Author Topic: Remote reading electric meter (Read 12131 times)

DavidA · « **on:** September 16, 2014, 08:21:54 AM »

I have been given a Southern Electric remote reading electric meter.
It is one of those two unit devises. You clip the transmitter to one of the tails down at the meter, an then you an read the power consumption from the remote unit where ever you choose to place it.

It does read the power consumed, but I don't know how to alter the thing to reset to zero or change the tariff. Can't even set the clock.

There is what looks like a LAN socket on the remote unit. I am assuming that his connects to either the web or to a computer. From this I also assume that there will be some software needed.

Does anyone out there have one of these devises ? And if so, how do you use it ?

I am in West Yorkshire.

Dave.

Bluechip · « **Reply #1 on:** September 16, 2014, 11:30:35 AM »

I've got one that doesn't work anymore ...

The batteries in the sender went flat and when I replaced them ... err Zilch. Nowt. Silence etc.
The signal strength icon on the display doins. said zero siggy.

Not much good anyway. Sling it in the bin.

You don't need anything external to set the clock etc. All done by poking buttons IIRC

I'll have a poke around see if I kept the instructions ...

Dave

DavidA · « **Reply #2 on:** September 16, 2014, 01:24:46 PM »

Dave,

...I'll have a poke around see if I kept the instructions...

Thanks, that would help a lot.

I have to admit to being almost obsessed with monitoring the power consumption of thing in the house.

Right now the meter tells me that this laptop, the low power stereo, downstairs tv and the 'fridge are drawing 350 Watt.

I can live with that.

Dave.

Bluechip · « **Reply #3 on:** September 16, 2014, 02:03:36 PM »

Can't find the write up in any of the places I usually put stuff like that ...

Mine was from SSE actually ..

Is it about a 3" x 4" LCD screen with a rectangular button, an 'up' triangular button, a 'down' triangular button and a blue LED at the bottom???

Would take a picky but the camera is kaput at the mo...

Dave

Ooops Back again. Camera de-kaputted ... USB cable stuffed, not the camera at all.

Is it like this? Just spotted it's SE logo ...

Dave [ again]

Spurry · « **Reply #4 on:** September 16, 2014, 02:05:15 PM »

Dave
If it's anything like an Efergy meter, (4 buttons on the front) I have the instructions for one of those, if they would be any use.
Pete

Bluechip · « **Reply #5 on:** September 16, 2014, 02:15:11 PM »

Quote from: DavidA on September 16, 2014, 01:24:46 PM

Right now the meter tells me that this laptop, the low power stereo, downstairs tv and the 'fridge are drawing 350 Watt.

I can live with that.

Dave.

Don't forget the meter PSU takes about 0.2 Watts ....
If you un-plugged it and remained in blissful ignorance you'd save enough for a pint in three or four centuries ...

Dave

DavidA · « **Reply #6 on:** September 16, 2014, 03:11:39 PM »

Dave,

That's the one. Now, how good is your memory on the operation of the buttons ?

Pete,

Thanks, but mine is exactly the same as Dave's.

I also use one of those plug - in power meters (from Aldi) to check individual items.
By taking daily gas and alactric meter readings and entering them into my spreadsheet I can avoid any unwelcome surprises when the bills come in.

For all you who think this is rather silly, let me tell you a true story.

We usually use between 4 and 6 Kwhr per day. I noticed that on three occasions the readings had jumped up to around 12 Kwhr for the days in question.
Now, that means I paid for between two and three times as much electric as I used. Without the spreadsheet I probably wouldn't have noticed it.
The meter was faulty and it was changed last week.

Dave.

Bluechip · « **Reply #7 on:** September 16, 2014, 03:59:45 PM »

Quote from: DavidA on September 16, 2014, 03:11:39 PM

Dave,

That's the one. Now, how good is your memory on the operation of the buttons ?

Pete,

Thanks, but mine is exactly the same as Dave's.

I also use one of those plug - in power meters (from Aldi) to check individual items.
By taking daily gas and alactric meter readings and entering them into my spreadsheet I can avoid any unwelcome surprises when the bills come in.

For all you who think this is rather silly, let me tell you a true story.

We usually use between 4 and 6 Kwhr per day. I noticed that on three occasions the readings had jumped up to around 12 Kwhr for the days in question.
Now, that means I paid for between two and three times as much electric as I used. Without the spreadsheet I probably wouldn't have noticed it.
The meter was faulty and it was changed last week.

Dave.

Memory ???? No idea where I left that ... probably with my M3.5 taps 'cos I can't find them either ....

It must be 6-7 years since I fooled with it. It didn't live long, maybe 5 months or so ...

So Dave, sorry but you're on your own ... I tried one little poke at it, if you press rectangular one for a few seconds it lets you set the hours ... then the minutes .. then again and it goes back to the full screen..

Helpful old sod ain't I ???

Dave

PS This looks like a generic item .... borrow one and scan the instructions ....

http://www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/english/environment/sustainability/pages/energymonitorloanscheme.aspx

DavidA · « **Reply #8 on:** September 16, 2014, 04:11:06 PM »

Dave,

You have been helpful. I'll continue the search.

Pete,
What do the instruction for your meter say ? maybe they operate in a similar way.

Dave.

Bluechip · « **Reply #9 on:** September 16, 2014, 04:25:15 PM »

http://www.currentcost.com/product-theclassic.html

http://www.currentcost.com/download/CC%20Booklet%2016PP.pdf

???

Signed ...

The Phantom ....

DavidA · « **Reply #10 on:** September 16, 2014, 04:32:37 PM »

Just been to 'Current cost' and also find the 'Classic'.

Also find an Andrew Mawson has been there before me.

Hmmm.

Phantom Bluechip, Cheers.

Dave

Bluechip · « **Reply #11 on:** September 16, 2014, 04:38:35 PM »

Andrew Mawson ?????

What's he got to do with it? Sez I .... baffled ???

... as ever ....

Dave

awemawson · « **Reply #12 on:** September 16, 2014, 04:43:09 PM »

I'm baffled too - please explain Dave

A few years ago I got a similar gizmo and was seeking operating instructions - have I left an ethereal fingerprint or trace of dna

Bluechip · « **Reply #13 on:** September 16, 2014, 04:55:02 PM »

Quote from: awemawson on September 16, 2014, 04:43:09 PM

I'm baffled too - please explain Dave

Which one, Andrew ??? You need to be rather more precise with your enquiry. This forum is crawling with 'Daves',

I blame the demise of the Flit Gun myself ... never had this problem in the days when they were available ....

Dave

awemawson · « **Reply #14 on:** September 16, 2014, 05:36:19 PM »

Any Dave to which the question is apposite

Bluechip · « **Reply #15 on:** September 16, 2014, 06:46:19 PM »

Quote from: awemawson on September 16, 2014, 05:36:19 PM

Any Dave to which the question is apposite

Oh well, that lets me out then. I don't know what apposite means ...

Somebody called Dave

awemawson · « **Reply #16 on:** September 17, 2014, 04:13:13 AM »

Ignoramus

Bluechip · « **Reply #17 on:** September 17, 2014, 04:33:20 AM »

Oh well, that lets me out then. I don't know what apposite/ignoramus means ..

PekkaNF · « **Reply #18 on:** September 17, 2014, 05:34:13 AM »

Hah. I didn't know energy measuremt is this entertaining. Reminds me of an old joke. It was old even when I was young. What's the difference between ignorance and apathy? I don't know and I don't care! or What's the difference between ignorance, apathy, and ambivalence? I don't know, and I don't care, one way or another.

I had one of those wireless gizmos and it had two problems. 1) it was suposed to read energy meter IR transmitter. They had a language problem or were not in same page. 2) It did not get trough the message, apparently few wifi-routters block it.

Pekka

DavidA · « **Reply #19 on:** September 17, 2014, 05:45:20 AM »

Andrew,

When I started to search for this device I entered E1.7/1.07 RE8-116961 . This is what is on the transmitter.

And it took me to a site where an 'Andrew Mawson' had either queried or responded to another's query about this unit.

I'll go back through my history and try and find the details.

It looks as if , like the elephant, the web never forgets.

Dave.

(The Dave in question)

DavidA · « **Reply #20 on:** September 17, 2014, 05:50:38 AM »

Andrew,

15 February 2011.

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/uk.d-i-y/spYM2jASMDo/45EZ5_wAZUoJ

Dave

No hiding place.

awemawson · « **Reply #21 on:** September 17, 2014, 05:53:10 AM »

Yes it looks as though that was me, and only three years or so ago !

Every now and again I come across my postings from absolutely YONKS ago, when everything was text based, and no fancy GUI interfaces.

... who remembers dialling into Compuserve or any of the other similar offerings?

DavidA · « **Reply #22 on:** September 17, 2014, 06:34:54 AM »

Compuserve , not me. I don't go that far back with internet. I do remember once trying to set up an FTP link to an electronics magazine I subscribed to; didn't work. At the time I couldn't get my head around FTP Commander.

Anyone here got the mathematical skills to calculate the odds in me and Andrew crossing on this other site ?

Back to the unit.

It no longer reads the power consumption. But a check shows the batteries to be very low; 1.05 Volt with negligible load. So I'll have to get a couple of new ones next time I'm in town.

My attitude to power consumption is nicely summed up in the account of Apollo 13's ill fated trip. I try to use the absolute minimum power whenever I can. After all, I'm paying for it.

This has raised a question.
We are having a water meter fitted. So I could save a bit by collecting rain water and using that to fill the toilet cisterns. But I will have to pump the water up from the butts to the cisterns.
The question becomes ' will it cost more to do this than it will to simply use the metered water ?

More measurement needed.

The other option is to have the water collection point higher than the toilets. But that won't be so easy to do. Not with water weighing 1 kilo per litre.

Dave.

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Author Topic: Remote reading electric meter (Read 12131 times)