"Smart" electricity meters can ID your lights

  • Thread starter Herbiraptor
  • Start date
  • Tagged users None
budfriend

budfriend

234
28
styles...switch names of electric holder and usage resets. It wont show a spike.
 
S

styles

5
0
that is an awesome idea but unfortunately its not an option where i live. the tent comes with 4 400s and i was thinking about switching them out for 600s or 1000s which will be an even bigger spike.
 
S

speedracer1508

21
0
Just an opinion but I use to use 6 1000 and would yield 5-5.5 and I eliminated 3-1000 and added the other 3 on lights movers and I am yielding 4.5-5 not a big difference but I cut my cost by like 60% and also just cut down on house usage , it al depends on how u use your power and what time in the day or night
 
Joe Fresh

Joe Fresh

1,036
263
ive had a smart meter for about 2 years now in my new spot..only running 8 lights for flower(on relays) so 4 ballasts running 24/7....then i got 2kw for veg running 24/7 ...so thats 6kw running 24/7 plus my huge ass a/c and fans, pumps ect...never had an issue related to the meter...

so i dont know if its because all my ballasts are running 24/7....or if they really dont give a shit, but i have not had an issue....

the power company is also now offering to replace the smart meter with and old mechanical one like we used to have for 15$ installation plus 5$ monthly...i currently owe a few thou on my electric bill but hoping to clear them next crop so i can switch out the meter this summer...but as of now i have had zero issues with this meter..

ps: the reason the elec company is offering to switch out the meters is because of too many complaints of ppls bills going from 200/month to 800/month and they dont even grow, just old ladies and shit...so there is def problems with the meters i think..
 
ElManiaco

ElManiaco

364
93
Smart meters suck! Been having problems ever since they installed them... Bill fluctuates like crazy when I'm aware of what I use & when I use it... Hate them things... Always gotta have a tech check it out.
 
fishwhistle

fishwhistle

4,686
263
ive had a smart meter for about 2 years now in my new spot..only running 8 lights for flower(on relays) so 4 ballasts running 24/7....then i got 2kw for veg running 24/7 ...so thats 6kw running 24/7 plus my huge ass a/c and fans, pumps ect...never had an issue related to the meter...

so i dont know if its because all my ballasts are running 24/7....or if they really dont give a shit, but i have not had an issue....

the power company is also now offering to replace the smart meter with and old mechanical one like we used to have for 15$ installation plus 5$ monthly...i currently owe a few thou on my electric bill but hoping to clear them next crop so i can switch out the meter this summer...but as of now i have had zero issues with this meter..

ps: the reason the elec company is offering to switch out the meters is because of too many complaints of ppls bills going from 200/month to 800/month and they dont even grow, just old ladies and shit...so there is def problems with the meters i think..

curious what power co. is offering to get rid of the smart meter?
 
fishwhistle

fishwhistle

4,686
263
I heard you could opt out before and called my power company and they said nope!(edison)they have replaced my meter 3 times and its still fubared and they have to come read it.
 
lurrabq

lurrabq

54
18
Dapper,

This could work in line. All the transformer does in this situation is to provide a 'choke' of sorts between the panel and the meter. This would also filter out any backfeed noise generated by say HID ballasts. The power co. would just get it's demand information from one side of the transformer. Those HID type lights throw a big spike in the sine wave when they are starting. The electronic ballasts aren't quite as bad with this as the old core and coil type units.
 
lurrabq

lurrabq

54
18
How about the Gavita E series?
Starting surge is inherent with all HID lamp sources. Takes a lot of power to initially excite the gasses within the lamp envelope, but once that action occurs the ballast ramps back to more of a normal output. Old HID lamps would take 5-8 minutes to come to full brightness, and the ballast is pushing the power for that duration.

That does look like a nice setup though.....
 
fishwhistle

fishwhistle

4,686
263
From what i understand gavita e series have no inrush like a normal hid fixture,i understand they still use power but i was under the impression that there was no start up spike with them.
 
DapperDon

DapperDon

412
63
Correct. Just like Solis Tek Ballasts, they have a soft start feature. Standard mag ballasts and e-ballasts have startup spikes. This is the future of lighting tech. So my understanding and workaround with this has my equipment behind a circuit isolator so that the readings coming off the pole have no spike and no appliance identifier. Throw it on a flip and it will show no timing patterns and will match any other periodic appliance.
 
fishwhistle

fishwhistle

4,686
263
Check the video at 10 minutes,no inrush,no power spike,no high power relays required with e series.Not sure about solis tek,I have those ballasts too and i think they still spike but they start sequentially so they dont ALL spike at the same time.The new e series are essentially powered up all the time in standby mode and the gavita controller just turns the light on and off when required,no spikes.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom