I would like to have a data logger that can track the KWs being used in my
home. I need to know load times/days etc. I have seen a number of items that
do this by attaching to the power cable from the consumer unit and then
sending this data using RF to a display unit.
(http://www.electrisave.co.uk/) but this does not have a PC interface so I
cannot use it to log data over a long period of time.
Question: How does this device collect/measure the total electricity used?

Keith D said the following on 25/07/2006 21:47:
I would like to have a data logger that can track the KWs being used in my
home. I need to know load times/days etc. I have seen a number of items that
do this by attaching to the power cable from the consumer unit and then
sending this data using RF to a display unit.
(http://www.electrisave.co.uk/) but this does not have a PC interface so I
cannot use it to log data over a long period of time.
Question: How does this device collect/measure the total electricity used?


It has a sensor that you connect around the live wire of your meter
tails that measures the current flowing in the wire. The sensor
transmits the signal to the receiver (as shown in the photographs on the
above website) and the receiver (which you programme for the nominal
voltage of the mains) then calculates the power being consumed by the
whole house. This is an instantaneous (or maybe average) reading and
the unit does not appear to do any data logging at all.

See he http://www.abc.net.au/ra/innovations...es/s965886.htm


If I wasn't prepared to pay for something really expensive

I would consider using one of these: -

http://www.sjelectronics.co.uk/acatalog/RR3020-30.pdf

and something from this company: -

http://www.picotech.com/data-logger.html

"Keith D" wrote in message
...
I would like to have a data logger that can track the KWs being used
in my
home. I need to know load times/days etc. I have seen a number of
items that
do this by attaching to the power cable from the consumer unit and
then
sending this data using RF to a display unit.
(http://www.electrisave.co.uk/) but this does not have a PC
interface so I
cannot use it to log data over a long period of time.
Question: How does this device collect/measure the total electricity
used?



I have a secondary elctricity meter (that was originally a coin
operated one) that has had the coin mech taken out and a slotted LED
sensor put on the disk, which via an optoisolator drives the interupt
bit of the parallel port. I've been logging electricity (and water
too) using this method for over 10 years now.

AWEM

On 2006-07-26 08:34:18 +0100, "Andrew Mawson"
said:


"Keith D" wrote in message
...
I would like to have a data logger that can track the KWs being used
in my
home. I need to know load times/days etc. I have seen a number of
items that
do this by attaching to the power cable from the consumer unit and
then
sending this data using RF to a display unit.
(http://www.electrisave.co.uk/) but this does not have a PC
interface so I
cannot use it to log data over a long period of time.
Question: How does this device collect/measure the total electricity
used?



I have a secondary elctricity meter (that was originally a coin
operated one) that has had the coin mech taken out and a slotted LED
sensor put on the disk, which via an optoisolator drives the interupt
bit of the parallel port. I've been logging electricity (and water
too) using this method for over 10 years now.

AWEM

Interesting. One interrupt per revolution of the disk?

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On 2006-07-26 08:34:18 +0100, "Andrew Mawson"
said:


"Keith D" wrote in message
...
I would like to have a data logger that can track the KWs being
used
in my
home. I need to know load times/days etc. I have seen a number of
items that
do this by attaching to the power cable from the consumer unit
and
then
sending this data using RF to a display unit.
(http://www.electrisave.co.uk/) but this does not have a PC
interface so I
cannot use it to log data over a long period of time.
Question: How does this device collect/measure the total
electricity
used?



I have a secondary elctricity meter (that was originally a coin
operated one) that has had the coin mech taken out and a slotted
LED
sensor put on the disk, which via an optoisolator drives the
interupt
bit of the parallel port. I've been logging electricity (and water
too) using this method for over 10 years now.

AWEM

Interesting. One interrupt per revolution of the disk?






Yes, and I use a simple RS transducer to give me water rate usage,
though that has to have a 'divide by 100' circuit in series due to the
rapid rate of revolution. The software (which I wrote) does simple
zone control on my central heating, and also has provision to monitor
gas, but I've never found a suitable sensor.

AWEM

"Andrew Mawson" wrote in message
...

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On 2006-07-26 08:34:18 +0100, "Andrew Mawson"
said:


"Keith D" wrote in message
...
I would like to have a data logger that can track the KWs being
used
in my
home. I need to know load times/days etc. I have seen a number of
items that
do this by attaching to the power cable from the consumer unit
and
then
sending this data using RF to a display unit.
(http://www.electrisave.co.uk/) but this does not have a PC
interface so I
cannot use it to log data over a long period of time.
Question: How does this device collect/measure the total
electricity
used?



I have a secondary elctricity meter (that was originally a coin
operated one) that has had the coin mech taken out and a slotted
LED
sensor put on the disk, which via an optoisolator drives the
interupt
bit of the parallel port. I've been logging electricity (and water
too) using this method for over 10 years now.

AWEM

Interesting. One interrupt per revolution of the disk?






Yes, and I use a simple RS transducer to give me water rate usage,
though that has to have a 'divide by 100' circuit in series due to the
rapid rate of revolution. The software (which I wrote) does simple
zone control on my central heating, and also has provision to monitor
gas, but I've never found a suitable sensor.

AWEM

Could you rig up an optical sensor that looked directly at the digits on the
companies gas meter. It wouldn't have to actually read the numbers, it could
just log movement of the last digit (thinking of my gas meter that has an
'odometer' type display)? Although thinking about it a webcam with character
recognition could take periodic snapshots of the gas meter

Andy

"Andy McKenzie" wrote in message
...

"Andrew Mawson" wrote in
message
...

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On 2006-07-26 08:34:18 +0100, "Andrew Mawson"
said:


"Keith D" wrote in message
...
I would like to have a data logger that can track the KWs
being
used
in my
home. I need to know load times/days etc. I have seen a number
of
items that
do this by attaching to the power cable from the consumer unit
and
then
sending this data using RF to a display unit.
(http://www.electrisave.co.uk/) but this does not have a PC
interface so I
cannot use it to log data over a long period of time.
Question: How does this device collect/measure the total
electricity
used?



I have a secondary elctricity meter (that was originally a coin
operated one) that has had the coin mech taken out and a
slotted
LED
sensor put on the disk, which via an optoisolator drives the
interupt
bit of the parallel port. I've been logging electricity (and
water
too) using this method for over 10 years now.

AWEM

Interesting. One interrupt per revolution of the disk?






Yes, and I use a simple RS transducer to give me water rate usage,
though that has to have a 'divide by 100' circuit in series due to
the
rapid rate of revolution. The software (which I wrote) does simple
zone control on my central heating, and also has provision to
monitor
gas, but I've never found a suitable sensor.

AWEM

Could you rig up an optical sensor that looked directly at the
digits on the
companies gas meter. It wouldn't have to actually read the numbers,
it could
just log movement of the last digit (thinking of my gas meter that
has an
'odometer' type display)? Although thinking about it a webcam with
character
recognition could take periodic snapshots of the gas meter

Andy



I held back from that approach as it could scare the pants off meter
readers ! The normal gas meter 'breathes' with a bellows, and can be
distinctly heard. I had indended to make a microphone based system
with filters to pick out it's distinctive sound, but like so many
things never got round to it.

AWEM

Andy McKenzie wrote:

Could you rig up an optical sensor that looked directly at the digits on the
companies gas meter. It wouldn't have to actually read the numbers, it could
just log movement of the last digit (thinking of my gas meter that has an
'odometer' type display)? Although thinking about it a webcam with character
recognition could take periodic snapshots of the gas meter

Andy

Here you go!

http://phk.freebsd.dk/Gasdims/

Mathew

On 2006-07-26 10:06:04 +0100, "Andrew Mawson"
said:



Yes, and I use a simple RS transducer to give me water rate usage,
though that has to have a 'divide by 100' circuit in series due to the
rapid rate of revolution.

OK. Do you remember which one?


The software (which I wrote) does simple
zone control on my central heating, and also has provision to monitor
gas, but I've never found a suitable sensor.

AWEM

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On 2006-07-26 10:06:04 +0100, "Andrew Mawson"
said:



Yes, and I use a simple RS transducer to give me water rate usage,
though that has to have a 'divide by 100' circuit in series due to
the
rapid rate of revolution.



The software (which I wrote) does simple
zone control on my central heating, and also has provision to
monitor
gas, but I've never found a suitable sensor.

AWEM

OK. Do you remember which one?

RS part number 257-133 - amazingly still available at about 20 squid

AWEM

In article ,
"Andrew Mawson" writes:

Yes, and I use a simple RS transducer to give me water rate usage,
though that has to have a 'divide by 100' circuit in series due to the
rapid rate of revolution. The software (which I wrote) does simple
zone control on my central heating, and also has provision to monitor
gas, but I've never found a suitable sensor.

My gas meter, an R5, has one built in, and a socket on it
labelled 12V 10mA max, 1 pulse = 1 cu ft.

The socket has a blanking plug in it, with no obvious way
to get it out, and I would need to find the plug to fit it
too.

--
Andrew Gabriel

Keith D wrote:
I would like to have a data logger that can track the KWs being used in my
home. I need to know load times/days etc. I have seen a number of items that
do this by attaching to the power cable from the consumer unit and then
sending this data using RF to a display unit.
(http://www.electrisave.co.uk/) but this does not have a PC interface so I
cannot use it to log data over a long period of time.
Question: How does this device collect/measure the total electricity used?

Here's a potential solution costing just a couple of quid...

http://offog.org/code/electricity.html

Mathew

"Mathew Newton" wrote in message
ups.com...
Keith D wrote:
I would like to have a data logger that can track the KWs being
used in my
home. I need to know load times/days etc. I have seen a number of
items that
do this by attaching to the power cable from the consumer unit and
then
sending this data using RF to a display unit.
(http://www.electrisave.co.uk/) but this does not have a PC
interface so I
cannot use it to log data over a long period of time.
Question: How does this device collect/measure the total
electricity used?

Here's a potential solution costing just a couple of quid...

http://offog.org/code/electricity.html

Mathew


But the problem with both that gas interface and opto electricity
interface is that they invite too many questions from the meter
readers - I'm sure that you'll be reported for possible fiddling
attempts with bits stuck all over the meter. That's why I opted for a
separate meter that I modified in series with the boards meter.

AWEM

Andrew Mawson wrote:

But the problem with both that gas interface and opto electricity
interface is that they invite too many questions from the meter
readers - I'm sure that you'll be reported for possible fiddling
attempts with bits stuck all over the meter. That's why I opted for a
separate meter that I modified in series with the boards meter.


I can't even remember the last time we actually had someone round to
read our meters... Even so, it'd be trivial to pull the blu-tack blob
holding the sensor off the meter for the meter read so I really don't
see this as a significant disadvantage, particularly in the context of
the simplicity and low cost.

Mathew

Mathew Newton wrote:
Andrew Mawson wrote:

But the problem with both that gas interface and opto electricity
interface is that they invite too many questions from the meter
readers - I'm sure that you'll be reported for possible fiddling
attempts with bits stuck all over the meter. That's why I opted for a
separate meter that I modified in series with the boards meter.


I can't even remember the last time we actually had someone round to
read our meters... Even so, it'd be trivial to pull the blu-tack blob
holding the sensor off the meter for the meter read so I really don't
see this as a significant disadvantage, particularly in the context of
the simplicity and low cost.

Mathew


Me neither - especially as the meter readers don't work directly for the
supplier and are unlikely to be arsed to do anything about it even if
they did suspect foul play. Besides, the seals would still be intact so
even a jobsworth would have little reason for suspicion.

Richard Conway wrote:
Mathew Newton wrote:
Andrew Mawson wrote:

But the problem with both that gas interface and opto electricity
interface is that they invite too many questions from the meter
readers - I'm sure that you'll be reported for possible fiddling
attempts with bits stuck all over the meter. That's why I opted for a
separate meter that I modified in series with the boards meter.

If what you put on the meter is no more than a photocell
/phototransistor on end of cable, this minimises the suspicions. Put
the circuitry on it there too raises more question marks.

In the time I've been here I dont think theyve ever even seen the
meter, they dont seem interested now.


NT