[Lowfer] Just joined the Smartmeter Club

[Dexter McIntyre W4DEX]

Gary wrote:
> My wife informed me that we lost power for a while today and she saw a man walking across the yard carrying "something electrical."  Well, we now have a Silver Springs Networks NIC 314 smart meter hanging on the side of the house. I've explored their website but have not yet found a data sheet for the 314.  The 300 series seems to utilize the 2.2ghz and 902mhz ranges according to the data sheets.  I am still looking for the 314.
>
>   
Several smart meters that I have seen which communicate via RF have FCC 
certification numbers printed somewhere on them.  But I don't think you 
will have QRM from any smart meter that used RF for reporting.   The 
meter that was previously on my residence transmitted around 915 MHz 
when polled.  Even when I was operating SSB or CW on 903 MHz I had no 
QRM from the meter.  That meter was replaced by a non RF smart meter 
which as odd as it sounds is a real QRM generator. My new smart meter 
transmits a 4 to 5 second data burst only when polled which is about 
every 4 hours.  From what I've learned the meter has an internal 100 amp 
load which is toggled on and off with a data signal.  This near 
instantaneous load change on the distribution system is detected and 
decoded by a unit located at the sub station which is about 3 miles 
away.  This fast load switching noises up the power line causing two of 
my UPS units to switch, produces noise on a wired intercom and causes 
X-10 units to switch randomly.  The RF QRM produced covers from near DC 
up through 160 meters, probably detectable even higher.  But is only 
last 4 to 5 seconds.  I do faintly hear on the wired intercom at least 
two other meters reporting.
 
And another thing.  If I fail to pay my bill the utility can remotely 
turn off my power.  When the bill is paid they can remotely turn it back 
on and still charge a reconnect fee even though the employee that use to 
do the job now is out of work.

Dex