Ironically-Named ‘Smart Meters’ Prove to Be a Dumb Idea

The Blaze ^ | 03-26-11 | Mike Opelka

[FrogMom]

Anyone surprised, raise your hand.

[SatinDoll]

This is so much bullshit!

Radio waves have been around for a loooooong time. Now, suddenly they’re causing problems? Hello?

[Wayne07]

“RF disease”?? That article is ridiculous.

[Brad from Tennessee]

From NYT Nov. 2, 2009:

. . .Silver Spring Networks, produces hardware and software to make the electricity grid more efficient. It came to Mr.(Al)Gore’s firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, one of Silicon Valley’s top venture capital providers, looking for $75 million to expand its partnerships with utilities seeking to install millions of so-called smart meters in homes and businesses.

Mr. Gore and his partners decided to back the company, and in gratitude Silver Spring retained him and John Doerr, another Kleiner Perkins partner, as unpaid corporate advisers.

The deal appeared to pay off in a big way last week, when the Energy Department announced $3.4 billion in smart grid grants. Of the total, more than $560 million went to utilities with which Silver Spring has contracts. Kleiner Perkins and its partners, including Mr. Gore, could recoup their investment many times over in coming years. . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/business/energy-environment/03gore.html?_r=4

[NVDave]

Don’t get me started. I’ve been seeing this kind of crap around radio wave transmission sources since, oh, the early 80’s.

That said, “smart meters” have significant problems in that someone is going to figure out how to hack their bill by attacking the wireless signals. Same deal as for WiFi cracking. It can be done, and odds are, it can be done fairly cheaply.

[newzjunkey]

I visited a company called Itron in the early 90s. They made remotely readable utility meters even then.

The new thing here is the scale of deployment since utilities are replacing old human readable meters en masse.

[SatinDoll]

What new thing? Radio waves have been bombarding humans for decades.

Just so you know - I neither own nor operate a cell phone or satellite TV. My microwave oven died and I’m not sure I’ll replace it. So I’m not a huge fan of modern wireless tech, but mainly because I believe I can do without.

[databoss]

No cordless phones either? All wired land lines?

[SatinDoll]

My electrical meter is located in an odd place on my house, requiring the meter reader to come into my backyard, walk across my deck and kneel to read it. In addition, they have to encounter my dogs, and though nice dogs they do not like intruders.

It would be much easier for me personally if I had a transmitter on the meter. That way I wouldn’t have to corral the dogs and go out in the rain and mud to unlock a gate.

[SatinDoll]

Yep.

I didn’t bother to get a telephone until 1991.

[Ditter]

We have a meter that can be read from the street with a device. Meter reader doesn’t have to come onto my property, open the gate and go behind the garage where the meter is located. Is this what they are calling a smart meter?

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Sounds like it’s all in their heads, but the stress induced by worry can cause real illness.

[Johnny B.]

Here's an interesting story on this subject:

People complaining about getting rashes from radio tower that wasn't hooked up to anything.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

RIIIINNNNGGGG-RIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG! It's for you.

[SatinDoll]

The meters, with transmitters, can be easily shielded.

Take one of those very large cans, the really big ones that hold tomatoes found at COSTCO, and cut it in half from top to bottom. Mount it behind the meter/tranmitter between house and meter.

There you go, all assured of a good night’s sleep without those nasty radio waves.

[FrogMom]

I don't know.

This is from FAQ at http://www.sdge.com/smartmeter/faq.shtml

What is Smart Meter?

Smart meters are digital devices that collect energy-use data and – unlike traditional meters – transmit and receive data, too. Electric energy use will be recorded every hour at your home and every 15 minutes at your business.

Natural gas information will be available on a daily basis. Smart meters will enable you to monitor your consumption more precisely so you can make more informed energy choices.

Why is SDG&E installing smart meters?

The state of California has asked all utilities to change out existing electric and natural gas meters with new, digital smart meters as part of its energy action plan.

Smart meters and the information they provide can help save energy on high-use days, keeping the lights on for everyone.

What they don't say is if these can be turned off remotely.

[SatinDoll]

Sounds like heaven!

[Daaave]

We received this e-mail and the photo above from a concerned woman the other day:
I live in a large apt complex. all 180 meters are about 12 feet below my living room window. do you think the first step would be to have someone come take a reading of the radio frequency output?

stopsmartmeters.org

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Won’t work unless you do something to prevent the waves from coming out the the open side. I’m not sure how much isolation a #10 can provides. BTW, a metal surface only blocks the E-field, not the H-Field. Even completely encasing it probably won’t do much good. Cell phones, for instance, are H-field sources, they easily pentrate Faraday cages like automobiles. Compact low frequency radiators tend to be H-field sources.

Well ground foil or conductive screen will help sheild most frequencies far from the source, granted.

Or course, if your problem is psychological, a #10 can is perfect.

[count-your-change]

Were you on an old party line? When the receiver was picked up there would be several clicks as everyone interested would also pick up and when the parties hanged up the same. The heavy breathing was a give away.
That cut down on gossip as everyone already heard everyone elses business.