Our Smart Meter Battle Has Started

Email | 6 July 2012 | Unknown Patriot

[prisoner6]

Since our empty nest mrs p6 and I moved to a really nice apartment complex a couple of years ago. I assume we have no choice BUT is there a way to ...obfuscate the readings and confuse the meter?

For example when my company built it’s HQ they screwed up the HVAC. At least 4 units were required but the owner said do it with 3.

There were always problems.

At night, when I am usually the only one there the a/c ran continuously. It would get so cold I could see my breath. The a/c even ran in the coldest of winters.

Some of us complained and management put portable sensors in every room to prove we were wrong.

After a couple of days I gathered the sensors every night when I arrived and put them in the refrigerator or freezer.

Admittedly it didn’t really solve the problem. Management told us to deal with it.

BUT it had them so confused for over a year it was worth it!

Finally they realized undersizing the units was costing them money and things are much better now.

[Paladin2]

Too subtle, I suppose.

My voltage starts at around 118V in the morning and drops off to about 113V in the heat of the afternoon. It's a little bit of a brownout, but hasn't seemed to do any damage yet.

[Windflier]

I think you’re freaking out over nothing.

I'm not 'freaking out'. I simply passed on something of interest to the community. Accept or reject at your leisure.

[Windflier]

please explain to me how you discern sexual activity with the information gathered by a smart meter. I am sorry, but paraniod crap like this gives the tea party a bad name.

You got me. I just copied and pasted. Perhaps some editing is in order for anyone who chooses to use this letter.

[Nervous Tick]

>> Seems like any change would cause conflicts within the grid as a whole.

OH yeah. Big time!

To say nothing of Mom ‘n Pop refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, septic pumps, and other motor driven appliances that would underperform, or fail.

And that doesn’t include entire industries that would grind to a halt.

There’s nothing magical about 60Hz line frequency (witness other countries, who use 50Hz). But once you standardize on the frequency, all hell breaks loose if you change it, particularly for electric motor applications.

And — to reiterate an earlier point — changing the line frequency (alone, unilaterally) buys the electric company nothing. So why would they do it?

[combat_boots]

“All they could to is cut you off completely. And they aren’t gonna do that.”

I beg to differ. You mean that making sure ball fields are reconnected first—for baseball games—before reconnecting houses that have been disconnected from storms—has not occurred? Answer: it has, and people have died because of it, in this last week alone.

So, yes, ‘they’ would do that, to political enemies or anyone they care to selectively go after.

[cripplecreek]

I know there’s a heavy load in the triple digit heat we’ve been having in southern Michigan. Everybody is using AC all at once. My electric company is also in the middle of hanging new lines on new poles in the area.

I haven’t noticed the dimming today.

[Windflier]

No one in our 2/3rds REPUBLICAN legislature has lifted a finger with regard to “Smart Meters”. They are being shoved down our throats, thanks to RICK PERRY, and if we refuse, we get to see the business end of a Constable’s side arm.

I find that statement incredible. No one can force you at gunpoint to accept the installation of a smart meter, or any other private company's device.

At best, all they can do is refuse to provide service to your property if you refuse. If I'm wrong on this, then we're in deeper trouble than I ever imagined.

[Nervous Tick]

>> So, yes, ‘they’ would do that, to political enemies or anyone they care to selectively go after.

Better go solar, then. Not for economics or “aaving the planet”, but to ensure continuity of your own supply.

I think you’re being paranoid, but what do I know?

[Paladin2]

Back in the day around Niagara Falls they had 25 HZ. Some industrial installations in the area used 25 Hz for quite a while after.

"The Schoellkopf station complex eventually met with a very unusual fate. In 1956, it was almost completely destroyed by a massive rockslide from the towering cliff above. Following this catastrophe, 11 of the generators in Station No. 3A were rebuilt for 60-Hz operation, but Stations No. 3B and 3C were completely abandoned. "

[Nowhere Man]

"...my electric company has switched from 60Hz to 40Hz"

You do have a battery powered BS meter don't you?

Yeah, they won't do that, although they did relax the line frequency standards a little bit in the last year or two. I think we will be at 60 cycles for the foreseeable future.

I know in the past, there were systems that used 40 cycles, such as around the dam in Mechanicsburg, NY that was built in 1895 or so and still in use today (with frequency convertors). Some place even had 25 cycle power too such as Buffalo NY and a huge part of Ontario, Canada until they went 60 cycles in the 1950's. My grandmother had a sweeper from the 1930's (my aunt sill has it I think) that she used up until her death in 1997 that was rated 25 to 60 cycles.

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

Lately I’ve been hearing local chatter suggesting that my electric company has switched from 60Hz to 40Hz and that its causing problems.

The same thing happened here. At 40Hz, all of my fonts are 1/3 their normal size.

[bigbob]

This letter is about 20% misinformation and 80% utter BS. Those who are concerned about this issue should A) educated themselves on the technical issues involved and B) re-read their agreement with their electrical utility provider as it should spell out the consequences of taking actions described in this letter, which will most likely result in termination of electrical service.

No one has an innate “right” to electrical service, it is provided under terms of an agreement between the utility and the consumer, and just like any other purchase, is subject to legal regulations. There are more productive avenues than tilting at windmills that will accomplish nothing.

[Paladin2]

[Jack Black]

Most smart meters do only one thing: send a meter reading to the utility every 15 minutes. The rest of what the letter claims is imaginary.

[Hayride]

Google “General Patraeus appliances watching you” and/or youtube “CIA to spy on Americans using household items”.

[AFreeBird]

Okay, 60Hz wasn’t universally used like today. I stand corrected.

[Paladin2]

2/3^rds ?

[Nowhere Man]

If you’re not noticing transformers, electric motors and such burning up... they didn’t switch.

Going to 40Hz would *guarantee* transformers, motors, etc burn up - within a very short time (like minutes to an hour or two).

True. IIRC, when they made appliances for 25 cycles for the Ontario, Canada and Buffalo, NY areas, the transformers were huge in comparison to ones that can run on 50/60 cycles. 50 to 60 cycles isn't much of a difference but 25 to 60 or even 40 to 60 is and you need the larger transformers to dissipate the added heat you get at 25 or 40 cycles.

The rule of thumb is that you can go up in frequency, you can run 25 cycles appliances at 60 cycles as long as they don't have electric motors, unless it is a multi-frequency type like my grandmother's sweeper. If you had a 25 cycle Canadian TV/radio from the 1950's, it will work fine at 60 cycles but not vice versa.

[Paladin2]