Re: Re: Electrisave Monitoring Device - A small review

[LeeUKHA <mailinglists@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Darren,

Is there any chance that you could disconnect the probe from the unit
and stick a meter on it?
I just wonder if it outputs some kind of voltage / resistance / etc that
a digi-meter could read...
My thinking is that I have a digi-meter (bought from Maplins) that has a
PC serial output, if the
meter can make some kind of sense of the output then it may be
better/cheaper PC solution.

Many thanks in advance,
Lee

> > > From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On
> Behalf Of
> > > darren_karp2001
> > > Sent: 13 January 2006 11:34
> > > To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> > > Subject: [ukha_d] Electrisave Monitoring Device - A small
review
> > >
> > > Hi All,
> > >
> > > As mentioned on another thread I received my electrisave
'cent-a-
> > > meter' this morning.
> > >
> > > Well packed and complete, installation was a doddle. As I
have an
> > > outdoor plastic cavity box I decided to attach the sensor to
the
> > > live wire feeding my meter and attached the transmitter to
the back
> > > of the box using some double sided sticky foam.
> > >
> > > After pressing 'search' on the back of the receiver it
started
> > > monitoring straight away.
> > >
> > > Configuring the device from $ to £ and entering my unit cost
per Kwh
> > > (6.6p) was a doddle and the instruction manual accompanying
the
> > > device made it easy to understand.
> > >
> > > The LCD which isn't backlit is nice and large (circa
4.5" square)
> > > and the readout is very clear. It benefits from displaying
the
> > > average humidity and temperature every 3 seconds which is an
added
> > > benefit. A face icon displays whether it believes the
humidity is
> > > good or bad.
> > >
> > > You can set the device to display pence per hour, KwH or
Amps being
> > > drawn.
> > >
> > > The MAJOR downside to this unit is that is DOES NOT keep a
tally of
> > > your consumption, so although you can take the receiver to
various
> > > appliances around the home to see what they cost per hour to
run, it
> > > won't let you see 'savings' made on a week by week or month
by month
> > > basis.
> > >
> > > This IMHO lets the unit down dramatically. Afterall, how can
> > > you 'save' money if you don't know how much you are
'saving'?
> > >
> > > There is however, a Mark II version of the unit being
launched in
> > > the 2nd half of 2007 which is meant to have features like
the
> > > ability to link it to a PC, etc.
> > >
> > > The transmitter frequency is 433Mhz so it would be
interesting to
> > > see if any kind technical chap can come up with a solution
to allow
> > > PC monitoring and recording.
> > >
> > > All in all a very clever device and well made but in its
current
> > > form it makes for an expensive temperature & humidity
gauge.
> > >
> > > Darren
> > >