Reading power meter using software defined radio

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prob

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#279666 31-Oct-2020 07:29

Will this work in NZ?, viz

https://community.home-assistant.io/t/using-rtl-sdr-to-read-value-from-wireless-electric-gas-water-meters/52453

richms

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#2595279 31-Oct-2020 10:09

No. Power meters here use GPRS (Yes, really that old standard) and I have never seen a smart water or gas meter in use here.

Richard rich.ms

PolicyGuy

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#2595293 31-Oct-2020 10:56

richms:

No. Power meters here use GPRS (Yes, really that old standard) and I have never seen a smart water or gas meter in use here.

Genesis are at least thinking strongly about remotely readable gas meters, I was asked to comment (customer survey thing) on a proposed marketing campaign for such.

[rant] Please do not dignify the remotely readable meters used by NZ gentailers as "smart meters". They aren't. They are thick-as-two-short-planks dumb meters with a GPRS modem. A real smart meter presents a consumer accessible real-time data interface, allowing the consumer to use the information they are creating. A modern smart meter would do so via a wireless (Bluetooth / WLAN) connection and provide a web server as well as an API-based interface.[/rant]

deadlyllama

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#2595298 31-Oct-2020 11:44

The smart meters have usually got a "light flashes every Wh" light on the front. They're pretty simple to monitor - I looked in to this back in my heady days of home ownership.

davidcole

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#2595392 31-Oct-2020 13:35

deadlyllama:
The smart meters have usually got a "light flashes every Wh" light on the front. They're pretty simple to monitor - I looked in to this back in my heady days of home ownership.

Stil requires something in your meter board. Which if they ever come to inspect it I doubt theylll be too happy about it. I had one running for a bit. Was hard to get it to detect a light without a nice blacked out cover over the light.

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shanes

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#2595618 31-Oct-2020 20:17

richms:

No. Power meters here use GPRS (Yes, really that old standard) and I have never seen a smart water or gas meter in use here.

Masterton District Council have just rolled out smart water meters.

We have one of these https://sensus.com/products/640-water-meter/ with the Toby.

SomeoneSomewhere

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#2595773 31-Oct-2020 23:46

deadlyllama:

The smart meters have usually got a "light flashes every Wh" light on the front. They're pretty simple to monitor - I looked in to this back in my heady days of home ownership.

Electronic dumb meters generally have this as well - a flashing light but mechanical counter wheels.

You might be able to get something out of the IR comm port but I doubt it.

Generally in commercial where the customer wants a connection to the BMS or even just for monitoring, you'll see a separate check meter connected after the power meter. Then you get full Modbus comms and a pile more data.