July 2017 13:30
> *Cc:* greenkeys at mailman.qth.net
> *Subject:* Re: [GreenKeys] The Metric System (was Independence Day
> 
> At my workplace we build custom automation equipment.
> 
> It is impossible to find all the components we need with Imperial threads.
> 
> Our machines are at best a mix heavier in one standard or the other.
> 
> Believe it or not, we can get closer to an all metric machine than we 
> can imperial.
> 
> One fascinating thing about the metric system is 1kg weight of water is 
> 1 liter in volume that is also 1000cc in size.
> 
> Quarts and pounds and inches have no correlation.
> 
> My major complaint about the metric system is thread pitch variety, we 
> use 3 thread sizes for M12.
> 
> We don't even have imperial fine threads in our design library.
> 
> For our equipment, imperial fine threads are a nuisance.
> 
> Teletypes on the other hand, seem to love fine threaded fasteners, even 
> extra-fine thread.
> 
> (Had to get some reference to greenkeys in here)
> 
> *Sent:* Tuesday, July 04, 2017 at 12:50 PM
> *From:* "info at drukknop.nl <mailto:info at drukknop.nl>" <info at drukknop.nl 
> <mailto:info at drukknop.nl>>
> *To:* greenkeys at mailman.qth.net <mailto:greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
> *Subject:* Re: [GreenKeys] The Metric System (was Independence Day
> 
> No problems here with metric here. its the strange inch type
> (erratically called imperial) that i find confusing. no idea how to read
> my calipers in inch scale. threads are too coarse, head too big and then
> 15/32? c'mon, you can't be serious.
> 
> And imagine that you didn't used decimal system in currency. the British
> were one of the last to change to decimal counting in that.
> 
> ;)
> 
> (not to mention factories inventing their own threads and sizes for
> protection reasons...
> 
> simon)
> 
> On 04-07-17 07:12, WA5CAB--- via GreenKeys wrote:
>> It was probably invented by French and/or Germans but as far as
>> perfecting it, unh unh! Just take the ISO Metric threaded fastener
>> system. Worst real-world threaded fastener system ever devised. Thread
>> pitch is too fine. Hex nuts and hex cap screw heads are too small. Screw
>> heads are too small. Screw slots are too narrow. The system is only
>> usable in (a) a Clean Room or (b) a "total consumer" economy where when
>> something stops working instead of fixing it, it goes to a land fill and
>> a new one (that usually doesn't work as well as the old one) has to be
>> bought.
>>
>> Inconveniently sized basic units is another built-in bad feature. In
>> many cases, you have to use a million of them or a millionth of one of
>> them to get to the "real world".
>>
>> Robert Downs - Houston
>> wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
>> MVPA 9480
>>
>> In a message dated 07/03/2017 23:32:31 PM Central Daylight Time,
>> hwhall at compuserve.com <mailto:hwhall at compuserve.com> writes:
>>> You know that those weird measures came to us via England, before she
>>> swooned over a measurement system invented &perfected by French
>>> &Germans, right? :-D
>>>
>>>
>>> Wayne
>>> WB4OGM
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
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> 
> --
> Met vriendelijke Groet,
> 
> Simon Claessen
> drukknop.nl
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-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL