Special Brultech ECM-1220.H offer to cocoontech members.

[beelzerob]

Gee Rob,

Won't your CQC driver be able to apply a "signature" to those large loads for monitoring purposes?

Brian

Maaaaaaaaaaaybe.

Hmm...I guess if water heaters are an "off vs full-blast-on" type device, then maybe it'd be a waste to monitor it, as I could always just look for the spike. Maybe I'll put the 2nd sensor on my well pump instead then since it is not like that.

 

[upstatemike]

Of course, you'd have to have your BTech display plugged into some outlet powered by the generator. We only have specific rooms on that box, and I'm not sure it'd be practical to plug the display into one of those outlets on a regular basis.

I am still not comfortable with the idea of powering the display locally on a branch circuit because I don't think the voltage reading would be accurate due to local loading. I was hoping for some feedback on the idea of the transformer staying near the panel and extending the low voltage wire to power the display. Maybe use the other 2 pairs in the cat-5 used to extend the CTs?

 

[BDHall]

Of course, you'd have to have your BTech display plugged into some outlet powered by the generator. We only have specific rooms on that box, and I'm not sure it'd be practical to plug the display into one of those outlets on a regular basis.

I am still not comfortable with the idea of powering the display locally on a branch circuit because I don't think the voltage reading would be accurate due to local loading. I was hoping for some feedback on the idea of the transformer staying near the panel and extending the low voltage wire to power the display. Maybe use the other 2 pairs in the cat-5 used to extend the CTs?

In my case I would just use the same setup that would be used for normal monitoring since the generator would be tied in ahead of the loadcenters main breaker via a manual transfer switch.

Brian

 

[jharrell]

I am still not comfortable with the idea of powering the display locally on a branch circuit because I don't think the voltage reading would be accurate due to local loading. I was hoping for some feedback on the idea of the transformer staying near the panel and extending the low voltage wire to power the display. Maybe use the other 2 pairs in the cat-5 used to extend the CTs?

I don't why this would be an issue depending on how much power the Brultech draws, might have to step up from cat 5. also there could be enough voltage drop over the LV power extension wire to throw it off anyway. I think the pair twisting should keep the power feed from inducing anything in the CT feed to prevent throwing it off as well.

I will avoid this problem as the display will be near the power panel, and if I want a display to look at in the living area, it will be computer based such as the CQC one etc.

 

[beelzerob]

I will avoid this problem as the display will be near the power panel, and if I want a display to look at in the living area, it will be computer based such as the CQC one etc.

Ya, that's kind of my plan too.

 

[brotsten]

Gee Rob,

Won't your CQC driver be able to apply a "signature" to those large loads for monitoring purposes?

Brian

Maaaaaaaaaaaybe.

Hmm...I guess if water heaters are an "off vs full-blast-on" type device, then maybe it'd be a waste to monitor it, as I could always just look for the spike. Maybe I'll put the 2nd sensor on my well pump instead then since it is not like that.

Every electric water heater I've owned had two elements. I cannot remember if they are wired in series so both elements can run concurrently or not. So you could have a couple of variations of current draw.

Brian

 

[beelzerob]

Oh ya, ours does too....I think they said 1 of them is a pre-heating element...something like that.

I think I'll still end up putting the 2nd sensor on the water heater than...because even if it were easily identifiable from the load signature, it'd still be a hassle to measure. And I really have no need to measure the pump power draw...we're not going to upgrade that anytime soon to something more efficient! But the water heater really is a concern, as we're also not sure it will be able to meet our hotwater needs once our walk-in shower is completed.

 

[brotsten]

Rob, have you looked over the protocol yet?

I'm in the opposite boat, I have 600 amp service that is broken down into three 200 amp panels, one of which is broken down again into another 200 amp panel that handles the generator circuits.

Paul said they would do some testing to determine the possibility of monitoring with a single unit and extra CT's, but he also asked me to consider using two units. Do you think your driver would be able to handle multiple units?

Brian

 

[beelzerob]

Paul said they would do some testing to determine the possibility of monitoring with a single unit and extra CT's, but he also asked me to consider using two units. Do you think your driver would be able to handle multiple units?

Brian

Well, it could "handle" multiple units the same way everything else in CQC can handle them...just install another instance of the driver. You'd have to anyway because the 2nd unit is going to have to plug into another serial port. Unless I misunderstand your question....

 

[Steve]

Rob,

Is the driver going to be able to read off the USB port or will we need a USB to serial thing?

And on the voltage issue, I thing it was Brett who tested the voltage all over the place and it was withing 1 or 2 volts everywhere I think. So, the remote transformer should not be any real issue idt.

 

[beelzerob]

Rob,

Is the driver going to be able to read off the USB port or will we need a USB to serial thing?

It'll read off the USB connection just fine, no other adapters needed. You'll install a virtual serial port driver which makes the USB connection look just like a regular RS232 comm to CQC.

 

[123]

You'll install a virtual serial port driver which makes the USB connection look just like a regular RS232 comm to CQC.

Pardon my ignorance but is a "virtual serial port driver" a feature exclusive to CQC or is it available as a separate utility somewhere?

 

[beelzerob]

Pardon my ignorance but is a "virtual serial port driver" a feature exclusive to CQC or is it available as a separate utility somewhere?

I think it's actually a VCP (virtual comm port) and it's not CQC specific at all, but I do believe it is hardware specific. I think. Once it's installed, then your USB connection looks just a regular COMx port. Same way those USB to RS232 cables off ebay work, requires a specific windows driver for it.

 

[Techvet]

I've watched this tread and the other related ones and have a couple of questions about the Brultech devices.

Question 1: I have 400 AMP service to my home (2 - 200 AMP panels that are literally side by side.) Can a single Brultech device be used to monitor both panels and can we get a diagram/schematic on how this is done.

Question 2: I usually work in my panels while they are live - mainly because I don't have a meter disconnect (400 AMP disconnects cost well north of $1K in my area) and pulling the meter doesn't pull the power (don't ask me why, but to truly pull the power off my house it means disconnecting at the transformer.) So while it is not something I particularly like to do, I am sort of locked into it and am always, always, always extremely careful. Aside from the obvious risk of electrocution and the need to keep the CT wires free of kinks, snags and pinching, etc. as they exit the panel, what else is there to it? Aren't the CTs fairly easy to install? I mean you don't need any special tools since they just clip/snap on. Correct? Note: I don't expect the Brultech rep to answer this question due to the liability issues incurred in doing so.

Question 3: What is the length of the plug leads on the CTs. For the Hardwired version, it notes 6" pigtails. What about the plug version??

 

[123]

... not CQC specific at all ... your USB connection looks just a regular COMx ...

I don't mean to hijack this thread but can someone point me in the direction of a virtual serial port driver for USB? What I'm finding via Google doesn't fit the bill.