[Lowfer] AC utility meter QRM on LF

[Eric Smith]

Hey guys, what do you think about this?  Now, I'm just playing devil's
advocate here...as you know, I am on your side:

Now, I would term our experimental 2200m license grants as
"provisional", and here is why:  Since it was the utilities that
raised a fuss essentially shutting down 2200m as a formal ham band,
how strong do you think we could go to the net when making a statement
that the power company is interfering with a duly FCC licensed radio
station??  That is, when talking 2200m?

What do you think?

Eric KD5UWL / WD2XFX


On Oct 6, 2010, at 2:48 PM, "Stan, W1LE" <stanw1le at verizon.net> wrote:

>  Hello Dex,
>
> 1. Would be interesting to get a broadband current probe around one of
> the AC conductors,
> then feed the probe output to the Rx.
>
> 2. Maybe the manufacturer has a out of band RF power trap to place at
> the source (meter).
> Suppress the noise at the source.
>
> 3. Maybe the manufacturer or the electric coop RFI/EMI section can
> advise on where
> the real energy is, freq wise. So all other energy can be suppressed.
> I would lodge a formal RFI/EMI complaint with them first....
> Interfering with FCC licensed emergency radio communications.... blah,
> blah, blah
>
> 4. The plastic (non-metallic) meter case may not provide adequate
> shielding,
> supplement with a metal shield.
>
> Stan, W1LE       Cape Cod     FN41sr
>
>
> On 10/6/2010 1:05 PM, Dexter McIntyre W4DEX wrote:
>> My local power utility recently replaced a 900 MHz remote reading meter
>> with a new type.  The 900 MHz meter had a FCC ID and I was able to find
>> all the test data on that meter when it was installed about 5 years
>> ago.  The new meter has no FCC certification probably because it
>> transmits it's data via PLC.  The 900 MHz meter required a drive by to
>> read the power usage once a month where as this new meter transmits data
>> multiple times per day.
>>
>> As soon as the new meter was installed I noticed several UPS units I
>> have online would switch to battery.  Then I started havening problems
>> with several X-10 devices which would either toggle on or off when the
>> meter sent data.  The data regularly transmits every 12 hours with what
>> appears to be random minute intervals.  I have also noticed it often
>> transmits at either 4 or 8 hour intervals.  The data last for about 3
>> seconds.  This data appears to be very wide band or at least generating
>> a lot of wide band noise when it transmits.  I have been trying to
>> determine at what frequency most of the power is on but so far haven't
>> been able to.  At first I thought since the X-10 units were being
>> scrambled the meter might be on 120 kHz.  But we know 120 kHz will not
>> pass through power distribution transformers, at least not at X-10 power
>> levels.
>>
>> Today with the SDR-IQ set to view 0 to 190 khz and connected to my LF
>> xmit antenna I can detect what appears to be other meters also transmitting.
>>
>> Picture of the SDR display which shows the approximate 3 second
>> transmission:
>>
>> http://w4dex.com/temp/ac_utility/utility_meter_data.jpg
>>
>> Picture of the meter:
>>
>> http://w4dex.com/temp/ac_utility/utility_meter_landisgry_focus.jpg
>>
>> I'm afraid this will be a real nuisance when I connect my LF receive
>> antennas for the winter.
>>
>> Dex
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Lowfer mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/lowfer
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:Lowfer at mailman.qth.net
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Lowfer mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/lowfer
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Lowfer at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html