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dxAce · October 19th 06, 04:16 PM posted to rec.radio.shortwave

wrote:

Anyone else in the group have any experience with the new "smart" KWH
meters being deployed
by many utilities?

We we arrived home after a fun filled visit to the family MD, I found a
hang tag on the door that
said RECC had replaced out meter with anew, udated, smart meter that
allowed for remoted
measurement of our eletric usage.

No big deal except this is the RFI jammer from hell.

Itut makes a firedrake jammer nice by comparison.

From below 100KHz to above 30MHz a low level, just below S1, hash wipes
out all weak signals.
Too late today to call and complain, but I thought everyone might want
a heads up on this. Just
whne it looked with BPL is dead hear abouts, here comes a new RFI
source from left field.

The only good thing is that I am an extra class so I could see what 1KW
AM does to it.

It is a:
Focus KWH
Type ALF
Form 2S CL200

I don't know if I am receiving mine, or the collective RF from all the
meters in the area.
All three of my prirmary antennas have about the same noise level.

I just aquired a Tek 7613 and a Tek 7704A frames with a 7L12 spectrum
analyzer.
If they had only waited another week I would have completed a noise
audit on all three of
my antennas.

I've had a new meter installed here in the last couple of years, brand on it
seems to be 'Icon' or 'Sensus'. Also had a new box installed which apparently
sends the signal out and it appears to be of the 'Star' brand by Hexagram, Inc.

I had installation held up until I could figure out if it would pose an RF
problem. Seems as though it broadcasts in the VHF/UHF range at least once a day.
I did have the freq. written down, but can't find it.

Bottom line here is that it has caused no problems at all RF wise, elsewise I
probably would have had them yank it.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

Drake R7, R8, R8A and R8B