Smartmeter: Anyone knows how to get detailed info on them?
in [Design]
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From: Jan Panteltje on 28 Apr 2010 09:00 On a sunny day (Wed, 28 Apr 2010 07:14:24 -0400) it happened Spehro Pefhany <speffSNIP(a)interlogDOTyou.knowwhat> wrote in <m26gt5ppfuhalmgcdrer94eff6s72hm01t(a)4ax.com>: >>I dunno, but I have been calculating... >>It is still not economical, but for 1000 Euro I have a good 2 kW generator... >>With all that modern 'electronic' grid stuff coming... >>Any kid with a PC and a wireless board can take out a countries electricity. >>A generator is good thing to have:-) >>Those meters are not here yet, >>There is a law being proposed that people can refuse to have those. > >Seems like Germany already has such a law. Are these laws motivated by >privacy issues or more mundane concerns about accuracy or whatever? > > >Best regards, >Spehro Pefhany I dunno, I never was much into 'action groups'. But in my view what business is it to the power company what I use the power for? I mean they will have fridges and what not that 'report back'. Some marihuana plant growers were caught by their funny huge electricity bills, some by flying with an IR equipped helicopter over the city to look for 'hot spots' (where the lights for the plants were), but hey, Al Quada does it have an exceptional power consumption ;-) ;-) ??? So, I pay for the power, it is mine to do with it how and when I like. I had a car running on LPG, maybe a Honda generator can be modified to run from the local gas pipes?
From: Joerg on 28 Apr 2010 09:49 sj wrote: > Some basic information on the meters can be found here... > http://www.gepower.com/prod_serv/products/metering/en/utility_revenue_meters/index.htm > In this link I see a rendering that looks like an electrolytic in the base assembly: http://www.gepower.com/prod_serv/products/metering/en/downloads/i_210_plus.pdf I hope I am wrong about that ... > There is a pdf link for a fact sheet about the I-210+ meter near the > bottom of that page. As D Yuniskis mentioned, the utility customer has > some options. The changing LCD display reflects these choices. On this > meter, the top big display field seems to be the elapsed kWh measurement > (mostly). The lower left on this one changes: current kW, voltage, and > the letters Adl. I have no idea what Adl means; there is no number on > the bottom then, just Adl. When the voltage is displayed on the bottom, > the top goes to all 8's with a minus sign. So that 888 thing seems to be > just some artifact of the voltage display configuration. ... The question would be, artifact because the SW guy forgot, folks in the design review didn't notice or because it fell through the cracks when writing the spec sheet? > ... There's a > little bar graph at the right middle too. It may be a crude differential > indication -- power use up or down. Seems the lower left can indicate > power direction, like if the customer has solar panels and can pump back > power to the grid. > > In the above link page, if you select AMR meters from the left column, > it takes you to a page of options the utility can choose for phoning > home. This meter seems to have the SSL wireless link at the bottom of > the page. There is another pdf fact sheet. Seems it uses 900 MHz > wireless. Later I may run a wireless sniffer to see if I can find new > IPs in the neighborhood. > > The gas meter got a new attachment too. The display on that is an > old-school set of geared dials, but apparently it has wirless link too. > > So, not much information, but a little bit of help about what is in > there. > Thanks. Piece by piece is the only way to figure this stuff out. Maybe one day a schematic leaks out somewhere. Not to hack anything but to understand how they work, and to be prepared in case of gross overcharges. [...] -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Joerg on 28 Apr 2010 09:52 sj wrote: > On Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:56:34 +1000, "David L. Jones" <altzone(a)gmail.com> > wrote: > >> I wonder what happens if the new gadget completely fails for, err, some >> mysterious reason... Do you get your electrons for free until they can >> replace it? >> >> Dave. > > From bits of information I have heard in the media about California PG&E > complaints, some of the meters have failed to record and the PG&E > solution is to estimate the bill from previous history. I don't have any > confirmation link to cite. > But there were people who claimed the bill was 3x the previous year's or more. That can't be an estimate. Also, on the bill it should clearly say "estimated". -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Joerg on 28 Apr 2010 09:54 Robert Baer 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? >> >> 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 ... >> > Q concerning those old meters; they have been around for like ages. > Are they so reliable that they never show up in surplus shops or does > Piggie sledgehammer them? I've never heard of one breaking. Only electronic ones that broke. Also, they'd have to somehow leak out of the utility's materials management system to end up in surplus stores. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Jim Yanik on 28 Apr 2010 10:35
PeterD <peter2(a)hipson.net> wrote in news:gnagt5p5osf44gp82jdb60vk94mlv0qkaq(a)4ax.com: > On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:16:33 -0500, Jim Yanik <jyanik(a)abuse.gov> > wrote: > >>Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon(a)On-My-Web-Site.com> wrote >>in news:tbeet5lqev8hlb202plsncusntssmjfnm2(a)4ax.com: >> >> >>> Relax, Joerg, Your cost of electricity WILL go up, WITHOUT a rate >>> increase. >>> >>> You can't fight it, >> >>well,you can,but the only practical solution is against the law. >> >>> just bend over and brace yourself, and hope that >>> will make it less painful :-) >>> >>> ...Jim Thompson >> >>consider what Comrade Obama wants to do with coal-fueled electric >>power,which is ~50% of US electric supply;Cap-n-Trade would >>dramatically raise electric rates.(he's SAID he wants to bankrupt the >>coal industry..) > > You misunderstood Obama's statement: What he said was he wants to > bankrupt the american people. > >> >>then consider that Comrade Obama -says- he supports nuclear power...as >>long as there's safe storage for the wastes...then turns around and >>kills Yucca Mountain Repository and insitutes a NEW site search that >>will take many years to complete,so actual construction of a safe >>storage site will be a couple of DECADES away,and nuclear plants will >>not go forward. So,Comrade Obama has effectively BLOCKED new nuclear >>plants. Solar and wind will NOT make up the difference,nor will >>biofuels. >> >>End result is much higher electric rates,brownouts and >>blackouts,and/or a lowering of lifestyles.Industry will suffer,jobs >>will suffer. It also fits right in with his desire for high gasoline >>prices. (the lowering of your lifestyle) >>Our economy is closely tied to energy prices. >> >>That's Comrade Obama's "social justice". >>He's out to drag us all down to the "poor's" level. > > And then taxes will rise, so that Obama's socialist adjenda can be > played out, giving your wealth (as megar is it is...) to others who > don't want to put in the effort. > > One thing is important... The old saying "He who does not know history > is doomed to repeat it" applies here. > Are you a fan of Victor Davis Hanson? [I am.] He's a historian who posts opinion pieces on townhall.com and National Review.com. a good read. -- Jim Yanik jyanik at localnet dot com |