Smartmeter: Anyone knows how to get detailed info on them?
in [Design]
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From: Robert Baer on 28 Apr 2010 04:04 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?
From: sj on 28 Apr 2010 04:04 On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:02:23 -0700 (PDT), Greegor <greegor47(a)gmail.com> wrote: >http://www.nctimes.com/business/article_244ff4dc-7f2b-5a8b-96d2-dc14c17681bf.html > >ENERGY: Experts hack new power meters >Utilities installing networked devices on homes From the pictures in that article and mention of the meter vendor, I see that San Diego is using different meters from Northern California utilities. I guess that's a good thing?
From: Jan Panteltje on 28 Apr 2010 06:35 On a sunny day (Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:56:34 +1000) it happened "David L. Jones" <altzone(a)gmail.com> wrote in <p6QBn.101954$Ht4.22179(a)newsfe20.iad>: >Joerg wrote: >> Hello, >> >> Many of you will soon be in the same boat. Our utility has informed us >> that we and the whole town will get the dreaded smartmeters. Whether >> we want that or not. Obviously they have serious issues and as usual >> the utility is stone-walling: >> >> http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14963541 >> >> Having seen all the grief caused by, ahem, sub-optimal electronics >> design in cars I am not all that surprised. Does anyone know where to >> find some serious data on this problem? Or maybe even schematics & >> board layouts of those things? >> >> BTW, we used to have a meter with LCD readout and all until years ago. >> It eventually failed, maybe because it gets hit by the full morning >> sun. The utility replaced it with, tada, a classic mechanical meter. >> Probably because those simply work ... > >I wonder what happens if the new gadget completely fails for, err, some >mysterious reason... Do you get your electrons for free until they can >replace it? > >Dave. I dunno, but I have been calculating... It is still not economical, but for 1000 Euro I have a good 2 kW generator... With all that modern 'electronic' grid stuff coming... Any kid with a PC and a wireless board can take out a countries electricity. A generator is good thing to have:-) Those meters are not here yet, There is a law being proposed that people can refuse to have those. >-- >================================================ >Check out my Electronics Engineering Video Blog & Podcast: >http://www.eevblog.com > > >
From: Spehro Pefhany on 28 Apr 2010 07:14 On Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:35:14 GMT, the renowned Jan Panteltje <pNaonStpealmtje(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >On a sunny day (Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:56:34 +1000) it happened "David L. Jones" ><altzone(a)gmail.com> wrote in <p6QBn.101954$Ht4.22179(a)newsfe20.iad>: > >>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 ... >> >>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. > >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 -- "it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" speff(a)interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com
From: PeterD on 28 Apr 2010 08:35
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. |