Plugaway (Wireless) vs MeterPlug (Bluetooth)

[Towger]

I just spotted this  PlugAway

Which is basically the same as  : =homeMeterPlug, but using wireless which makes more sense to me.


Well at least the PlugAway shows prototype PCBs, even if they are using a 10Amp SRD-5VDC-SL-C relay. It is based in China, so they may soon allow Aussie projects :-)

FIXED URLs

[Rasz]

Uh oh. Where do I start?

Since when is Kickstarter allowing people from China to start projects? Guess he registered as UK citizen living in UK.

> freelance consultant in Beijing providing training in business culture, CSR, and international marketing. Prior experiences include 1.5 years as Sustainability
>Manager in a Hong Kong manufacturer and an upbringing in retail management in the U.K.

Translation:
Currently working as a "Rent A White Guy: Fake Businessman from Beijing". Previous work experience - shelf manager in H&M.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/07/rent-a-white-guy/308119/
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128011084

Price does raise red flags - This is a price point of TL-703n sold in BULK, or a counterfeit PID controller.
http://www.dhgate.com/wholesale/pid+controller.html

Ok, now I get it. It claims to let you:

• Access real-time energy readings from each appliance
• Easily identify what appliances are hiking up your energy bill

except it lacks that functionality in hardware (something like ADE7753 for example), no current transformer, no shunt resistor, nothing.

Yeah, taking into account that its just a wifi on/off switch it is totally realistic and safe project to pledge (if you dont mind being lied to).

Edit:

also already commercially available
http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale/wholesale-wifi-remote-control-switch.html

[daveshah]

I backed it and posted a comment regarding energy measurement. I received this reply from John Storm:

Re: your comment yesterday. PlugAway does currently measure current, although the sensor isn't explicitly stated within the shown PCB. For the prototype, this allowed computations for energy usage.

We'll be making improvements throughout our Kickstarter campaign. Measuring voltage has been one of the first on our list

Current thinking is to post our first update (summarising a few changes) in early June. Feel free to make any other comments beforehand

Cheers,
John

[Towger]

I have also backed it and was on to him as well. I won’t post it all here, they are going to use a ASC712 to measure the current.
I was initially enquiring over the 10amp relay in the prototype and meeting BS1368. They were designing it to handle a max of 2200w for the China market, but I pointed out the need to handle 13A/3kw for the UK and in reality 15A for the US/EU market.  He is not technical and I think some of it gets lost in translation with their tech guy.  I pointed out that most humble electric kettles are now 3kw he came back that they would look at changing the design for the UK to handle it.

BTW. My understanding it the power monitoring/historical data etc will run through their own server, if so, it will interesting to see how long that will last. The switching will be controlled directly by the app, so no problems there...

I hope they do their research on testing and meeting the relevant standards, as they plan on distributing them from the UK.  From my understanding makes them 100% liable for the item. It will be illegal to distribute them from the UK/EU without at least a CE mark (and probably a Kitemark) and it is hard to argue that CE means China Export when you are from the UK...

[Tost]

On the screenshot for the MeterPlug App they show the unit "KW/h". Is that value for showing the improvement of energy reduction per time (-dP/dt)?