I have my reasons to dislike the new meters, particularily where the power company * allegedly* can change
meter calibration to show more or less power than the customer actually uses.
I must point out I generally agree with many points contained within your links.
One topic however I must raise objection to.
RF from these devices causing ill effects..
I know some might not agree with me nor like my opinion.
I also cannot legitimately say that these arguments that disagree with what I point out are without merit.
Although I respect the thoughts and opinions of those who think differently than I do on this.
It's near impossible to say given the complicating factors I refer to below.
I cannot see how these meters are any more health concern because of rf radiation than any other device today.
First of all the idea of these being any more dangerous in close proximity seems a little under thought.
These are designed to transmit and receive at a relatively low frequency in order to propagate a rather poor medium for data transfer.
Secondly these signals are entering your home through the wiring of the house whether you have one of these meters on your house or not. Any meter on the power companies line send the very same rf, and it MUST by DESIGN follow the power lines as their physical data connection. Meaning all meters local to you are transmitting rf that will likely find its way into your home. Secondly many versions of these
devices are now two way communicating. Each substation has a transceiver to do this, and from there they transfer this data by a number of means to the power companies data storage facilities
Also, these power lines have particular wavelength(s) they naturally respond to, depending characteristics of each of the lines.
This generally VERY low but they do pick them up on many different wavelengths and carry these into your home as well.
How many electric blankets, power lines, radio stations, cell phones, cordless phones, satellite broadcasts, computers, microwaves, wifi,
TVs, radio receivers ( yeah they produce minute rf also look up superhetrodyne),
CF or any florescent bulbs, induction ranges, monitors, switching power supplies... I could go on literally until I die of old age..
All these devices output a small but statistically significant RF signal, yet very few people seem to have any trouble with these devices.
There are exception of a very few extraordinary circumstances of course. Such people have included those with severely damaged nervous systems, metal shrapnel, and certain immuno compromised individuals. This is of course a very small percentage of the population, even less when you weed out those that actually have psychological problems and not any true physical symptoms.
I know a family that owns/operate many radio stations..
These guys build them and have literally spent most of their lives within a stones throw of very strong AM band frequency radiating from the tower pushing over 100KW. They are all well into their 40s with their parents that started this business near or into their 80s.. Not any part of that family has had ill effects like cancers, or any other effects generally attributed to RF exposure.
In fact it's surprisingly rare to EVER see any of them sick at all.
We are and always have been in a constant bombardment of radio waves from the sun, stars, quasars, and any other cosmic source.
In the greater part of the last century humans have upped the exposure building terrestrial sources, with the design to focus these radio waves in frequency and power..
Another hotly debated similar topic, cell phones.
Once you take factors out like heat rash or light burns, all the way to exploding batteries from using phone that are getting to hot..
The ability to single out a device is SO hard, that even with a very particular set of circumstances which cell phones create, its very hard to get any conclusive evidence that they produce any ill effects that are not caused by the physical awkward positions needed to use them..
This may change as time and exposure get greater in the future given these created circumstances are still relatively new biologically speaking
Again, I'm not saying anyone is wrong.
I am just trying to point out, any one device being singled in this way and labeled as a potential cause of illnesses, is almost impossible to back up in any meaningful way. Numbers and statistics are notoriously bent to suit the need.
When I see hospitals and clinics full of problems that can be definitively attributed to a certain device. That's when I can believe it.
With RF, its going to be a VERY hard to track, and even harder to prove situation.
Again, I'm also not happy with the smart meters.
There has to be some legal limitations set forth on them.. a
As much as I HATE adding laws to an already broken legal system..
It comes down to the fact big business has a habit of not working for consumers, and things that are now relied on for life today like electricity cannot be left up to shareholders and CEOs.
Well I better shut up now this has been just another of my normal overly long rants..
