How to measure in feet,not meters.

[Lepke]

Using 5.2.0.
Just discovered measure is giving distances in meters over 0.1 nautical mile.

I've been navigating for about 60 years and don't work in the metric system.
I own other electronic programs, but prefer OpenCPN most of the time.
Do I need to abandon Open CPN?

[nohal]

Originally Posted by Lepke

Using 5.2.0.
Just discovered measure is giving distances in meters over 0.1 nautical mile.

I've been navigating for about 60 years and don't work in the metric system.
I own other electronic programs, but prefer OpenCPN most of the time.
Do I need to abandon Open CPN?

If you consider the hardcoded unit used by the measure tool for distances under one cable a problem that makes you abandon OpenCPN, with the current version, you have to either abandon OpenCPN or learn to multiply by 3.

[CaptTom]

One trick I've found flipping back and forth between metric and US systems is to think in yards. For the rough estimates I generally make in my head while underway, a meter is close enough to a yard that I get the general idea. I've even graduated to using a rough estimate of 3.3 feet per meter when I need a bit more accuracy.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

One trick I've found flipping back and forth between metric and US systems is to think in yards. For the rough estimates I generally make in my head while underway, a meter is close enough to a yard that I get the general idea. I've even graduated to using a rough estimate of 3.3 feet per meter when I need a bit more accuracy.

Metre :[emoji5]a unit of measurement
Meter: a device for measurement.

[requiem]

theater: where people go to watch a movie.
theatre: where people go to watch a film.

Are the units really hard-coded? Agree with simply pretending the distances are in yards. That way they even come with a 10% safety buffer.

On that note, how often do people use feet for such middle distances? A value such as '750 feet' seems rather unwieldy; but the use of yards is something I can refer to the archery or rifle range.

[ThereAndBack]

Originally Posted by requiem

On that note, how often do people use feet for such middle distances? A value such as '750 feet' seems rather unwieldy; but the use of yards is something I can refer to the archery or rifle range.

I know it may sound strange to people that use metric system, but I use feet... all the way up to the 5,280 ft distance which is 1 mile. And sometimes even the 6076 in a nautical mile. When you're raised with that unit of measure and use it for so long, it is just natural to you.

I don't mind yards, and I sometimes do the mental math, but 900 ft is something my brain instantly parses and I have a good feel for the distance but 300 yds is something I need a second to compute into the foot measurement to "know".

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On an unrelated note... Since opencpn allows multiple units of measure elsewhere, is it really that hard to adapt the software to allow use of ft at lower zooms? I didn't realize this was a problem but I haven't used opencpn in a few years.

[rwidman]

I just convert one meter to three feet. It's a PITA and it's not accurate, but I'm not breaking out a calculator unless it's important.

Now if I'm watching a documentary on TV (I live in the USA) and they keep using metric measurements, knowing that their audience thinks in inches and feet (and miles), I just change the channel.

[toerail]

My old paper charts are in fathoms

[goboatingnow]

I use bushels myself.

[toerail]

and with loran C coordinates, before GPS was invented

[P_Dub]

NOHAL, why don't you add this in your next vesion, that should not be too complicated.Thanks in advance.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by toerail

My old paper charts are in fathoms

You can't beat the good old FFF system of units

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Metre :[emoji5]a unit of measurement
Meter: a device for measurement.

meter

the SI base unit of length (equivalent to approximately 39.37 inches), first introduced as a unit of length in the metric system.

[chris mac]

Easy conversion is .3m per foot. It's actually 30.48 cm, but that works out to less than an inch difference on my 4 1/2' draft.
On metric charts, it means anything deeper than 1.4m is "safe"

[StuM]

Originally Posted by thomm225

meter

the SI base unit of length (equivalent to approximately 39.37 inches), first introduced as a unit of length in the metric system.

Only if you're a 'merkin and follow the NIST page which says "The following seven SI base unit definitions are based on the BIPM SI Brochure (9th Edition)."

If, however, you go to the that quoted authority:
https://www.bipm.org/en/measurement-units/si-base-units

"Small spelling variations occur in the language of the English speaking countries (for instance, "metre" and "meter", "litre" and "liter"). In this respect, the English text presented here follows the ISO/IEC 80000 series Quantities and units."...
"The metre, symbol m, is the SI unit of length."