Why are 12v. Sockets different sizes/

[rbrand]

The 12 v. accessory socket on the Antenna amp. switch will only take some plugs. A lot of things will not fit. While the ones on the dash and in the coach take all. I suspect there is a good reason.
Can anyone enlighten me?

Thanks

Ross

[rbrand]

While this did get off topic. My question was well answered by Mike-s

Thanks

[Bobbo]

wa8yxm wrote:
We also crashed a mars lander because someone did not understand the difference between Metric and US-Only standards.. I assume he programmed inches. when mM was specified but that is a guess.

Los Angeles Times Oct 1, 1999 wrote:
NASA lost its $125-million Mars Climate Orbiter because spacecraft engineers failed to convert from English to metric measurements when exchanging vital data before the craft was launched, space agency officials said Thursday.

A navigation team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory used the metric system of millimeters and meters in its calculations, while Lockheed Martin Astronautics in Denver, which designed and built the spacecraft, provided crucial acceleration data in the English system of inches, feet and pounds.

As a result, JPL engineers mistook acceleration readings measured in English units of pound-seconds for a metric measure of force called newton-seconds.

[wa8yxm]

IN all the world there is one country where sizes are expressed in INCHES (Feet, Yards, Rods, Furlongs, Miles and so on)

IN the rest of the world it is mM, cM, M, CM, KM and so on (I'm hitting highlights only)

THe conversion from US to Metric means you often get two sizes. Winegard is likely using the old US inch specification from way back when. Most industry today including he who made the dash socket use the World Wide Metric specification even if it is converted to Inch.

Believe it or not this is also a very tiny political issue.. It is tiny because most companies have modified to Metric standards but 50 years ago the company my Mother worked for made, among other things. Glass Basketball Backboards.. had 'em in my High School in fact.. They could not sell to the Olympics or to any gym outside the USA till they modified their size just a bit so it was cross compatible between US and European standards. That opened a whole new market for their very high quality products.

We also crashed a mars lander because someone did not understand the difference between Metric and US-Only standards.. I assume he programmed inches. when mM was specified but that is a guess. Most science uses Metric.

People say "I can never understand metric"

Two questions..or sets of questions.

1: You are going down the road when you see a flash of light (Blue) in your rear view. there he is . Officer Smiley pointing you to the curb. YOu glance at the speed limit sign (40) and at your speedometer (60). Oh boy a Tricket.
MPH or KPH? That is the question (Note 40 KPH is 25MPH if you do the math so I picked a speed limit common both in the US and Canada).

Pool of questions 2
How many pennies in a dime
How many dimes in a Dollar
How many Dollars in a 10 Spot (10 dollar bill)
How many 10's in a C-Note (Hundred dollar bill)
How many C-notes in a Grand (Thousand dollars)


You use the metric system every day. but you do not understand it

[KD4UPL]

Optimistic Paranoid wrote:

gbopp wrote:
36 volts seemed odd to me, 48 made more sense.

Given the fact that a 36 volt system would require three 12 volt batteries in series and a 48 volt system would require FOUR, what makes you say the 48 makes more sense?

Because 48 volts is a standard voltage for off grid battery systems. There are lots of inverters, lights, voltage converters, etc. already designed for 48 volts.

OP, sorry the tread veered off course. I too have noticed that the socket on the antenna plate is slightly smaller than the normal ones on the dash. I tried to "google" it and find out why but could never get a definitive answer.

[Optimistic_Para]

gbopp wrote:
36 volts seemed odd to me, 48 made more sense.

Given the fact that a 36 volt system would require three 12 volt batteries in series and a 48 volt system would require FOUR, what makes you say the 48 makes more sense?

[Lwiddis]

No voltage changes are being discussed publicly at least by manufacturers.

[mike-s]

There are two different sizes.

[gbopp]

CA Traveler wrote:
Every wonder how much longer we'll continue to have 12V cars? They seem long over due for 24V or 48V not to mention electric cars.

Several years ago I read an article that said new cars would soon have 36 volt systems because of all the electronics.
I'm surprised they have not made the change. 36 volts seemed odd to me, 48 made more sense.
Yes, they're long overdue.

[beemerphile1]

I've always considered it is a tight fit so the plug doesn't vibrate/bounce loose causing unnecessary service calls. Any typical 12vdc plug should fit although very tight.

[CA_Traveler]

Devices need less power, smaller size plugs, etc. Plus the trend towards lower voltage.

Every wonder how much longer we'll continue to have 12V cars? They seem long over due for 24V or 48V not to mention electric cars.

[shastagary]

manual says 7.5 amp max from that wall plate usually higher current devices have heavy duty plugs that will not fit manual