Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/04/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Howard, There are some of those here, also. They say these meters would be an invasion of their privacy. According to the local paper, the utility company is going to establish an opt-out option, but will charge an extra $50 per month for that option. I haven't seen a final resolution of this disagreement, but such a cost, if legal, should get the attention of those customers. When I was in the wind tunnel business, we worked closely with TVA and planned our operations to fit high power demands into the lower-cost power periods. This type of thing is more or less normal planning in my mind. TVA is about to start billing utilities based on time of day of power use, so the new meters actually allow customers to plan their higher power activities at the cheapest time of day, once those periods are announced. Jim Nichols Tullahoma, TN USA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Howard Ritter" <hlritter at bex.net> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 4:58 PM Subject: Re: [Leica] IMG: Public Utility Modernization >I saw a teaser for a news story about the incredibly ignorant and Ludditish >reaction on the part of utility customers in, I think, Las Vegas, to the >proposed introduction of "smart" utility meters that can be read from the >street using RF technology. There was a woman going on ever-so-earnestly >about "unknown long-term effects" of this technology?i.e., milliseconds of >low-power radio transmission emanating from outside the house once a month >in response to milliseconds of a low-power interrogation signal from the >street. From someone who probably has a cell phone applied to her ear >several hours a day, likely a home wi-fi network, etc etc etc. And some old >geezer who thundered that he'd leave town if the utilities installed one on >his house because he wasn't going to have them collecting information on >what time of day he uses how much gas and electricity. > > ?howard > > On Apr 4, 2012, at 4:02 PM, Jim Nichols wrote: > >> For a small town, we seem to be making progress. Some months ago, I >> noticed that an attachment had been added to my natural gas meter, >> allowing the meter to be read from the street. >> >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Gas+Meter+Attachment.jpg.html >> >> In the last couple of days, my power and water meters have been replaced. >> The battery-powered water meter sits in the same hole in the ground, >> beneath a cast iron cover. >> >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Water+Meter.jpg.html >> >> The power meter replaced the old meter that had been in service for many >> years. >> >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Electric+Meter.jpg.html >> >> The power and water meters will tranmit to a pole-mounted receiver which >> will relay the information to the central office via existing fiber optic >> cable. >> >> E-1 with Leica Elmarit-R 60mm Macro, ISO 200, RAW >> >> Comments and critiques welcomed. >> >> Jim Nichols >> Tullahoma, TN USA >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >