Power Company Smart Meters

[G50AE]

...it puts out the same or less radio waves than a cell phone.

Which means it puts out a lot less RF than my CB radio. I guess I can take off my tinfoil hat. I'll keep the CCW badge though.

[yolk100]

The study was published in Scientific American. I don't remember who the authors were.

Simple common sense: you have multiple sources of RF (Radio Frequency) in your house. Most of them are in the Milli Watt or Micro Watt power range (WiFi, Cell Phones, maybe radio headphones). You introduce a smart meter with a 1 Watt transmitter and it's a 1000 times more powerful than anything else you have in your house. If it's on the street (where my non-smart meter is located) it will only matter if it interferes with your WiFi. If it's on the side of your house where most are installed it may be a different matter.

Your microwave is designed to leak not more than about 0.1W when it's operating.

Just saying.

[BigSlick]

Guys, I work for one of the nations largest electric utilities. We just install 20,000 of these in one of our communities. Most of that is bunk, your bill will not double, it puts out the same or less radio waves than a cell phone.

Cell phones emit a max. of 600mW of RF energy. 1 watt is 40% more RF energy. I would like to know what frequency these things operate on and if they operate continuously. 1 watt can cover several miles easy. My guess would be these meters are digital and send data packets to receivers positioned at various locations in a neighborhood. The receivers would be linked to the central billing office where the data would be stored and recorded for billing purposes. If they operate continuously, then who pays for the extra 720 watts each month the meter uses just to operate the transmitter? If the meters are read using a drive by method then 100mW is more than enough.

[CharlieK]

Cell phones emit a max. of 600mW of RF energy. 1 watt is 40% more RF energy. I would like to know what frequency these things operate on and if they operate continuously. 1 watt can cover several miles easy. My guess would be these meters are digital and send data packets to receivers positioned at various locations in a neighborhood. The receivers would be linked to the central billing office where the data would be stored and recorded for billing purposes. If they operate continuously, then who pays for the extra 720 watts each month the meter uses just to operate the transmitter? If the meters are read using a drive by method then 100mW is more than enough.

No, 1W is not 40% more than 600mW; it's 66.7% more. (400/600)x100 = 66.7%

[BigSlick]

No, 1W is not 40% more than 600mW; it's 66.7% more. (400/600)x100 = 66.7%

I did that backwards. I subtracted 40% from 1.000 watt value to arrive at 0.600. Should have gone the other way. It happens when I get sleepy.

[tuts40]

Can you have the old meter back? Just asking...

Here's another vid along the lines of your question: Smart Meters - YouTube

[nogods]

I'm 50 seconds into it and he's losing me already.

"...computers that you'll never get to see." Yes, and? I have no right to see someone else's private property.

"...shows when you are home; shows when you are sleeping." No, not really. All it's going to show is when I'm using more power and when I'm using less.

"...bootleg energy off the grid." Whaaaa? Like having a solar panel installed? Heck yes I want them to know about that. In most states, you can sell any excess energy back to the power company, and tehy HAVE to let you. The only other thing he could be talking would involve theft of service from the power company, and I'm sure none of the "law-abiding gun owners" on this forum would EVER do something ILLEGAL.

Sorry. I can only take so much alarmist talk at once, and 1:00 is my limit tonight.

My thoughts exactly...I was expecting him to also claim that "smart meters" know whether you washed your hands after taking a dump, which finger you used to flick that booger, and who was the last person to drink milk straight out of the jug in your home.

How does someone listen to such dribble and not become alarmed that the person appearing in that video is not under supervision?

[G50AE]

My thoughts exactly...I was expecting him to also claim that "smart meters" know whether you washed your hands after taking a dump, which finger you used to flick that booger, and who was the last person to drink milk straight out of the jug in your home.

How does someone listen to such dribble and not become alarmed that the person appearing in that video is not under supervision?

Does this mean that the new "Smartmeter" will know if I am wearing my tinfoil hat and CCW Badge?