On 27/04/2021 15:00, Robin wrote:
On 27/04/2021 14:30, Theo wrote:
Mark Carver wrote:
What is a smart meter, have I already got one ?Â* The present one has
some sort of RFID functionality I assume, coz the van from South East
Water drives up our road, emitting a signal, that causes the meters to
'ping' back their readings ?

Around here the mechanical indoor water meters are cabled to a ~10cm
round
black plastic 'puck' that's mounted on the front wall of the house.
To my
knowledge there's no power supply or battery in the meter (never had to
change one in 15 years, although I suppose it could be powered from the
water pressure).

I had assumed that a meter reader went around with a battery powered
gadget
and touched it to the puck, which illuminated a coil in the puck with
RF and
that stimulated some resonances within the meter digits, so you got an RF
resonance that corresponded to which digit was in which position.Â* That
means you can read it passively like an RFID without needing a power
supply.

But I have no evidence for this, and I now can't find a picture.Â* I've
never
seen anyone read it, but they could do this without ringing the bell.

Are you saying this kind can be read from a van?Â* I'm rather surprised at
the amount of RF power needed if so.Â* Or maybe there are multiple types.


That sounds like the remote reader we had fitted here by Thames Water in
2005.Â* It never worked properly and the final straw was when they sent
people out on Good Friday /and/ Easter Monday in 2008 who both insisted
I needed to lift the fitted carpet and provide access to the meter.
After lengthy correspondence they admitted they no longer fitted such
systems because of their unreliability, fitted a new meter in the
pavement in place of their stop cock, and refunded a year's charges by
way of compensation.



D'oh! I forgot to say that in 2005-2008 there was no drive-by reading;
it was man putting reader to pad. But they can certainly do it now -
even with meters well under the pavement.
--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid