[Scan-DC] PEPCO Wireless Meters Fear -- Hype or Real?

[Clegg, Andrew W.]

A lot of these will operate under Part 15 and will therefore not appear
in any license databases, so the FCC ID is the best way to go for those.
I am playing with the FCC ID database and located info for one of the
major meter manufacturers (Itron), and a random sampling of their filed
data show that many of their meters use the 902-928 MHz band, at about
1/4 watt. Some documentation I found online implies that the Itron
meters function as a mesh network, with one meter communicating its use
to a nearby neighbor which then forwards it to the next meter, etc.,
until it finally makes its way to a centralized aggregate reading point.

I've just scratched the surface, but it's been more fun that doing real
work this morning.


-----Original Message-----
From: John Wilson [mailto:w4uvv at comcast.net] 
Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2012 10:35 AM
To: Clegg, Andrew W.
Cc: Matthew Sadler; scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] PEPCO Wireless Meters Fear -- Hype or Real?

I have maintained a database for Virginia since 1985 for the various 
radio services and do frequent updates..  For FCC VA. updates I have not

seen any specific license to a utility for specific power usage 
frequencies.  They are/were initially licensed to the company who was 
contracted to do installations for the utility for a city/town/county.  
For example, see my earlier post regarding Hexagram, Inc., an installer 
for Culpeper Co., VA,  452.4125 mhz. @ 1/2 watt.  The frequency 
information for Culpeper Co. would be found for Hexagram, Inc., license 
(now expired) and not Dominion Power.

John

Clegg, Andrew W. wrote:
> Or how many are smokers, drinkers, walk outside in the sunshine, eat
> fatty foods, drive over the speed limit, don't floss regularly,
jaywalk,
> don't exercise for 1/2 hour daily, or any number of other activities
> that have more likely relationships with increased risk of potentially
> adverse health effects.
>
> Out in Shenandoah County, the local utility reads my meter via power
> line carrier. I was concerned when they installed the meter that I
would
> see increased interference to my VLF and LF radio receivers (not from
a
> health perspective, just from a noise perspective), but I haven't seen
> any noticeable increase. I don't even know how often the meter
> communicates. It might just be a quick burst every few hours or
> something.
>
> Does anyone have an FCC ID for a particular power meter? That would
> provide exact frequencies and power levels for that particular model.
I
> could not find one on my meter.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Matthew Sadler
> Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2012 9:53 AM
> To: scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] PEPCO Wireless Meters Fear -- Hype or Real?
>
> We've got the same thing going on here in Chattanooga, except our
> utility
> (EPB) isn't using wireless, they're either power line carrier if you
> don't
> subscribe to their fiber-optic services, or go over the FOC if you do.
> My
> electric provider (I'm out in the sticks) uses power line carrier.
>
> I agree with the poster that they need more tinfoil. I'm curious how
> many
> of them have cell phones or WiFi in their houses, though.
>
> --mws / kf4lhp
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