Shopsmith Forums

This past week has been interesting in that we have had to change from DSL service to U-verse or loose [edit: loose should read lose] service. While the electrical company has been spray painting lawns, sidewalks, and streets for the "smart grid".

It is not like I think I need any of these things but someone does.

I mean I'm not opposed to change but I wasn't unhappy the way things were. Were others unhappy about how things were or are there things underfoot I don't know about?

Is it interesting that both of these evens are happening at the same time?

Has anyone else here had the same thing happen where they live?

Just interested in more then my local view.

Ed

I might comment but I have no idea what you are talking about. Loose service ??

fredsheldon wrote:I might comment but I have no idea what you are talking about. Loose service ??

I had to google em!

Loose service = a contract with no stationary terms. IIUC

Within the service-orientation design paradigm, service loose coupling is a design principle[1] that is applied to the services[2] in order to ensure that the service contract is not tightly coupled to the service consumers and to the underlying service logic and implementation. This results in service contracts that could be freely evolved without affecting either the service consumers or the service implementation.[3

U-verse = TV(+ other stuff)cable network.

Smart grid = remote monitoring/adjusting the power distribution system.

OR

He could have just commonly mis-spelled the word lose to loose .....

The trouble with our government/corporate model

(and Facist .... Fascism /fæʃɪzəm/ is a form of radical authoritarian nationalism[1][2] that came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe. Influenced by national syndicalism, fascism originated in Italy in the immediate aftermath of World War I, combining more typically right-wing positions with elements of left-wing politics, in opposition to liberalism, Marxism, and traditional conservatism. Although fascism is usually placed on the far right on the traditional left–right spectrum, several self-described fascists have said that the description is inadequate. IMHO)

change is a way of creating business. I personally like stability. Tradition has it's merits ....

Yes, I will discuss this further if needed ....

Ok, that explains most of the stuff but what is this painting the lawns for a smart grid ??

fredsheldon wrote:Ok, that explains most of the stuff but what is this painting the lawns for a smart grid ??

He is probably talking about the spray paint they use for Utility locate services (I am guessing).

Smart meters ....

these systems by adding two-way communications and more sensors to manage this system more efficiently. The new metering system that is part of smart grid will provide significantly more information about your energy consumption, which will allow utilities to offer new pricing programs

From MD Utility ....

rjent wrote:He is probably talking about the spray paint they use for Utility locate services (I am guessing).

Smart meters ....



From MD Utility ....

There was a lady that shot a utility guy here who was installing a smart meter on her house because she didn't want it. I don't understand the resistance to these smart meters. Are these folks just against anything that smells of government spying.

Sorry about the extra "o"........

Let me add some more information that maybe will clear some of the confusion.

The DSL service we have in our area was designed to take advantage of the existing telephone wires that were in the ground to provide faster service. The local office installed line cards that added a feature so that the normal voice and the dsl service could be added to the existing wiring. While this was a major step forward it still could not be used everywhere nor was it useable in longer loops.

Where we live the service came at certain speed ratings, in our case we were on one of the lower offerings but that is not the total story about speed. Congestion is also an issue and we were having plenty of that. Had we had an even higher rate it still would have an effect caused by the traffic.

Since distance to a central office can also mean not being able to even have the higher date rates due to the length of wire. At some points newer versions pushed the speed and distance but it was never going to be as fast as some people wanted.

Enter fiber optic cables, in our case to termination points in the subdivision. Now the wire portion of the run is relatively much shorter, in our case about 1100ft. Our local phone company has been adding these for a while but that has been pretty much unseen by us.

Those interested in the faster rates or getting out of the congestion could upgrade their service. How even now we were sent a letter that they would be terminating the local dsl service. In effect you could buy into the new service or lose service, or have to deal with some cable company for your connections.

The U-verse service can provide cable TV services, data services, and phone service. The intent is to have only this service by 2017.

We are now getting both data and phone service this way. The modem they provide has a cable that plugs in with both services, the phone is then wired back into our phone lines giving us voice over IP. Since no power is provide by the lines you have a battery back up in the modem so you will have phone service for 4 - 6 hours in case of a blackout.

Still short of optical cable to your house, and who knows when that will come. Yea it would be nice to have the speed but not at the $$ they want for it now.

As far as the smart grid, that has been in the news for a couple of years now. When our subdivision was built they put the wiring of the day standards and built houses on top of it. The property has a right away for utilities, 8 feet along the back and 5 feet along one side.

Since the existing wires are going to have to be changed out for the smart grid that means that they have to mark the existing wires/gas lines/water/sewer/cable and then put the new wiring in the ground without hitting anything else. All utilities are below ground here.

The subdivision how has a lot of this:

[ATTACH]26074[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]26075[/ATTACH]

Hope that makes thing easier to understand.

Ed

Yes, thanks for taking the time to expand on the topic. Does the utility have the right to knock down/move/dig up anything that is in their ROW. I think my rose bushes in my back yard are in the ROW and I would not be very happy if they came in and dug them all up
Fred