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why is the US not Metric

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forrestc:

--- Quote from: bsfeechannel on February 27, 2020, 04:49:42 am ---To prove that maintaining the imperial system costs more than the change to metric, I told that I had to pay 10 times more (F.O.B.) for an imperial oilite bronze bushing, that is only sold in the US, compared to a metric equivalent that I could buy anywhere in the world.

I was invited, in the reply, not to set foot in the US or never buy products there again. I said that I was happy with the purchase, even having payed more, but noticed the fact. Just that. No one apologized.

--- End quote ---

I could make the same statement about the metric parts that we can't get in the US.   And the attitude you have about the SAE parts is pretty much the same as the average person has in the US about metric parts.

But, there's a big difference.   For common things, I can get both types of parts for pretty close to the same price:

See https://www.mcmaster.com/standard-sleeve-bearings/oil-embedded-sleeve-bearings-7/

There are *big* avantages of not obsoleting the old systems/parts.   If you don't obsolete the old systems, then you maintain a manufacturing base so both SAE and metric parts are widely available and inexpensive.    If instead you abolish the older units system then you find that the parts for the old systems are more and more expensive, as you've found.   

These are some of the costs we keep trying to tell you exist and which you just discard as not relevant in your pursuit of convincing everyone that having two systems are stupid.   The counter point to this is that the cost of sunsetting an old system often exceeds the benefits of eliminating it, but it seems that you are unable to understand the basic economics at play here. 

DBecker:

--- Quote from: bsfeechannel on February 27, 2020, 04:49:42 am ---
To prove that maintaining the imperial system costs more than the change to metric, I told that I had to pay 10 times more (F.O.B.) for an imperial oilite bronze bushing, that is only sold in the US, compared to a metric equivalent that I could buy anywhere in the world.


--- End quote ---

I have just been buying individual replacement bearings.  Price is little indication of anything.  Many supplier seem to charge based on how badly you are likely to need the part.

I can pay $5 and receive a major brand name SA205 series bearing, or spend $90 and get a generic Chinese bearing.

SA205 bearings are on point, since they are one of the most common medium bearing types.  They have a 52mm (2.05") spherical outer race and typical bore of 3/4", 1" or 25mm.  You can find suppliers that charge the same for metric and imperial, and suppliers that charge vastly more for the "other" units.

DBecker:

--- Quote from: petert on February 27, 2020, 01:51:25 am ---
--- Quote from: DBecker on February 25, 2020, 04:11:29 pm ---The 8 inch and 5.25 inch floppy were developed in the U.S.  The development happened in Silicon Valley starting in 1967, so every dimension would have been imperial.

--- End quote ---
I am aware of the origin of the 3.5 inch floppy disk.

For the others I just took the German Wikipedia as reference, which claims the 8 inch floppy is really 200mm (instead of 203.2 mm) and likewise for other sizes. A quick search didn't result in any definite references, but there is no reason that the USA as origin would force it to be in inches, besides for marketing.

--- End quote ---

You might have a question if the maximum thickness is 1.6mm or 1/16 inch, as well as the tolerance on other dimensions.  But the parameter that makes the design units clear is that 8 inch and 5-1/4 inch floppies specify 48 and 96 tracks per inch, which is from a 12 or 24 TPI drive screw on the stepper motor.

I still have a few 8 inch floppies, but no longer have a drive that can read them.

Back when there were still used equipment stores here in Silicon Valley (sadly the last two, Halted Surplus and Weird Stuff, recently closed) you could find historically important production equipment.  The oldest stuff was invariably in imperial units, with a gradual shift to metric.  I'm not running a museum so I never bought that equipment, but in a few decades people will realize  how much history was discarded.

angrybird:

--- Quote from: bsfeechannel on February 27, 2020, 03:29:15 am ---
--- Quote from: angrybird on February 27, 2020, 01:28:45 am ---You don't get it.

As a population, the USA doesn't care about justification or lack thereof.

It is what it is.  You aren't going to change it no matter how much and how long you argue.  This is why I referred to your arguine as "urine into the wind:  :-DD

Go drink a beer!

--- End quote ---

Change what? We are not here to change anything. We are here to investigate why the US is not metric. While I drink beer, go read the posts in the thread that you said you didn't, so you don't repeat the same nonsense arguments your brothers in arms made and that we properly debunked.

And since you mentioned urine, in fact they are really pissed that their bullshit was not accepted.

--- End quote ---

I.... They...... Brothers....... What???

Are you a script?

KL27x:

--- Quote ---(by bsfeechannel) If they had nothing to gain with the change, why did your country invest so much in the improvement of the metric system? For the common citizens of the other countries that use metric on a daily basis to profit?

It seems like a stupid move, to use taxpayer's money for the benefit the rest of the world, especially Europe, that you despise so much, and keep the taxpayers themselves out of it.
--- End quote ---

US invested in metric and improving metric for the US. To make sure that it doesn't drift once we have pegged the inch and the pound to metric. It was for OUR benefit we did this. So we can continue being spot on with either system, interchangeably.

It would have been a disaster if we got together with UK to square up our imperial measures, truncating them to match with metric, having to deal with a "surveyor foot" as a result... and then Paris says, whoops, we have to make an adjustment. Looks like our prototypes are still fine. But somehow Germany, Japan, and China have gotten the message crossed and use a slightly different size. And since Germany, Japan, and China are who make all our stuff, it's easier to just change to what they use.

Out imperial measures are defined by metric. We improved metric to improve measurement. In any system. We chose metric because out of courtesty, we do that. We're fine to just peg our USC to what everyone else uses. If we were here trying to improve our ability to measure things consistenty and we insisted on using inches and pounds, that would be being a dick.

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