UK / USA Tool Terminology Translator

The original idea was based on powers on 1 million: 1 billion=1M^2, 1 trillion=1M^3, and so on.

The americans simply multiply by a thousand every time, so a billion is as above, a trillion is a thousand billion, and so on. I have no idea why this is done; it is not mathematically logical.

For some reason, never explained, the UK started using the US system in the seventies.

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rgds
LAurence

...RAM DISC is not an installation procedure

OK, what about breadboards. Back when regular people did home built projects they would use a breadboard for prototyping. Holes at .100" with busses going in one direction in the middle and perpendicular at the sides.

Then there's it's predecessor, the "Fastentock" clip I believe it was called.

What about jury rigged ? It used to be N-word rigged in the old days ?

Although I don't want to ressurrect it, there was one heck of a thread about why 60Hz power vs 50Hz. I don't see how blokes could stand flourescent or sodium lighting. I can barely stand 60Hz refresh on my monitor.

Then there's the 24FPS rate of film, at least here. I read somewhere that modern 70mm etc real film projectors were redesigned to show each frame twice and/or leave it showing for as long as possible and get the next frame as quickly as possible. This was all to reduce the flicker.

JURB

This is down to the persistence of the phosphors. Modern fluorescent tubes with tri-phosphor coatings are so much better. As on course are high frequency ballasts.

--
*Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental 

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

I think of the old IBM Token Ring Connector.

Surprisingly I only had one experience with Token Ring. What a pain.

The most common I can think of is the North American small trailer light plug. The car side has three females and a male.

._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

It's what a person gets used to also. Strangely, HF electronic ballasts are rare in most places that have 50Hz because they also use 240v so the standard ballast is a simple choke.

Some of us go back far enough that perf board had the .166(?) inch diagonal pattern. And flea clips. Before that, it was a hunk of sheet metal, a Greenlee punch, and terminal strips and sockets you scrapped out of old TV sets.

Fahnstock, or something close to that.

Mark Zenier snipped-for-privacy@eskimo.com Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)

I've got them in my kitchen to drive full width tube worktop lighting. Had them for many years. Far less heat to the cupboards above and dimmable, too. Tubes have an amazing life, near instant start and no flicker. Highly recommended.

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*When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane *

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Also you have to consider,that the light of these tubes flickers at 120(100) hz,and that is better then your monitor at 60.

latest version will be on in week or so

Allen Key : hex key , hex wrench, Allen wrench answerphone : answering machine anti-clockwise : counter-clockwise Araldite (epoxy glue) : J B Weld Avo (meter, short for Avocet ) [old analogue multimeter ] : VTVM (vacuum tube voltmeter; usually line-powered) or a VOM (volt-ohmmeter; usually battery-powered) Bakelite : Catlin banana plugs : wander plugs billion (before year 1974 ) : million million (the) box, telly : television (set) Bulgin connectors : ? earth [voltage reference] : ground elastic band, rubber band : flex enameled copper wire : magnet wire engineer's persuader for percussive maintenance : knockometer flex : electric cord Gilbows : tinsnips Harwin/Molex connectors : Amp/Tyco Hellerman pliers ,(triple prong sleeving expanders) : ? high tension (HT) : high voltage (hv) imperial (measurements ) : inches,feet,yards,miles jack : plug (male part of a connection) LOPT , Line Output Transformer (pronounced Lop-tee) : IHVT (Flyback Transformer) , IFBT = Integrated FlyBack Transformer mains (power) [electricity supply company power feed ] : line (power) maths (mathematics ) : math metric (measurements, mm ,cm, metres,km) : European mobile (phone) : cellphone, wireless, cellular phone Mole grips : lock jaw pliers, vice grips Paxolin : Lucite ? Perspex : Plexiglas pilewound (as in a coil) : scatterwound plug in power supply : wall wart, ac adapter plugs and sockets (male and female designated by forms of outer housing ) : plugs and sockets (male and female designated by forms inner electrical connections ) power point : electric socket phono connectors : RCA connectors (archaic) QM connectors : ? reaction : regeneration rubber (hard formulation) : Ebonite spanner : wrench scope (oscilloscope) : o'scope, oscope screening : shielding socket : jack (except for mains wall outlets) Stanley knife : box cutter , utility knife Stilsons : pipewrench thou (thousandth of an inch ): mil (measurement) trillion (before 1974 ? ) : million million million valve : tube Vero board ,copper strip matrix board : Vector board video : vcr (machine) white goods : appliances wireless : radio

-- Diverse Devices, Southampton, England electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on

Been there. :)

Been there too. :) :) Still have a collection!

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You have one mistake

elastic band, bungee cord : flex elastic band, rubber band : flex

Someone said an american might assume that flex ment bungie cord or maybe rubber band.. Flex is not a standard term here for bungie cord or a rubber band. We call bungie cords bungie cords and rubber bands rubber bands.

and banna connectors are called banna connectors here.

flex : electric cord, extension cord

Paxolin : Lexan? Lexan is bulletproof if thick enough. It will not crack and break eaisly. The chemical name is polycarbonate

valve : tube Question on this one... Valves here are what you turn water on and off with.. A pipe could be called a tube but not usually only if it was small like a drinking straw.

Harwin/Molex connectors : Amp/Tyco Typically called molex connectors in my experience. Can't say I've heard them called Amp or Tyco connectors.

- Mike

is

so another pair Q-Max cutter = Greenlee punch

Actually, I said "elastic" band. And I've definitely heard people here in Texas refer to an elastic band as "flex cord". Oddly enough, we do call a "rubber" band a rubber band. I presume the distinction is so people won't mistake garment or upholstery elastic for the multi-purpose rubber bands. People here also have called a bungee cord a "flex cord" or "flex strap". No, they aren't industry-standard terms, but I assumed he wanted optional "street" translations, too. Maybe not..

Must be a Texas thing. Been buying both Molex and Amp ends for many years. Never seen a Molex that matches his Harwin specs. Molex uses different type crimp receptacles -- even the non-U-spring square ones are slightly different. The Amp ones in that Tyco link I posted look just like those in his Harwin pic; same pin spacing, too. Well, at least they are the same in all the Texas parts houses I frequent -- that includes consumer, commercial and industrial suppliers. When I go in and ask for a Molex, they _never_ come back with a Harwin type connector as per his pic. We don't call them Tyco connectors here, either. I included Tyco to indicate who now owns the Amp line. Sorry for the confusion.

Actually, I said "elastic" band. And I've definitely heard people here in

huh.. I've never heard that one, but I live in Florida. Guess that could be why.

I think we need to make a Regional translation manual for the USA. : )

by the way I have heard of amp connectors, but I don't think molex when someone says amp. I didn't see the pictures of the connector he listed.

Paxolin is a hard board made from compressed brown paper and resin ie circuit board not of the glass fibre variety.

Ron(UK)

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In the USA, these boards are known generically as "paper phenolic". There are a number of manufacturers and there's not just one brand name that we would refer to, at least not in my experience.

There are so many brand/trade names. One of the most widely recognized here is Scotch-Weld (by 3M). Devcon has a large variety of well-known trademarks:

best known as Bakelite here...

never heard of wander plugs.. we always call 'em banana plugs

Buccaneer?

I don't think so: Paxolin is a brittle opaque brown/yellow substance used for some circuit boards (the brown ones that burn easily when blowtorched, not fibreglass ones). It's also used as insulating blocks etc. It's looks nothing like polycarbonate.

On the "copper matrix board" entry, in the UK we also refer to them as

Veroboard: around 34-39 continuous strips of copper, 0.1" punched holes VQ Board: similar, but broken into lengths of 5 holes to simulate a prototyping board layout (ones you use no solder with). Tripad: similar, but broken into 3's, allows for denser packing.

There's also one that has horizontal copper strips one side, vertical the other, and pins can be inserted through to join the layers. Can't think of the name of that one :)

For SOLDERLESS breadboards, we also use "Euroboard" "Verobloc", which are brand names, but can be used generically. Parts are just pushed into hidden spring loaded contacts, arranged in groups of 5 (usually) again at 0.1" pitch.

Mike.

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Mike Brown: mjb[at]pootle.demon.co.uk | http://www.pootle.demon.co.uk/