Metric

[BedfordRL]

Why are all the measurements in the magazine in metric?.
We don't all talk gobbledygook,we aren't all kiddies straight out of school.
I've just read the article on the Coachman Laser and it's left me baffled, surely hardly anyone knows how tall they are in metric.

 

[JTQ]

Probably because the UK went metric before the end of the last century and the government required all goods to be labelled in metric units?

 

[BedfordRL]

I, and virtually everyone I know didn't.

 

[merlin1]

Probably because the UK went metric before the end of the last century and the government required all goods to be labelled in metric units?

If that was the case why do we still measure road distance in miles?

Ian

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Bedford,

Some aspects of UK started to go metric as early as 1960, and as has already been stated Metric measurement have been the norm for the majority of items since about 1980. There are some notable exceptions such as road distance sign posts, and pint measures in pubs, but by far and away Metric is now the most prevalent measures, and on most packaging Metric is printed first and some times an imperial equivalent follows.

Even though the UK is officially metric, we have a long history of Imperial measures and there are still many pieces of engineering around that were built to Imperial standards, so we still teach some Imperial in schools.

I think its a question of usage and familiarity where some older folks like me still think in Imperial and have to convert to metric. If you are not regularly in a situation where metric is used defacto, then old habits die hard, and you have to be ready with conversion strategies.

Now I'm retired, In practice there are not that many daily situations where absolute accuracy is important and consequently some close conversion approximations are usually good enough, Cooking is a good example where 25g to the Oz is close enough, and when trying to describe distances 300mm to the foot, or 25mm to inch usually sees me through, but then if precision is needed, most steel rules have both systems, marked so its a question of reading the right scale.

How ever I think you have demonstrated enough to become a member of the Grumpy club, so welcome!

 

[JonnyG]

schooled from 1967 till 81 . all maths was metric from what i remember or at least my secondary education was which started in 1974. over 40 years ago! oh and i'm 1.81 metres tall and I've forgotten what that is in imperial roman feet .

 

[FrintonMike]

I think that wood is sold with metric is used for length and imperial for width. Why ?

 

[Raywood]

Like the Prof I grew up with imperial and convert mentally. At work I used both but I am happiest in imperial. My daughters hardly understand imperial and need everything metric.
Looking at the magazine I would prefer both shown when qupting sizes although it is very rarely critical. Probably it is bed sizes that worry people most and as we still use imperial for this it is certainly the most obvious one for both to be shown. As for weights the main concern is will the car tow it and as the cars weight is quoted in kg these are needed for the caravan and accessories rather than imperial.

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Wood is sold in metric for both directions, however the length is in multiples of 300mm (approx 1 foot) and widths are metric conversions of inches and fractions thereof.

Edit - Sheet material eg plasterboard is 4ft x metric length because older houses were built with 16 inch centres on ceiling and roof joists and new houses are 400mm centres, so the boards will fit either standard depending on which way they are attached.

 

[Dustydog]

Kilometres per litre.
kg per sqm
grams rather than ounces
Means nothing to me
Yet all my woodwork is done in metric. Why? Ever tried to measure 52 64ths?
I'm 6 foot and that and caravan length in imperial I am comfortable with.
If Brexit wins I wonder if Imperial will reappear

 

[JonnyG]

Kilometres per litre.
kg per sqm
grams rather than ounces
Means nothing to me
Yet all my woodwork is done in metric. Why? Ever tried to measure 52 64ths?
I'm 6 foot and that and caravan length in imperial I am comfortable with.
If Brexit wins I wonder if Imperial will reappear

umm doubt it you cannot do imperial stuff easily on a calculator,and old fashion teaching of arithmetic went out the windows decades back.

 

[Dustydog]

I jest. But I am a dinosaur dog

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

I jest. But I am a dinosaur dog

Good job you're a dog and not a horse else you'd be measuring in 'hands'.

 

[BedfordRL]

I'm aware that others use metric ,but I don't and see no need to use it as what I know works, and has done for a long time, for me.
I wasn't asked if I wanted to use someone else's measuring system and I don't like it when I ask why people have to be sarcastic in reply.
And thanks for the welcome to the grumpys club.
Its only recently that I find myself shouting at the radio ,raised intonation, starting a reply with "So" ,"gonnoo "and "gonna " and " Bri' un (Britain)" being the source of my ire ,and this on BBC Radio four.

 

[RayS]

I had to tangle with such conversions all my working life from watch mechanisms to coverting all BA threads in aircraft instruments to metric, imperial to metric in chemical engineering and back again when working in USA and the inevitable multicollection of Imperial, SAE and metric spanners for cars and caravans.

There have been hitorically dramatic accidents, including some in the space programme, due to failure to convert one to the other correctly.

True Imperial measurements seem increasingly rare as has been mentioned and this begs the question of what is 'true'. For example, many American measures which have imperial names are not the same unit as in UK. My American OH had great trouble with pints, fluid ounces, cupfull and other cooking measures when she came east 30 years ago and has actually switch more easily to metric.

My own preference would be to protect the traditional pint but otherwise to go metric. After all we did it for currency and have got used to it without undue trouble and even the USA will get round to it in time

 

[ProfJohnL]

....I wasn't asked if I wanted to use someone else's measuring system and I don't like it when I ask why people have to be sarcastic in reply....

So you're responsible for the introduction of all these Imperial measures inch, foot, yard, mile, furlong, chain, link, rod, pole, perch, Ramsden's chain, fathom, shackle, cable, nautical mile, foot, hand, palm, nail, finger, span, cubit, ell, bolt, cloth-yard, league, megalithic yard, line, thou, barleycorn, poppy seed to mention a few.

Is it a picture of you at the bottom of this page?

Look up
http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/units/length.htm

 

[JTQ]

I, and virtually everyone I know didn't.

Do you not respect and accept Coachmans right and indeed their obligation, to use in their brochure the national standard of the country they wish to market into?
The reality is whether it is liked by certain individuals or not that the UK officially adopted the SI system now over 16 years ago, so it is quite unrealistic now to expect companies to not be using it.

 

[BedfordRL]

Coo! , hark at you.
You don't work for the EU do you.
Orders are orders and must be obeyed!

 

[JTQ]

Coo! , hark at you.
You don't work for the EU do you.
Orders are orders and must be obeyed!

No, I am far too old to work for anyone, but despite my age I have a acumen to realise the system is what it is and to cope with the very simple conversions if needed.
It is a mindset issue, one either takes it on board or suffer the consequences.

 

[BedfordRL]

How much more ink would it take to add imperial to the metric measurements?.
The majority of the general public still measure themselves in feet and inches, weigh themselves in pounds and stone and drive in feet, yards and miles despite EU diktat.
When we buy a bed or mattress it's always in feet and inches so why is a caravan bed in gobbledygook?.
Why can't the two run alongside each other?, I've no problem with that.

 

[emmerson]

I think that wood is sold with metric is used for length and imperial for width. Why ?

I recently needed 4ft of skirting. Wood man" Sorry, we only sell it by the metre" Me,." OK, two metres please. How much?" Woodman," 42p per foot." And he didn't think it odd.

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

How much more ink would it take to add imperial to the metric measurements?.
The majority of the general public still measure themselves in feet and inches, weigh themselves in pounds and stone and drive in feet, yards and miles despite EU diktat.
When we buy a bed or mattress it's always in feet and inches so why is a caravan bed in gobbledygook?.
Why can't the two run alongside each other?, I've no problem with that.

It will all change back when we exit from the EU.

 

[BedfordRL]

I made up my mind about that one thirty years ago and no amount if doom mongering will change my mind.

 

[ProfJohnL]

....

It will all change back when we exit from the EU.

I'm not sure if your comment was tongue in cheek or not , but the fact is it won' change back to Imperial.

The move metric standards was driven by the UK's desire to be more able to trade and deal with matters on an international scale. Conformity of measurement systems was a key stone in that process. It was a world wide decision to move to the MKS (Meter Kilogram Second) units and it was renamed SI for System International.

On a world stage the Imperial system has many pitfalls. Not least of which the size of particular unit can be qute different depending on where you are. Probably the most well known variances are between the UK and USA versions. With SI the unit has the same meaning and size wherever you are.

The other benefit of SI for most scientific and engineering matters is the uniformity of the scaling factors such a micro, milli, kilo mega etc.

SI is here to stay in or out of the EU.

 

[JTQ]

....

It will all change back when we exit from the EU.

I'm not sure if your comment was tongue in cheek or not , but the fact is it won' change back to Imperial.

The move metric standards was driven by the UK's desire to be more able to trade and deal with matters on an international scale. Conformity of measurement systems was a key stone in that process. It was a world wide decision to move to the MKS (Meter Kilogram Second) units and it was renamed SI for System International.

On a world stage the Imperial system has many pitfalls. Not least of which the size of particular unit can be qute different depending on where you are. Probably the most well known variances are between the UK and USA versions. With SI the unit has the same meaning and size wherever you are.

The other benefit of SI for most scientific and engineering matters is the uniformity of the scaling factors such a micro, milli, kilo mega etc.

SI is here to stay in or out of the EU.

So true.