purchase choices and configuration questions
Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 9:46 pm
I've been interested in a GEM for a while, and it looks like my wife might agree to let me buy one as a gift for one of those milestone (millstone??) birthdays.
It looks like I can buy a GEM and a Dashbox and not have to get a wifi/ethernet module. Is that correct? I'll have a wired switch within 2 feet of the Dashbox, and I prefer wired connections to wireless for heavy comms choices anyway. From the docs, it looks like configuring the GEM through the Dashbox is reasonably straightforward. But I can't tell for sure if updating the GEM firmware via the Dashbox connection is doable.
Every sensor I've ever used (and had access to calibration data) has always been more accurate in the center of its range than at either end. There is only one circuit in my house that ever draws more than 40 amps (the heat pump defrost reheater @ 48amps straight resistive), and that's on about 100 hours per year. There are a raft of 15 and 20 amp circuits that probably draw 7 or 8 amps max when they're used. The heat pump compressor, the dryer, and the water heater (the biggest power users) are around 20 amps each, so they'd be right at the center of a micro-40 CT. But almost everything else would always be below 25% of the micro-40 capacity. Is there any point to trying to get better accuracy by using a micro-50 on any of the lower power circuits?
I do have a Neurio, which will probably provide a decent crosscheck on some GEM situations -- it was within 0.5% of the power company's bills for 4 months straight in April-July last year. But it doesn't give me the device specific information I'd like.
Dave
It looks like I can buy a GEM and a Dashbox and not have to get a wifi/ethernet module. Is that correct? I'll have a wired switch within 2 feet of the Dashbox, and I prefer wired connections to wireless for heavy comms choices anyway. From the docs, it looks like configuring the GEM through the Dashbox is reasonably straightforward. But I can't tell for sure if updating the GEM firmware via the Dashbox connection is doable.
Every sensor I've ever used (and had access to calibration data) has always been more accurate in the center of its range than at either end. There is only one circuit in my house that ever draws more than 40 amps (the heat pump defrost reheater @ 48amps straight resistive), and that's on about 100 hours per year. There are a raft of 15 and 20 amp circuits that probably draw 7 or 8 amps max when they're used. The heat pump compressor, the dryer, and the water heater (the biggest power users) are around 20 amps each, so they'd be right at the center of a micro-40 CT. But almost everything else would always be below 25% of the micro-40 capacity. Is there any point to trying to get better accuracy by using a micro-50 on any of the lower power circuits?
I do have a Neurio, which will probably provide a decent crosscheck on some GEM situations -- it was within 0.5% of the power company's bills for 4 months straight in April-July last year. But it doesn't give me the device specific information I'd like.
Dave