Smartmeter: Anyone knows how to get detailed info on them?
in [Design]
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From: Joerg on 27 Apr 2010 15:51 Jan Panteltje wrote: > On a sunny day (Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:52:27 -0700) it happened Joerg > <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> wrote in <83oq3hFikU1(a)mid.individual.net>: > >> Hello, >> >> Many of you will soon be in the same boat. Our utility has informed us >> that we and the whole town will get the dreaded smartmeters. Whether we >> want that or not. Obviously they have serious issues and as usual the >> utility is stone-walling: >> >> http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14963541 >> >> Having seen all the grief caused by, ahem, sub-optimal electronics >> design in cars I am not all that surprised. Does anyone know where to >> find some serious data on this problem? Or maybe even schematics & board >> layouts of those things? >> >> BTW, we used to have a meter with LCD readout and all until years ago. >> It eventually failed, maybe because it gets hit by the full morning sun. >> The utility replaced it with, tada, a classic mechanical meter. Probably >> because those simply work ... > > If you dig in www.heise.de, some time ago there was a link to a hack for those meters. Yours look very different from ours: http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Energie-sparen-mit-dem-Stromzaehler-202105.html This is how ours look like: http://venturebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/SmartMeter.jpg > Else google: toorcon11-wright.pdf > As a starting ppoint. When I do that it looks like hacker links. > WHY DO YOU WANT TO HACK IT? > Where did I say that I want to hack it? I don't. I just want to know what's in there. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Jim Thompson on 27 Apr 2010 15:51 On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:37:52 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: >Jim Thompson wrote: >> On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:52:27 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> >> wrote: >> >>> Hello, >>> >>> Many of you will soon be in the same boat. Our utility has informed us >>> that we and the whole town will get the dreaded smartmeters. Whether we >>> want that or not. Obviously they have serious issues and as usual the >>> utility is stone-walling: >>> >>> http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14963541 >>> >>> Having seen all the grief caused by, ahem, sub-optimal electronics >>> design in cars I am not all that surprised. Does anyone know where to >>> find some serious data on this problem? Or maybe even schematics & board >>> layouts of those things? >>> >>> BTW, we used to have a meter with LCD readout and all until years ago. >>> It eventually failed, maybe because it gets hit by the full morning sun. >>> The utility replaced it with, tada, a classic mechanical meter. Probably >>> because those simply work ... >> >> Relax, Joerg, Your cost of electricity WILL go up, WITHOUT a rate >> increase. >> >> You can't fight it, just bend over and brace yourself, and hope that >> will make it less painful :-) >> > >But I don't want it to explode by 1000% just because some design >engineer screwed up. Well, I guess if it does it'll be time to get >enough others together and call Erin Brokovich :-) I don't know if you are aware, but she's still around... http://www.brockovich.com/ I had a loony guy come around a few years ago with a truly screwy patent, claiming infringement, and asking my assistance... on contingency no less. I declined. A year or so later, a law firm called me, said Erin was involved, and did I want to join in... I declined again. I've heard nothing more... maybe it was about smart meters :-) ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, CTO | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | The only thing bipartisan in this country is hypocrisy
From: Jim Thompson on 27 Apr 2010 15:52 On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:47:24 -0700, "Paul Hovnanian P.E." <Paul(a)Hovnanian.com> wrote: >Joerg wrote: >> >> Hello, >> >> Many of you will soon be in the same boat. Our utility has informed us >> that we and the whole town will get the dreaded smartmeters. Whether we >> want that or not. Obviously they have serious issues and as usual the >> utility is stone-walling: >> >> http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14963541 >> >> Having seen all the grief caused by, ahem, sub-optimal electronics >> design in cars I am not all that surprised. Does anyone know where to >> find some serious data on this problem? Or maybe even schematics & board >> layouts of those things? > >Find out which makes and models they're using and post that info here >and maybe on alt.engineering.electrical (and maybe >misc.industry.utilities.electric if that group hasn't died of neglect >yet). > >> BTW, we used to have a meter with LCD readout and all until years ago. >> It eventually failed, maybe because it gets hit by the full morning sun. >> The utility replaced it with, tada, a classic mechanical meter. Probably >> because those simply work ... > >You might have a hybrid meter there. That would be a classic >electromechanical device with dial readouts and all, but also a pulse >counter/processor/communications module. This counts and stores the >metering disk revolutions and periodically is interrogated by a wireless >network*. I've got one (and a similar gas meter). If the remote reading >stuff goes TU, they can send a meter reader out to check the mechanical >dials. > >*In some cases (rural areas), the utility doesn't bother with installing >a wireless network. They just send someone out with a van equipped with >the r.f. reading equipment once a month. It pulls the data as it drives >by, saving the meter reader from having to get out of the vehicle and >get chased by dogs. That's the way our water meters are read. ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, CTO | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | The only thing bipartisan in this country is hypocrisy
From: Joerg on 27 Apr 2010 15:58 Paul Hovnanian P.E. wrote: > Joerg wrote: >> Hello, >> >> Many of you will soon be in the same boat. Our utility has informed us >> that we and the whole town will get the dreaded smartmeters. Whether we >> want that or not. Obviously they have serious issues and as usual the >> utility is stone-walling: >> >> http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14963541 >> >> Having seen all the grief caused by, ahem, sub-optimal electronics >> design in cars I am not all that surprised. Does anyone know where to >> find some serious data on this problem? Or maybe even schematics & board >> layouts of those things? > > Find out which makes and models they're using and post that info here > and maybe on alt.engineering.electrical (and maybe > misc.industry.utilities.electric if that group hasn't died of neglect > yet). > I'll have to wait until they reach our house. Others have them already and they look similar to this one: http://venturebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/SmartMeter.jpg >> BTW, we used to have a meter with LCD readout and all until years ago. >> It eventually failed, maybe because it gets hit by the full morning sun. >> The utility replaced it with, tada, a classic mechanical meter. Probably >> because those simply work ... > > You might have a hybrid meter there. That would be a classic > electromechanical device with dial readouts and all, but also a pulse > counter/processor/communications module. This counts and stores the > metering disk revolutions and periodically is interrogated by a wireless > network*. I've got one (and a similar gas meter). If the remote reading > stuff goes TU, they can send a meter reader out to check the mechanical > dials. > If it has a pulse counter then that may be what they screwed up. But let's see when we get it. > *In some cases (rural areas), the utility doesn't bother with installing > a wireless network. They just send someone out with a van equipped with > the r.f. reading equipment once a month. It pulls the data as it drives > by, saving the meter reader from having to get out of the vehicle and > get chased by dogs. > That sounds similar to how our first meter was but someone had to come pretty close with a reading wand. Clear plastic cover so you could peek in. When I saw an LCD and <gasp> electrolytic caps in there I wondered how that would survive in the glistening morning sun out here. Long story short, it didn't survive ... The water meter is now equipped with a mushroom RF thingie and can be reading from the street. But that's below a concrete cover so not being pelted with sunlight. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Joel Koltner on 27 Apr 2010 16:03
It's kinda surprising that, as a public utility company, they don't take a more customer-friendly approach along the lines of, "we're going to install the new Smart Meter side-by-side with the old mechanical analog ones in 1,000 volunteer test homes to demonstrate they're accurate," and put all the data on-line, log all the problems that are reported (and their resolutions), etc. -- seems like they'd get a lot more public support that way... This way it is just sounds like, "we're doing what we want to, and you're all pretty much just wrong to question the accuracy, so just leave us alone and keep paying those bills we send you!" |