Smartmeter: Anyone knows how to get detailed info on them?
in [Design]
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From: Jim Thompson on 28 Apr 2010 11:51 On Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:41:01 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: >Jim Thompson wrote: >> On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:21:06 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> >> wrote: >> >>> Jim Thompson wrote: >> [snip] >>>> I think we (those of us on the productive end of the stick) will >>>> prevail. If not, I have my escape plan. I would suggest everyone >>>> else develop the same. >>>> >>> Just remember, past a certain age (which you have exceeded ...) NZ >>> requires immigrants to bring a major amount of money into the country. >>> Probably so they have some assurance that the new folks won't plop into >>> the welfare/health system. >> >> I was just struck by an amusing thought: I can easily get the >> equivalent of a green card in NZ... I'm already doing business there. > > >A work visa is not a green card, usually. Same in the US. If you get a >national interest waiver it's smooth sail (after a wait of several year, >that is ...), else you'll probably have to show the dough. > > >> And you can collect your Social Security and Medicare while living in >> another country. With no "earned income" in the US, that would be >> untaxed. Earnings in NZ would be taxed in NZ, but NZ is currently >> giving grants for high-tech start-ups :-) Not if it's earned outside the country AND you reside outside the country. >> > >Not so. Read up on the tax code. There is an exemption of somewhere >around $80k. Beyond that the IRS wants its cut, unless you renounce your >citizenship. Oh, and you would no longer be accountable to a president >but to her majesty :-) > > >>> How's the gnat problem coming? >> >> They went away... probably the sudden jump to 92�F. But they'll >> probably be back... global cooling predicted by the weekend :-) >> >> But the rabbits are getting gross... wander thru the backyard >> unperturbed by my presence... they only scatter when I get close :-( >> > >The biggest prowlers of that sort out here are deer. And you can't mess >with the buck. One guy did and the buck didn't let him win. Then the >occasional mountain lion or bear. ...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 28 Apr 2010 12:03 Jim Thompson wrote: > On Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:41:01 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> > wrote: > >> Jim Thompson wrote: >>> On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:21:06 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Jim Thompson wrote: >>> [snip] >>>>> I think we (those of us on the productive end of the stick) will >>>>> prevail. If not, I have my escape plan. I would suggest everyone >>>>> else develop the same. >>>>> >>>> Just remember, past a certain age (which you have exceeded ...) NZ >>>> requires immigrants to bring a major amount of money into the country. >>>> Probably so they have some assurance that the new folks won't plop into >>>> the welfare/health system. >>> I was just struck by an amusing thought: I can easily get the >>> equivalent of a green card in NZ... I'm already doing business there. >> >> A work visa is not a green card, usually. Same in the US. If you get a >> national interest waiver it's smooth sail (after a wait of several year, >> that is ...), else you'll probably have to show the dough. >> >> >>> And you can collect your Social Security and Medicare while living in >>> another country. With no "earned income" in the US, that would be >>> untaxed. Earnings in NZ would be taxed in NZ, but NZ is currently >>> giving grants for high-tech start-ups :-) > > Not if it's earned outside the country AND you reside outside the > country. > I believe you are wrong about that but it looks like they have the exemption amount now inflation-indexed: http://taxes.about.com/od/taxhelp/a/ForeignIncome.htm Also, quote: "Self-employed taxpayers have additional tax considerations. The foreign earned income exclusion will reduce your regular tax liability, but not your self employment tax." I suggest to consult a good tax profesional who knows foreign stuff before making any decisions. [...] -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Spehro Pefhany on 28 Apr 2010 12:06 On Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:51:30 -0700, Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon(a)On-My-Web-Site.com> wrote: >On Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:41:01 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> >wrote: > >>Jim Thompson wrote: >>> On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:21:06 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Jim Thompson wrote: >>> [snip] >>>>> I think we (those of us on the productive end of the stick) will >>>>> prevail. If not, I have my escape plan. I would suggest everyone >>>>> else develop the same. >>>>> >>>> Just remember, past a certain age (which you have exceeded ...) NZ >>>> requires immigrants to bring a major amount of money into the country. >>>> Probably so they have some assurance that the new folks won't plop into >>>> the welfare/health system. >>> >>> I was just struck by an amusing thought: I can easily get the >>> equivalent of a green card in NZ... I'm already doing business there. >> >> >>A work visa is not a green card, usually. Same in the US. If you get a >>national interest waiver it's smooth sail (after a wait of several year, >>that is ...), else you'll probably have to show the dough. >> >> >>> And you can collect your Social Security and Medicare while living in >>> another country. With no "earned income" in the US, that would be >>> untaxed. Earnings in NZ would be taxed in NZ, but NZ is currently >>> giving grants for high-tech start-ups :-) > >Not if it's earned outside the country AND you reside outside the >country. http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=97324,00.html "Your worldwide income is subject to U.S. income tax, regardless of where you reside" The US is one of very few countries that does this. Expatriation is possible, but not a pleasant thought at all: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8854.pdf http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=97245,00.html Basically, if you're well established, they've pretty much 'got' you legally.
From: D Yuniskis on 28 Apr 2010 13:15 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 > > 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 By "utility customer", you mean "your electricity provider" (?). Yes, they can configure the "parameters" that are displayed as well as how long the display pauses on each. It's a crappy interface but "flexible". For the homeowner, you just learn *which* parameter is of interest and ignore the rest. > 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 Does your display actually have icons/legends saying "current kW", "voltage", etc.? > 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. There's a "Display test" -- to prove all the segments "light". Depending on their choice of "fonts" (blech), it can help ensure a '7' doesn't appear as a '1', '9' (without a tail) as a '4', etc. > 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. Yes. One selling point is to support co-generation for "consumers" like that. > 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. Note it will be 900MHz spread spectrum so not "WiFi". > 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.
From: Paul Hovnanian P.E. on 28 Apr 2010 13:22
Tim Wescott wrote: > Jim Thompson wrote: >> On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:30:29 -0700, "Paul Hovnanian P.E." >> <Paul(a)Hovnanian.com> wrote: >> >>> Joerg wrote: >>>> 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 >>> I can make out "Landis + Gyr" but no model numbers. A search of >>> "SmartMeter" on their site only returns articles containing the generic >>> phrase rather than a particular product line. I'd guess that >>> "SmartMeter" is probably a PG&E "brand". >>> >>> The unit appears to be a fully electronic unit (no induction disk >>> pickup). These measure the I and V and calculate the power numerically. >>> Fancy things can be done with such meters, such as sampling fast enough >>> to measure and characterize motor starting. Which can allow them to >>> detect the number of times your fridge or a/c unit come on each day. >>> >>> But if the processor goes brain dead, there goes the accumulated energy >>> data. >>> >> >> I would expect data storage in NVRAM... don't you think? Otherwise >> the exposure to suits from angry customers would be overwhelming. > > I can hear Ernestine now: "you can't talk to me that way, sir, I am with > the _Power_ company!!" Tikki tikki tap (lights go out). I used to work for the power company. And that's exactly how they think. Due to excessive customer complaints to the UTC about power co employees pissy attitudes, our management decided to have everyone take a course on how to deal effectively with customers. Problem is, it was just designed to calm people down, defuse the current situation and get them out of the office. I pointed out (to no avail) that these people were still customers and, even though we'd soothed them for the moment, the next time they looked at their bill, they'd be even more pissed once the realized that they just keep getting the bum's rush. At the end of the course, when everyone was presented with their 'diploma' by the instructor, on my way back to my seat, I announced to my classmates, "Great! I've got my black belt in dealing with customers!" -- Paul Hovnanian paul(a)hovnanian.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Have gnu, will travel. |