I have been using the simplest of methodologies to convert precisely meters
to feet and inches, with nothing more than a simple pocket calculator. No
spread sheet or computer program is necessary.
The metric conversion of 0.3048 to feet is precise; it is not a rounded
estimate. Enter meters in the calculator. Divide by 0.3048. This gives
feet and tenths of a foot, which, of course, is a problem! So, remembering
how many feet you had, now subtract that number from the array, leaving just
the decimal portion of feet. Multiply by 12. What you are now reading is
inches and fractions of an inch, after the decimal point.
Now, how international rules round those fractions up or down is another
matter! You'll have to deal with that as best you can.
For example, my daughter's best high school triple jump was 12.77 meters.
12.77/.3048 = 41.896325. So, I know it's 41-something. Subtract the 41,
leaving the decimal. Multiply 0.896325 by 12, giving 10.7559. I make that
10 3/4 inches. So, the jump is 41-10.75. I have done this procedure so many
times that it takes me literally just a couple of seconds, from start to
finish.
Don Schlesinger
