Re: power meter monitoring

[Marc_F_Hult <MFHult@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Dennis,

Yes, we are trying to be helpful.

I am reminded of an old joke about the dour and dull Drill Instructor  whose
job it was to get new recruits off the bus and into the processing building.

"Off the bus. Turn Right. Follow blue line to blue door"
"Off the bus. Turn Right. Follow blue line to blue door"
"Off the bus. Turn Right. Follow blue line to blue door"
and so on.

After a few dozen busloads he whines, "I keep telling them but they don't
never larn".

As you may have found, there are several problems with searching the
newsgroups for prior answers. You bumped into the 'territory' of one of the
frequent posters who thinks 'the world begins' when he first becomes aware of
something.

One of my pet peeves are the regulars who post something that they
subsequently realize is [choose a polite descriptor] and then don't correct
the record. They do us all a disservice by polluting the record. Sometimes
too there are changes and improvements. The silliness over the compact
fluorescent lamp (CFL) discussion is a good example. Folks who painted
themselves into a corner years ago with ill-advised pronouncements keep
trying to defend an outdated position by referring to circumstances of 30
years ago as if they were today's reality.

So ask away. You will find that even the brusque have useful things to say if
you learn how to filter out self-important posturing.

(The spammer thing is different issue. Some folks have a low threshold for
those that would use comp.home.automation for commercial purposes contrary to
the newsgroup's charter. It's easy to react too quickly. This too will pass
quickly.)

HTH ...Marc
Marc_F_Hult
www.ECOntrol.org


 Tue, 20 Feb 2007 20:03:42 -0500, "intergate news groups"
<djraher@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
<12tn6jb984epcec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

>Mark,
>Thanks for the related links. I was more then just a little surprised at the
>holier then thou reaction to my post.  I thought sharing both ideas and
>information on interesting related products was exactly what the group was
>all about. I remembered seeing several posts requesting information on how
>to monitor the main power meter, as well as posts mentioning a desire to be
>able to monitor peak power usage, which I didn't think the kill a watt meter
>would do. Here I thought I was simply passing along some useful information
>I ran accrossed,
>only to get slammed as a spammer.  I also wonder how many posters search the
>group each time before posting a question or comment.  I can personally
>remember seeing dozens of messages that would fail this criteria, and I for
>one would not slam them for it.  We are supposed to be helping each other,
>aren't we??
>Dennis
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Mark_F_Hult" <
>MFHult@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>Newsgroups: comp.home.automation
>Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2007 6:06 PM
>Subject: Re: Power monitoring device
>> On Sat, 17 Feb 2007 18:20:56 GMT,
>nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> (Dave Houston) wrot
>> e in
>> message  <
>45d744f0.69684750@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>:
>>
>>>"intergate news groups" <
>djraher@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I just found two power monitoring devices, one for the main power meter
>>>>and
>>>>one portable, that look really good. The one for the main power meter
>> clamps
>>>>the detector/transmitter to the glass cover of the meter and sends the
>>>>information to the display inside the house. The portable unit has peak
>>>>reading feature that others have mentioned as being useful. It also has a
>>>>function to log the amount of time a device draws more then a set amount
>>>>of
>>>>power. You could track the time a refrigerator compressor is running for
>>>>an
>>>>example. Now if the main power meter transmission could be captured for
>>>>the
>>>>HA system all sorts of things are possible.  Take a look at:
>>>>
>>>>www.powercostmonitor.com
>>>>
>>>>Dennis
>>>
>>>You'll catch less flak from self-appointed moderators if you search the
>>>group before posting with wide-eyed exuberance.
>>>
>>>Watts Up has been around for 3-4 years. It and other power meters have
>>>been
>>>discussed here. IMO, it's a bit pricey - you're paying $100 for the RS232
>>>(now USB) interface as compared to the Kill A Watt (previously mentioned
>>>in
>>>the reefer madness thread) which can measure the same things (with better
>>>accuracy unless the new USB model of Watts Up has improved on accuracy).
>>
>> ROTFL.  The Watts Up was first mention in this newsgroup in 1998! So was
>> it
>> Dave Houston "posting with wide-eyed exuberance" "3-4 years ago" and
>> ~five
>> years after it was first discussed here ? ;-)  The Watts Up was initially
>> tested marketed in 1992 and was available on-line at retail by at least
>> 1998.
>> Dennis, you might also check out the web site of long-time
>> comp.home.participant who has implemented some interesting and useful DIY
>> power monitoring See Ed Cheung's site at:
>>
>http://www.edcheung.com/automa/power.htm
>  Requires soldering skills, but
>> might provide some ideas.
>>
>> ... Marc
>> Marc_F_Hult
>>
>www.ECONtrol.org
>