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New Zealand, Wellington
1 Level
58 Review
0 Karma

Review on Revolutionize Energy Monitoring with Blue Line Innovations BLI 24000 PowerCost BLI-24000 by Kelly Kapoor

Revainrating 1 out of 5

Loss of synchronization with the transmitter

I've had this for a few years and the only good thing I can say is that when I emailed the company for assistance, they were quick to respond. My initial problem was configuring the transmitter to attach to my particular gauge - I had to pull harder than I thought a plastic part could be good for, and make sure I didn't break it . The problem that makes this device disappointing. is that it is designed to measure total power, not instantaneous power. Your power meter pulses every 100 watts, which is good for your monthly bill and pretty good for your everyday use. And it's actually not bad for power management on larger devices, 100 watts or more, which usually translates into savings. The receiving part of this device performs the accumulation - it waits for the transmitter to send a pulse, and when it receives, it adds 100 watts to its sum. If for some reason the transmitter is transmitting and the receiver is not receiving, you are missing 100 watts. no big deal you say? Well my system tends to lose connection for a long time - in fact the receiver goes into "SLEEP" mode after not hearing anything for a while and stays in that state until I notice and the Sync button again. So the data clock has expired, making the device unusable for my purposes that day. Sometimes new batteries help, but lately they haven't helped. Others have mentioned moisture issues on the outdoor unit (transmitter), but here in Southern California, hot summers, that's hardly my problem. And if the indoor unit was a little closer, I could also go outside and read the meter directly - it's right inside the house, maybe 20 feet from the transmitter. Everything would be fine for me if the engineers simply accumulated counters on the transmitter. , and sent a "general" message, not just an impulse. They're already sending a temperature message, but I suspect they were using a COTS device that doesn't have that functionality.

Pros
  • The wireless system provides real-time feedback on energy usage throughout the home.
Cons
  • There is a problem