Remote Reading Water Meter (Sensus HomeRider (868MHz)

Toby

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Mar 24, 2013, 3:18:00 PM3/24/13

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Hi,

Thames water have just installed a new water meter, which has a remote
reading function over radio. The installer said they have been looking
at fitting the readers to bin lorries to read the meters when they go
past, but that hasn't happened yet.

The meter is marked as a Sensus/HomeRider V5.2 and has 868MHz on it.

I have had a good look around, but cant seem to see anything about an
end user communicating with the meter and obtaining readings and usage
data from it.

Has anyone managed to achieve this?

Thanks!

--
Toby...
Remove pants to reply

Bob Minchin

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Mar 24, 2013, 4:11:47 PM3/24/13

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I'd be amazed if they can install a utility meter of any sort that the
consumer can't read given these days of wanting householders to consume
responsibly.
Has it got any readout on it at all?

Toby

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Mar 24, 2013, 4:23:07 PM3/24/13

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Other than the usual mechanical digits you would usually get on a meter,
nope!

Here is what it looks like
http://www.homeridersystems.com/public/images/images_zoom/B1a-water-trak-SENSUS.jpg

usenet2012

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Mar 24, 2013, 4:35:49 PM3/24/13

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In message <kinn5c$1ig$1...@dont-email.me>, Toby <ne...@altpantsphuk.co.uk>
writes

>On 24/03/2013 20:11, Bob Minchin wrote:
>> Toby wrote:
>>>
>>> Thames water have just installed a new water meter, which has a remote
>>> reading function over radio. The installer said they have been looking
>>> at fitting the readers to bin lorries to read the meters when they go
>>> past, but that hasn't happened yet.
>>>
>>> The meter is marked as a Sensus/HomeRider V5.2 and has 868MHz on it.
>>>
>>> I have had a good look around, but cant seem to see anything about an
>>> end user communicating with the meter and obtaining readings and usage
>>> data from it.
>>>

>> I'd be amazed if they can install a utility meter of any sort that the
>> consumer can't read given these days of wanting householders to consume
>> responsibly.
>> Has it got any readout on it at all?
>
>Other than the usual mechanical digits you would usually get on a
>meter, nope!
>
>Here is what it looks like
>http://www.homeridersystems.com/public/images/images_zoom/B1a-water-trak
>-SENSUS.jpg
>

Yup, tis what I have.

TW have never remotely read it though, (ppl keep turning up to do so in
person).

--
Simon

12) The Second Rule of Expectations
An EXPECTATION is a Premeditated resentment.

Roger Mills

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Mar 24, 2013, 6:06:12 PM3/24/13

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Most of the meters round our way have got a remote sensor on the outside
of the house which can be read without needing access. Still needs
someone to come round with a hand-held reader, though. As far as I know,
they can't be read at a distance.
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

Graham.

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Mar 24, 2013, 7:55:58 PM3/24/13

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On Sun, 24 Mar 2013 20:35:49 +0000, usenet2012

Apparently it's got a lithium battery that needs changing every 10
years.

--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

Andy Champ

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Mar 25, 2013, 5:36:31 AM3/25/13

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On 24/03/2013 19:18, Toby wrote:
> The installer said they have been looking at fitting the readers to bin
> lorries to read the meters when they go past, but that hasn't happened yet.

Bin lorry doesn't go past our door. They insist we take the bin to the
end of the drive, and there are 8 other houses closer that our to the
place where the lorry stops. What would they do for flats?

Andy

Toby

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Mar 25, 2013, 5:45:00 AM3/25/13

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My meter is in the pavement, not in the house.

The installer said the range was sufficient to read meters in the top
floor flat where the meter was up there from the road in the trials. The
meter has a battery in it, and I believe is listening for a wakeup
signal sent to its serial number, to then send the data, so the battery
should last 10 years or so.

Some of the meters send a reading every 15 seconds or so, but I am not
sure if this is the case with this one.

Phil L

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Mar 25, 2013, 12:39:36 PM3/25/13

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I've had a water meter installed for about 5 years.
No one has ever been to my house to take readings manually, but it gets read
remotely on a regular basis and I recieve a letter informing me of this a
few times per year, this is just for information as I pay monthly by DD.
The readings are accurate

Allan

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Mar 27, 2013, 5:18:36 AM3/27/13

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On 24/03/2013 19:18, Toby wrote:

YW put a small device (about the size of a kit-kat) on top of my meter a
year or so ago. Apparently, they now come round in a van (drive-by?),
and read all the meters in the street at one go with some sort of radio
device, instead of having to go and look in each inspection chamber.
haven't tried reading it for myself.