My post was not intended as a personal dig. I responded to the ammeter discussion after
seeing it for the second time, posted as a “tip of the day.” That’s different than
appearing as a response in a discussion forum. I believe that such comments, when
posted in that way, carry a certain air of credibility - especially to people that are new to
old tractors and all that goes with it. This website has a mixed audience that runs the
spectrum of background and experience from professional level down to none at all. Somebody with no experience, looking for knowledge, might be misled by discrete
comments such as those relating to ammeters and ampere (amperage) gauges. When I worked as a union electrician in the 1960s, virtually everyone I worked with
called their volt-ohm-ampmeter a “Wiggins.” It’s likely that few today ever heard that
name used for a test instrument. In regard to your comments about firearms and terminology, there are some terms more
universal than others. If I said a hunter was carrying a gun, you’d probably picture a guy
(or girl, perhaps) with a firearm. But . . . , if I walked up to an oil-furnace repairman, and
asked him about guns, he might be thinking about furnace nozzles? Now, if I say the
word “revolver”, it’s probably specific enough for any audience (except, perhaps a
Beatles album collector). With this antique tractor website, there are participants from various parts for the
country as well as the world. To compound the issue, some of us use old reference
materials, i.e. and e.g. original owner’s or repair manuals, and various reference books
that might date back to the late 1800s. Combining data taken from these various
geographical regions as well as different time periods can get problematic when it comes
to terminology. Back to the ammeters and amperage gauges. Type in “amperage gauge”
into an Internet search engine, and you’ll get many entries showing an “amperage gauge”
to be what was described as an “ammeter” on this tractor site. One site, at
Link
having ammeter an American term for the British “amperage gauge.” Kind of like boot,
bonnet, hood and trunk. Several military vehicle sites mention amperage gauges as
“ammeters”, such as in the following citation taken from a forum:“I have picked up a NOS WWII amperage gauge. It is exactly like the WWII Jeep and Dodge ones I have seen, but the amperage range is only -20 to +20 amps. Can somebody tell me what this goes to? Thanks, . . . “ I’m getting too long winded for this forum entry and perhaps I’m not explaining myself
well. Again, no personal slight was intended, but I think those that post “tips” on the
homepage should be more careful. I’d post a smiley face here to show my intentions, but
I refuse to use the things. John de Marrais
|
