Electrisave/Owl Protocol + PC Interface

[Quinten]

To see which version you have:

http://currentcost.com/support-4.shtml

[wywywywy]

Just noticed that it hasn't been mentioned, the one that Eco Gadget Shop sells is also the new version. So no need to pay £45 on eBay

https://www.ecogadgetshop.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductCode=Current%20Cost%20Device%20(TEST)&Category=1

[chris_j_hunter]

see there's a replacement for the Current Cost on its way :

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Current-Cost-Ltd_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfclZ4QQfsubZ0QQftidZ2QQtZkmQQ_trksidZp1742.m154.l1264

[dalelane]

Just got this reply from Current cost about their meters:
"The units are available for sale on EBay. The company has been formed to
design and produce units aimed at the utility companies to be given free of
charge to their consumers and to that end we have now sold in excess of
500,000 units. Other than EBay we do not sell direct to consumers,
distributors or to retailers........ In order to download raw data it is necessary to purchase one of our cables, again through EBay. We do not have our own software available at present to interpret this information although if one Googles Dale Lane Current Cost this can be very useful."

Hope this helps.

Here is the Dale Lane link http://dalelane.co.uk/blog/?p=281

I'm not sure that app (that you've linked to) is the one they probably meant.

I ditched that old code back in August (as described here), starting again on a new (and IMHO) better app that is still under development. More details about the new app can be found at http://code.google.com/p/currentcostgui/

[dalelane]

see there's a replacement for the Current Cost on its way :

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Current-Cos...742.m154.l1264

I've been having a play with the new model - if you'd like to find out more about it, I've made some comments here:

http://dalelane.co.uk/blog/?p=389

[chris_j_hunter]

thanks ... looks good ...

NB: still wondering whether this (Current Cost plus xAP schema - if that's the right word to use in this context) or pulse-count meter approach (several Admite plus Idratek LTH module & user-macro), as per the Sub-Meter Electricity Monitoring thread, would be the best way to go - given we would want it as part of our Idratek set-up ! Any feel for how accurate the Current Cost is, in practice ??

[dalelane]

Any feel for how accurate the Current Cost is, in practice ??

no idea, sorry.

the values it produces look plausible - in that turning on a 60W light bulb causes reading to increase by roughly 60W, or turning on 900W microwave causes reading to increase by a bit more than 900W... but beyond that, I've not compared it's readings with anything in order to validate it

[chris_j_hunter]

just to correct my spelling error, the Admite should have been :

Inepro ADM1TE

http://www.dmmetering.com/

the following seems similar :

DRM1005

http//www.pjwmeters.co.uk/product_detail.php?id=28

maximum current seems to be 45A, 'though there's a 65A version also available (the ADM1.5TE)

also, it seems the LTH module just one of those that could be used - the following (I believe) also being possibilities :

QRI, QRH, ODI, DIO, PLH, LTS and PLT

BTW - the ADM1TE pulse output works like this (extract from the user-manual) : pulse output ... fully separated from the inside circuit ... generates pulses in proportion to the measured energy for remote reading purposes and accuracy testing ... polarity dependent, passive transistor output requiring an external voltage source for correct operation ... maximum input current (Iimax) is 27mA DC ... to connect the impulse output, connect 5-27V DC to connector 20 (anode), and the signal wire (S) to connector 21 (cathode) ... meter pulses 2000 per kWh (0.5Wh/imp) ...

hopefully that is compatible with the Idratek modules - need to check !!

[MichaelD]

The CC128 is now available, if you know where to look!

If you registered an interest in the new CC128, then you should have received an email inviting you to buy one from eBay.

It will have suggested that you look for an "Unbioctium", it costs £40, which is less than the old model.

My Unbioctium arrived this morning, and, guess what, its a CC128

[toscal]

This maybe of interest if it can work with the Current Cost.

http://www.google.org/powermeter/smarterpower.html

[Quinten]

If you registered an interest in the new CC128, then you should have received an email inviting you to buy one from eBay.

It will have suggested that you look for an "Unbioctium", it costs £40, which is less than the old model.

My Unbioctium arrived this morning, and, guess what, its a CC128

If you'd read the ukha email list, you'd have known as well

I ordered on Wednesday, and got mine delivered yesterday... Pretty pictures here: http://awooga.nl/lies-damned-lies-and-statistics

[chris_j_hunter]

>maybe of interest if it can work with the Current Cost ... google.org/powermeter ...

looks a bit ambitious, to me, for the Current Cost, mainly because of the smart / clever interpretation that would be required ... but did wonder if an HA app (Homeseer, Cortex, etc) could work with it in some way ...

[toscal]

This guy uses the Google App engine to display his current cost info. So there is hope in the new google power meter app.

http://dalelane.co.uk/blog/?p=283

And here is how you do it,

http://rooreynolds.com/2008/05/09/current-cost-charting-fun/

[Techtoniq_Matt]

Any feel for how accurate the Current Cost is, in practice ??

It's not bad. The usage does seem to jump around more than I'd expected; the device spits out updates every 6 seconds and the delta can be anything from 0-40 watts when I don't (think) I have any devices in the house that would be making it behave like that.

[irri_tant]

If you registered an interest in the new CC128, then you should have received an email inviting you to buy one from eBay.

It will have suggested that you look for an "Unbioctium", it costs £40, which is less than the old model.

My Unbioctium arrived this morning, and, guess what, its a CC128

Just ordered tha very same item about 1 hour back

Hasn't arrived yet but it should in a day or too

do I need their RJ-45 to USB or is there a cheaper item out there?