ray@ole.UUCP (Ray Berry) (10/05/90)
I told a friend that there is at least one company offering hardware to read power meters remotely by phone and he told me I'm dreaming. Does anyone on the net know about this? Any info you could forward would be ap- preciated. -- Ray Berry kb7ht uucp: ...ole!ray CIS: 73407,3152 /* "inquire within" */
phillip@bartal.CRLABS.COM (Phillip M. Vogel) (10/11/90)
In article <1676@ole.UUCP> ray@ole.UUCP (Ray Berry) writes: > > I told a friend that there is at least one company offering hardware >to read power meters remotely by phone and he told me I'm dreaming. Does >anyone on the net know about this? Any info you could forward would be ap- >preciated. >-- >Ray Berry kb7ht uucp: ...ole!ray CIS: 73407,3152 /* "inquire within" */ I don't know about KWH meters, but my water meter is read by phone. There is a box labeled 'Neptune Information Systems model T-1000' connected to the meter and phone line. I did some investigating, and found that the water company has a bunch of equipment installed at the telco office and that they can put a tone on your line which wakes up the box but doesn't ring your phone. They do this late at night, and hey, what can I say but the meter reader hasn't been here in over a year. -- Phillip M. Vogel, President | #include <standard_disclaimer.h> Bartal Design Group, Inc. Englewood, NJ | (201)567-1343 FAX:(201)568-2891 UUCP: pyrnj!bartal!phillip | Domain: phillip@bartal.crlabs.com
rsd@sei.cmu.edu (Richard S D'Ippolito) (10/18/90)
In article <1676@ole.UUCP> ray@ole.UUCP (Ray Berry) writes: > > I told a friend that there is at least one company offering hardware >to read power meters remotely by phone and he told me I'm dreaming. Does >anyone on the net know about this? Any info you could forward would be ap- >preciated. >-- >Ray Berry kb7ht uucp: ...ole!ray CIS: 73407,3152 /* "inquire within" */ You're awake -- tell your friend that if the meters had teeth, they might bite him! For several (more than seven) years, there have been several US and foreign manufactuers of remote metering equipment for utilities, including Metretek in Florida. I have created systems using these products to control switches, breakers, and power-factor correction equipment for utilities, including a whole utility in Tennessee that had remote metering (phoneline), and control of electric heat pumps and water heaters in private homes. All of the equipment reported readings by phone (we made some of it, other manufactures like Metretek added circuitry to standard GE KWHr meters). We commanded some equipment by phone and other equipment by sending pulses down the power lines. The Tennessee project has been operational since 1985. All info was reported to a control room operator on color monitors, and commands were issued by selection from the displays using light pens or track balls. These KWHr meters were programmed to pick up the phone at various intervals and call in with the readings. If the phone were in use, the meter would not detect a dial tone and simply wait a short interval (usually 5 min) and try again. If the occupant picked up the phone when the meter was on the line, it would hang up and wait until later. Readings were sent in every 15 min or half-hour (the computer told the meter during each call when to call in next) in order that the utility could record average KW demand. The customers with the remote readers and controls on the heaters were volunteers and received better energy rates, as it allowed the utility to smooth demand. Rich