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Home > Archive > Alternative Power sources > December 2005 > Digital Power Meter
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| Author |
Digital Power Meter
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| brady4747 2005-12-20, 11:21 am |
| I just had a new digital power meter installed by Progress Energy
Carolinas, and I am just wondering about the security of these devices.
Their brochure says they use unlicensed 900Mhz RF to remotely read
these things and they transmit all kinds of info about you unit and
usage, not just a simple reading. Not only that, but the guy installing
it recorded GPS coordinates for the meter.
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| Wes Stewart 2005-12-20, 12:21 pm |
| On 20 Dec 2005 06:33:20 -0800, "brady4747" <jessebrady@gmail.com>
wrote:
>I just had a new digital power meter installed by Progress Energy
>Carolinas, and I am just wondering about the security of these devices.
>Their brochure says they use unlicensed 900Mhz RF to remotely read
>these things and they transmit all kinds of info about you unit and
>usage, not just a simple reading. Not only that, but the guy installing
>it recorded GPS coordinates for the meter.
You should be worried more about the rfid chip in the tires on your
car.
The meter reader still has to drive by your house to take a reading.
Big government only has to sit there and follow your travels.
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| SQLit 2005-12-20, 12:21 pm |
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"brady4747" <jessebrady@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1135089200.055789.199690@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> I just had a new digital power meter installed by Progress Energy
> Carolinas, and I am just wondering about the security of these devices.
> Their brochure says they use unlicensed 900Mhz RF to remotely read
> these things and they transmit all kinds of info about you unit and
> usage, not just a simple reading. Not only that, but the guy installing
> it recorded GPS coordinates for the meter.
If this is your utility, then stop worrying. Unless you stop paying the
bill. Some of the remote metering devices have the ability to stop the flow
of current. One of our utilities has a pay by kiosk for one of their
meters. Then you go and swipe a credit card through a reader and the meter
continues to provide power. When the dollars run out the electricity is
stopped.
http://www.srpnet.com/payment/mpower/default.aspx
Personally I think it is a marketing ploy to control problem accounts.
Do you really think anyone gives a hopity what your using?
Ya the GPS location and the meter id tells them if the meter is removed, or
moved.
The foreseeable future all residential meters will be that way. There are
some cities looking into water meters that work basically the same way.
I guess this is progress.
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| brady4747 a =E9crit :
> I just had a new digital power meter installed by Progress Energy
> Carolinas, and I am just wondering about the security of these devices.=
> Their brochure says they use unlicensed 900Mhz RF to remotely read
> these things and they transmit all kinds of info about you unit and
> usage, not just a simple reading. Not only that, but the guy installing=
> it recorded GPS coordinates for the meter.
>=20
Pretty standard for new meters.
The fact that it is a digital meter however, means that it's a good idea =
to have your monthly bills based on real values instead of estimated=20
values. Digital meters have, IIRC, an estimated time before first=20
failure of 10 years, much much less than the oldy sturdy mechanical meter=
s.
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"brady4747" <jessebrady@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1135089200.055789.199690@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>I just had a new digital power meter installed by Progress Energy
> Carolinas, and I am just wondering about the security of these devices.
> Their brochure says they use unlicensed 900Mhz RF to remotely read
> these things and they transmit all kinds of info about you unit and
> usage, not just a simple reading. Not only that, but the guy installing
> it recorded GPS coordinates for the meter.
>
Is it any less secure than the traditional dials that all can see?
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| brady4747 2005-12-21, 2:21 am |
| Thanks for talking me down  I guess I just get paranoid with all the
spying news lately and having tracking in the cars, the phones, the
power meters, and who knows what else. Thanks again
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| Mark & Mary Ann Weiss 2005-12-21, 4:21 am |
|
>
> Do you really think anyone gives a hopity what your using?
The DEA does, apparently. There have been a few 'raids' on unsuspecting
housewives who were doing a lot of loads of wash, hence using 3-4 times the
power of the neighborhood average. DEA gets notified automatically in
California when 'unusual' power usage is found. (Presumably, to power pot
'grow' lamps).
--
Best Regards,
Mark A. Weiss, P.E.
www.mwcomms.com
-
| |
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| Mark & Mary Ann Weiss wrote:
>
>
> The DEA does, apparently. There have been a few 'raids' on unsuspecting
> housewives who were doing a lot of loads of wash, hence using 3-4 times the
> power of the neighborhood average. DEA gets notified automatically in
> California when 'unusual' power usage is found. (Presumably, to power pot
> 'grow' lamps).
>
>
> --
> Best Regards,
>
> Mark A. Weiss, P.E.
> www.mwcomms.com
> -
>
>
It's amazing how intrusive the Feds have become of late. It would be
downright silly if it weren't so serious.
I read an article earlier today about the list of people whose names
keep them from boarding aircraft that you might find interesting:
http://news.com.com/Theres+no+getti..._3-5996897.html
I think the pendulum has swung too far. Civil liberties are being
trampled. The terrorists must be pretty happy about that.
--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.
| |
| JoeSP 2005-12-21, 11:21 am |
|
"CJT" <abujlehc@prodigy.net> wrote in message
news:43A91AFB.6000702@prodigy.net...
> Mark & Mary Ann Weiss wrote:
>
> It's amazing how intrusive the Feds have become of late. It would be
> downright silly if it weren't so serious.
>
> I read an article earlier today about the list of people whose names
> keep them from boarding aircraft that you might find interesting:
>
> http://news.com.com/Theres+no+getti..._3-5996897.html
>
> I think the pendulum has swung too far. Civil liberties are being
> trampled. The terrorists must be pretty happy about that.
It's often been stated throughout history, how easy it is for despotic
leaders to usurp from the public, the hard-won rights and freedoms in times
of crisis.
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| Ignoramus32515 2005-12-21, 11:21 am |
| On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 02:55:30 -0500, Mark & Mary Ann Weiss <mweissX294@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> The DEA does, apparently. There have been a few 'raids' on unsuspecting
> housewives who were doing a lot of loads of wash, hence using 3-4 times the
> power of the neighborhood average. DEA gets notified automatically in
> California when 'unusual' power usage is found. (Presumably, to power pot
> 'grow' lamps).
I would be interested to hear some substantiation of this. It is of
interest to me because I am planning to install some metal halide
lights in my garage. I also run various weird load like a rotary phase
converter
http://igor.chudov.com/projects/17.5-Phase-Converter/
powering my welder
http://igor.chudov.com/projects/Wel...yberTig-Welder/
I suspect that what you said may not be quite true, but I am open
minded.
i
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| Cathy Strong 2005-12-21, 5:21 pm |
|
Mark & Mary Ann Weiss wrote:
>
>
> The DEA does, apparently. There have been a few 'raids' on unsuspecting
> housewives who were doing a lot of loads of wash, hence using 3-4 times the
> power of the neighborhood average. DEA gets notified automatically in
> California when 'unusual' power usage is found. (Presumably, to power pot
> 'grow' lamps).
>
>
> --
> Best Regards,
>
> Mark A. Weiss, P.E.
> www.mwcomms.com
> -
Same arrangement exists in Tucson between the power companies
and FBI/ DEA.
Cathy
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| SolarFlare 2005-12-21, 11:21 pm |
| Not in Ontario. Our electric utility told the narcs to
go fly a kite. If they steal power then the utility is
concerned. If not...we are making big bucks!
Oh yeah, we are the maryjane growing uban farm capital
of the world right now too.
"Cathy Strong" <strongcaz@earthlink.net> wrote in
message
news:fyjqf.4743$mj1.3289@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>
>
> Mark & Mary Ann Weiss wrote:
using?[color=darkred]
'raids' on unsuspecting[color=darkred]
hence using 3-4 times the[color=darkred]
notified automatically in[color=darkred]
(Presumably, to power pot[color=darkred]
>
> Same arrangement exists in Tucson between the power
companies
> and FBI/ DEA.
>
> Cathy
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| Steve Spence 2005-12-21, 11:21 pm |
| SolarFlare wrote:
> Not in Ontario. Our electric utility told the narcs to
> go fly a kite. If they steal power then the utility is
> concerned. If not...we are making big bucks!
>
> Oh yeah, we are the maryjane growing uban farm capital
> of the world right now too.
>
>
So that explains the increase in generator sales ......
--
Steve Spence
Dir., Green Trust, http://www.green-trust.org
Contributing Editor, http://www.off-grid.net
http://www.rebelwolf.com/essn.html
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| SolarFlare 2005-12-21, 11:21 pm |
| LOL. Yeah that and the blackout we had a few years
back.
"Steve Spence" <sspence@green-trust.org> wrote in
message news:43aa10b6$1_2@newsfeed.slurp.net...
> SolarFlare wrote:
to[color=darkred]
is[color=darkred]
capital[color=darkred]
>
> So that explains the increase in generator sales
.......
>
>
> --
> Steve Spence
> Dir., Green Trust, http://www.green-trust.org
> Contributing Editor, http://www.off-grid.net
> http://www.rebelwolf.com/essn.html
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