[time-nuts] Low cost synchronization

[David Kirkby]

Poul-Henning Kamp wrote:
> In message <20050821.204040.123709461.cfmd at bredband.net>, Magnus Danielson writes:
> 
> 
>>>The interesting thing is that they have been seriously thinking
>>>about transmitting UTC and tarriff information on the grid, but it
>>>looks it is cheaper to just use GPRS mobile phones.
>>
>>Indeed. In Sweden that has become a big thing, with the deregulated market we
>>have. We haven't chosen that path here at home yeat, but I guess it is a
>>question of time like everything else.
> 
> 
> In Denmark they charge you $1000 extra to get a three-tariff meter :-(
> 

Here in the UK we have "Economy 7" (it should be renamed "Rip-off 7") 
where electricity is sold cheaper overnight. As far as I know, there is 
no installation fee for that, but if you have "Economy 7" you pay more 
for electricity during the day. So unless you make heavy usage overnight 
(as one does with electrical storage heaters), it is not a good idea.

My meter, uses a clock that used to keep accurate, but which is now 
usually wrong.

Whether the meter uses the 50Hz for timing I do not know, but there is 
battery in there too. It may be wrong since the battery has failed and 
so the clock stops when there is a power failure, or it might be low in 
voltage which means the clock runs slow.

But here at least, there is nothing very clever about how the time on 
those clocks is kept. Which suits me, as sometimes I get electricity 
cheap during the day now!



-- 
David Kirkby,
G8WRB

Please check out http://www.g8wrb.org/
of if you live in Essex http://www.southminster-branch-line.org.uk/