Does a home power meter-base exist which uses BlueTooth?
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Posted by Jack Edin on December 29, 2005, 5:38 am
Please log in for more thread options Hello again, I was thinking about replacing my home's meter base. If I got a fancy enough one, I could monitor it in real time. All of the ones I've ever seen have a serial port. Not convenient to run wires out to my meter, to begin with. The serial isn't perfect for long runs, but I can make due... I don't have a PC near the meter... But if I could get a wireless meter base, using BlueTooth or perhaps 802.11b with encryption... Then I'd be happy. These things are EXPENSIVE. May as well get what I can use. Running wires ain't cheap... And this way I can move the PC within the house, without having to change any meter-base's wire's endpoint... So anybody know of anything? Dave Houston? Thankx, in advance... Jack :) | |||||||||||||
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Posted by RF Dude on January 1, 2006, 11:48 pm
Please log in for more thread options Generally, you won't change the meter base. Add a current bridge to the main load panel, or an external means of reading the disk turning on your meter. Here are a couple of examples: http://www.theenergydetective.com/ http://www.bluelineinnovations.com/ Good Luck. | |||||||||||||
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Posted by ChainSmoker on January 3, 2006, 9:29 pm
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RF Dude wrote: Have you by chance tried either one of these? Your thoughts on the using with a home automation system.... | |||||||||||||
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Posted by Jack Edin on January 4, 2006, 1:12 pm
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Thanks for the tip... I've visited both companies websites. I've filled-out the need more info forms on both. That was two days ago. I've received a reply from TED. And Good news... TED is on sale!! Bad news is TED won't have a computer interface till summer... Good news, maybe, is they're looking at Zigby for their wireless. Blueline's product is already wireless, but just for the display - as far as I know. They have yet to reply to my questions... Yesterday I asked an engineer at the local power company for advise. I also asked him to look at TED, and he said "Certainly, the price is right, if it works." The power company uses electronic meters in some homes. When I inquired about those he went on to say, (on this subject): "It depends on the purpose of monitoring. The PGE meter collects the consumption without regard to instantaneous usages, since there are no demand charges in residential. Individual end-use monitoring is used to check the usage of a specific load. Seeing the total meter instantaneous kW is an accumulation of everything that is on in the house at that instant. Since you are billed by consumption, it's kW times time, so it's all those instantaneous kW's and all those instantaneous times." He gave me the number of their residential metering expert, but I have yet to find the time to call... I also received TED's manual. I need to look at the current transformer's hookup instructions to see how I feel about hooking this up myself. Jack :) > RF Dude wrote:
> >> Generally, you won't change the meter base. Add a current bridge to
>> the main load panel, or an external means of reading the disk turning >> on your meter. Here are a couple of examples: >> >> http://www.theenergydetective.com/ >> >> http://www.bluelineinnovations.com/ >> >> Good Luck. >> >
> Have you by chance tried either one of these? Your thoughts on the using > with a home automation system.... | |||||||||||||
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Posted by Dave Houston on January 4, 2006, 10:11 pm
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The Blueline method is one that has been used in DIY setups for a few years (although not wirelessly). It has the advantage of reading the power company's meter disc revolutions so it will agree with their readings. It also has the advantage that it does not require an electrician to install. The other one requires an electrician to install it. Without additional technical details I would be leery of its accuracy. In either case I would want a serial interface so I could access the data from my HA system. >Thanks for the tip...
> >I've visited both companies websites. > >I've filled-out the need more info forms on both. > >That was two days ago. > >I've received a reply from TED. And >Good news... TED is on sale!! >Bad news is TED won't have a computer interface till summer... >Good news, maybe, is they're looking at Zigby for their wireless. > >Blueline's product is already wireless, but just for the display - as >far as I know. >They have yet to reply to my questions... > >Yesterday I asked an engineer at the local power company for advise. I >also asked him to look at TED, and he said "Certainly, the price is >right, if it works." > >The power company uses electronic meters in some homes. When I inquired >about those he went on to say, (on this subject): > >"It depends on the purpose of monitoring. The PGE meter collects the >consumption without regard to instantaneous usages, since there are no >demand charges in residential. Individual end-use monitoring is used to >check the usage of a specific load. Seeing the total meter >instantaneous kW is an accumulation of everything that is on in the >house at that instant. Since you are billed by consumption, it's kW >times time, so it's all those instantaneous kW's and all those >instantaneous times." > >He gave me the number of their residential metering expert, but I have >yet to find the time to call... > >I also received TED's manual. I need to look at the current >transformer's hookup instructions to see how I feel about hooking this >up myself. > >Jack >:) > >> RF Dude wrote:
>> >>> Generally, you won't change the meter base. Add a current bridge to
>>> the main load panel, or an external means of reading the disk turning >>> on your meter. Here are a couple of examples: >>> >>> http://www.theenergydetective.com/ >>> >>> http://www.bluelineinnovations.com/ >>> >>> Good Luck. >>> >>
>> Have you by chance tried either one of these? Your thoughts on the using >> with a home automation system.... | |||||||||||||
> main load panel, or an external means of reading the disk turning on your
> meter. Here are a couple of examples:
>
> http://www.theenergydetective.com/
>
> http://www.bluelineinnovations.com/
>
> Good Luck.
>