RPC cuts power bill?

[Nigel Goodwin]

The professional GSM modems are not phones, you have to register the equipment ID number with the phone company and until last year there was no problem, they are used on turbines for telemetry and allow data to be streamed in and out at will, most system have a linux machine inside and webserver the modem is connected constantly, the phone people no longer allow this as its considered tethering.

When I am next up at the site i will get the modem model. All sims not used in phones have to be registered or the phone people close the signal down.

You're talking about an entirely different thing, not GSM txt messaging (as SMART meters do periodically, and uses pretty well no bandwidth), but GPRS networking which would obviously use considerable bandwidth.

However, there's nothing really different about a 'professional modem', the home built ones (my current ones were just over £3) work identically - the problem is the way you're trying to use them, as pretty well permanent network connections.

 

[large_ghostman]

No phones have different IEMIs from true modems M2M devices, thats why you have to call the operator to register the IMEI. They are getting tight on them and will deregister if it isnt a phone IMEI. I wasnt talking GSM you were! I was taking about sub GHz electric meters using wireless comms, The modems in all medium and large non domestic windturbines currently have 6 more months to find a solution, normally they send a heart beat every 58 mins of 1 byte, but it adds up and the phone companies are starting to clamp down.
Do a google on M2M its becoming a real problem, with windturbines the GSM modem is used to send telemetry and receive reset codes and other commands, they used to sit ideal until polled or had something to send, but the phone people starting de registering the cards after a couple of days inactivity. Its a very well known problem in the wind industry and has some serious ramifications for them. Using a phone would be one way but not many companies are keen to put phones in wind turbines. The whole idea is to use sims registered solely to the modem they are used in so they are useless stolen

 

[strantor]

Sounds like you guys got the short end of the mobile broadband stick. Over here I have not yet had any problem with putting a SIM card in whatever I want. Last year I did a job involving a lot of remote monitoring and troubleshooting of industrial machines. I used Proxicast PocketPorts with Sierra wireless USB modems plugged in, and also DIGI GSM modems, no problems. I used prepaid SIMs and contract SIMs from AT&T. I just went in, asked for a SIM, they asked what tablet/phone I was going to put it in, I answered "none of the above, don't worry I'm a professional," and they gave me a SIM. I hope we don't end up in the same mess here as you guys are in.

 

[large_ghostman]

Its more of an issue in Scotland and rural areas rather than the whole of the UK. Rural areas and places your likely to find large wind farms are often away from dense centers of population and that means fewer phone masts. Fewer masts mean they are stricter with the bandwidth on each tower.

The other major problem up where I am is Dumfries and galloway has the western worlds ONLY dark sky status park, so they are funny about light pollution and phone masts with lights on top. Some companies will sell you unlimted data sim cards, BUT this applies to the phone only, if you tether or stick it in a ipad then thats classed as tethering and they limit your usage per month. Stick it in somthing other than a phone and the card wont register on the network unless you call them up and give the sim number and phone number on the card and IMEI number, as soon as they see the device is a modem that streams data they get funny. I have been having the problem just over a year but recently a number of wind farms near me have had major problems with certain telemetry data, some of the data they shove over the HV line but some of the telemetry cant be transmitted this way (no idea why I am just told it cant).

This is becoming a problem for a number of large wind farms near me, I have no idea about other areas or other wind farms but in D&G its a big problem. I look after 3 medium sized Turbines and helping with a couple of very large farms with huge turbines.

 

[schmitt trigger]

The other major problem up where I am is Dumfries and galloway has the western worlds ONLY dark sky status park, so they are funny about light pollution and phone masts with lights on top.

Do they have an astronomical observatory there?
Hilo, Hawaii has similar restrictions, to prevent light pollution reaching the Mauna Kea observatory complex.

 

[large_ghostman]

Do they have an astronomical observatory there?
Hilo, Hawaii has similar restrictions, to prevent light pollution reaching the Mauna Kea observatory complex.

https://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/forest-parks/galloway-forest-park/dark-skies

Tells you a bit about part of the site, oddly enough they wanted to build an observatory but it was refused on the grounds of light pollution because the car park and road leading upto it would of had to of been Lit for health and safety reasons lol.

Its likely Dumfries and Galloway will loose the dark park status this year or next, they built a VOSA lorry check point last year to check lorries didnt have people hiding in them, its due to operate at night from the end of the year and will smash the limits for light pollution.

Its a odd place to live, turn all the lights off in the house and go out side and the sky is dotted with stars everywhere! but you cant see more than an inch in front of your face. When the power goes out at night its a nightmare trying to find a light

 

[tcmtech]

Its a odd place to live, turn all the lights off in the house and go out side and the sky is dotted with stars everywhere! but you cant see more than an inch in front of your face. When the power goes out at night its a nightmare trying to find a light

You can blame evolution for that.

 

[large_ghostman]

You can blame evolution for that.

Normally I blame scottish power, not sure if evolution supply our power or not