Current Cost Support Forum

Got my one and now have some questions.

1. Does it need its own section on the Forum e.g. Hardware > GaSmart

2. Do you have to pair the Dynamic Data screen as I would guess this screens real time value would be worthless and ties up a channel used by an IAM (More channel EnviR needed maybe).

3. I have setup on the dashboard channel 7 to the gas meter with an IPU of 1 as my meter works in 1cuft units. Entered a starting value of 927631 and later the reading had gone down to 927624. I assume it should go up?

4. Dashboard panel seems to have no option to refresh the meter panels.

5. I can't find the real time graph showing the times gas was used and how much.

6. When you go into setup the IAM's you loose the current meter readings (should they happen to be correct). When this screen is selected could it not load the live values rather than the original values entered at setup?

File comment: IAM And Meter Panels

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Many thanks

I've got one too, and found the instructions to be less than helpful for set-up.

In answer to your questions:

1. I agree that there should be a Hardware > GaSmart section in the Forum, although the OptiSmart and GaSmart transmitters are the same.

2. You need to pair per Step 1 of the instructions to a Data Reading ("data") screen on the EnviR to set the channel over which pulse-count totals are transmitted; the instructions specify channel 9 but you should actually use a channel that is free on your EnviR and Dashboard; I only have 3 channels available on my Dashboard and use channel 3.

3. You need to pair Data Reading to channel 7 if you're using channel 7 for gas meter readings; the IPU that you specify on the Dashboard should be the number of pulses per unit of gas shown by your meter; my meter specifies m3 and gives 100 pluses per m3, so I enter an IPU of 100. My guess if your readings are going backwards or erratic is that you've paired Dynamic Data (can go up and down) not Data Reading (can only go up) to channel 7.

4. Nothing to comment.

5. The real time (Dynamic Data) graph should be set-up on another available channel (not channel 7 in your case) according to Step 2 of the instructions, and will become visible on your Dashboard against that channel when viewed as "consume"; the units won't make sense, but the shape will.

6. Nothing to comment.

Thanks for the tips...

So far today I think my one has counted one pulse (unless shipped with a count of one)

https://cosm.com/feeds/38455

I have put the pulse count on channel 8 and real time data on 7

The reed switch in my meter operates once per cubic foot so I should have a count of about 20 by now rather than 1

The meter reading function does not seem to work either with my other two optismarts data which are on channel 9 & 10

Automan.

On further playing it would seem my GaSmart is not being operated by the meter reed switch.

I get one pulse when I plug it in and the other few pulses are when I shorted the pins of the RJ11 plug on GaSmart to see if it registered it (which it did).

I am also not sure what value the device has...

I guess even if it worked it would not tell me how man CuFt (or Mtrs) I used yesterday, today or last week or even at which time of gas was used and how many units.

Automan.

Your gas meter needs to have a magnet installed within its drum-dial mechanism for the GaSmart sensor to work. As the magnet comes and goes past the sensor's reed switch with rotation of the drum-dial, it generates a short-circuit that the GaSmart transmitter counts as a pulse. You can check whether there is a magnet and where it is using a compass. Given that your meter is calibrated in ft3, it may pre-date the in-building of magnets. My meter was made in 2002 and has a magnet, but not where later models have it, nor in an obvious place.

The GaSmart device does have value, but Current Cost emphasise the meter clock on the Dashboard that frankly I don't need because a quick walk to the gas meter tells me that for free. The value for me is the real-time gas consumption referred to as Dynamic Data, that is available graphically on the Dashboard but not explained by CC - I'm guessing because they haven't sorted-out its calibration. Here's what it looks like on my Dashboard:

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Some Progress

After looking into the RJ11 socket of my meter (with the aid of a mirror), I noted it has copper strips for more than the two middle ones the reed switch uses and I know the CC cable also uses the two middle pins but wondered if the other wires in the CC lead are connected effectively shorting the reed switch when you plug the lead in (thus one pulse).

I could not get the white box on the cable apart so I trimmed back the insulation of the RJ11 cable and cut the two outer wires.

File comment: Wires Cut

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I am now getting readings

File comment: GaSmart Now Sending Data

GaSmart Data At Last.jpg [ 61.75 KiB | Viewed 69570 times ]


Automan.

Great!

The CC product has great potential, but it's a bit buggy to get up and running. I hope CC takes note of the experiences encountered in this Forum and factors it in to their designs.