The Technology Director for our burg of 5000 is K0FJ. A few years ago they put in elec. meters with spread spec. transceivers.  Each month they drive a pattern transmitting a beacon. When the meter hears the beacon it sends its telemetry until it gets an ack or times out. Over the course of a year or so they changed to all elec. meters with xcvrs, then started in on water meters (most of which are underground...).  They now know their 'problem areas' where they have to drive within a half block of certain propagationally-challenged meters; many of the others get recorded from a half mile or more. The job is done in under 3 hours, but they have a few meters that require a person reading. 
 
It amazes me that the unit cost of these spread-packet meters is such that a couple years' not having to pay meter readers buys the changeover.  
 
Bruce K0BJ
----- Original Message -----
From: Cliff Ahrens
To: arrl-odv
Cc: 'Pitts, Allen W1AGP'
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 10:36 AM
Subject: RE: [arrl-odv:15274] Re: ComputerWorld article on BPL with comments from ARRL

I agree.  On a more positive note, the director of the Hannibal Board of Public Works, who is in charge of our electric utility system, gave a program the other evening at our Kiwanis club.  Afterwards, I had a long talk with him about the problems with BPL, since they are starting to use the electric lines to read meters with short transmissions at 2:00 a.m. some mornings.  He said they are not interested in BPL. 
 
Cliff, K0CA