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Fred Hebard wrote:
> If the meter had been a bit more accurate and if decimal angular  
> measures directly related to the meter had been accepted, the metric  
> system would have been better for land mensuration (surveying).  It's  
> very convenient that the nautical mile is close to one minute of arc  
> (11 parts in a thousand).
>   
The error in the meter was only 0.0002m. But even it it was 'correct', 
it would only have been correct for the meridian they used to determine 
it. The measurements are based on the geoid, not on an ellipsoid, so as 
soon as you repeat the same measurements on a different meridian you 
will get another meter (even better: if they would have been able to 
follow the meridian all around the world, the meter would have been 
different again).

The decimal angular measures are accepted at least in The Netherlands. 
Most Dutch surveyors (both hydrographic as land surveyors) use the 
400gon (or grad if you like) system. The Wild T2 and the Observator 
geodetic sextant on my web-site are just two good examples of this.

Nicol�s
www.dehilster.info



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