Rod Speed wrote:


"Bob Minchin" wrote in message
news
GB wrote:
Eon came to install a smart meter in the cellar. But there was not
enough signal strength. (Well, I never would have expected that, in a
cellar, below ground level, etc.) So, the meter was not installed.

Surely, there must be some simple solution to this? The meter is a
couple of metres from an air brick, so why not run an aerial lead
through that?

Most antennas are on the circuit board in these sort of devices and
work at all sorts of funny impedances.
The extra circuitry to have a 50 or 75 ohm connector to a length of
cable and hence onto a remote antenna is a significant expense and
design complication.

But there is no reason why there can't be more than one version of that
board, so the one with the external antenna can be used when required.

Long term I don't know what the official solution will be to these
difficult locations especially until we have cellular coverage rolled
out to every sq metre of the UK.

Or just accept the fact that a few are stuck with manual meters for now.

The whole smart metering thing is ill-thought out from start to
..........

Only in a few areas like not having a universal design that all
suppliers can use.
Internal antennas mean they can use cheaper power supplies with no mains
isolation. Fitting an external connector would force the design to use
an isolated supply internally thus pushing up the cost.
All very doable but no doubt the works cost for these meters is driven
to the bare minimum.