Thanks Stew for your valient attempt to clarify the meaning of Quality in
the electrical measuring instrument field in terms of the motor industry.
Unfortunately the motor industry, as is everything else, is now in the hands
of the International Corporations and is all mixed up.

We are left only with the remains of the confusion with the quality
description "Rolls Royce" which all nationalities understand. It remains
for the same reason that the English language remains. Rolls Royce appeared
at the end of the British era of engineering supremacy which began with the
Bimingham Wire Gauge around the time of the French revolution and continued
through the beautiful Boulton and Watt reciprocating, condensing steam
engines which ruled the Earth for 80 years, as did Britannia's
well-engineered battleships and 16-inch, 18-inch guns.

Our German friends took over at the battle of Jutland and the Bismark
incident. But the optical qualities of Zeiss rangefinders probably had
something to do with it.

But to avoid an international incident, it should be stated the ordinary
engineering educated Englishman quite understands the meaning of "Cadillac"
although he may not have the foggiest idea of where the name came from. Was
it named after a red-indian tribe such as Cincinatti or Detroit?

By the way, I sometimes think that mention or reference to a particular
measuring instrument or the name of a prominent author implies a lack of
self-confidence and conviction in what one is stating.

As for me, I rarely make such mentions if only to avoid the danger of
mis-quoting. The responsibity is then entirely mine.

Although I may jokingly profess ignorance of American electrical measuring
instruments, for several years I was the Government-approved Head of
Laboratory of a measurement standards laboratory of second echelon to the
British National Physical Laboratory. I was familiar with the excellent
qualities of HP, GR, Fluke and similar instruments. I played an original
part in the conversion of the assessment of National worst-case measurement
uncertainties to statistical uncertainty assssment. But I don't brag about
it.
----
Reg, G4FGQ

======================================

Thanks for the compliment, Reg, that you prefer to take my word for it.
However,
|the reason we include the manufacturer is not as a gratuitutous advert,
but to
|distinguish between the Cadillacs (Hewlett-Packard and General Radio,
among a
|few others) and the non-descripts. The Cadillacs are professional,
precision
|instruments, which, when used by knowledgeable people, provide data that
can be
|relied upon.
|
|Without knowledge of the quality of the measuring device the reader is
|justifiably suspicious of the data.

Careful Walt. Reg is an Englishman, he doesn't know what at Cadillac
is, other than an American automobile, which makes it suspect.

You should use Jaguar for comparison. Uh oh, better not, that is an
American company (Ford).

Alright, how about Aston Martin. Darn, another Ford.

I've got it; Rolls-Royce! Nope, that's a German car (BMW).

Okay maybe a Bentley. Nooo. That's a Volkswagon.

Surely a Land Rover. Not again! Another Ford.

You're right. HP and GR were the Cadillacs of the industry. [g]