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That is just it though some of these people are claiming they have measured the radiation from them and it was very high. That is what scared me.
Like I said before, a lot of people say a lot of things about a lot of things. You can go crazy chasing all the lunatic things people say.
Let me give you a frame of reference... granite kitchen counters have been very popular for years, because they are beautiful and durable. They are a highly sought after feature, mentioned in real estate ads and sales brochures, and a popular upgrade in home remodeling. They are also radioactive.
The thing is, many rocks are radioactive to a certain extent, but the amount of radioactivity given off is so small as to be barely detectable, and of no serious health concern.
So, somebody said they measured the radiation from a smart meter and it was high.... what does that mean, exactly? How did they measure it? What qualifications do they have? And what is "high" anyway?
As the EPA states in their info sheet on the harmless radiation of granite countertops,
Quote:
Identifying the presence and concentration of radioactive elements in granite requires expensive and sophisticated portable instruments or laboratory equipment. These instruments and equipment require proper calibration, and interpretation of their readings requires a knowledgeable and trained user. At this time, there is no generally accepted home testing protocol for radiation in granite countertops.
Same thing applies to measuring radiation from other environmental sources. It is inherently so weak that it requires specialized equipment operated by trained technicians to measure accurately. Some paranoid hypochondriac with a $40 geiger counter from eBay can't do it.
BTW, if you are afraid of all radiation, better avoid going outside during the daytime, because there's a big yellow ball in the sky that gives off so much radiation it can make your skin redden, blister, and peel off...
My water and gas meters both transmit radio signals. My house was built in 1929.
Yep my gas; water and electricity all transmitted and house was built in late 60's.Perhaps less common in cities were its not s expensive to have readers coming out.
I respect all of your opinions who disagree and have come out against me on this but I remain convinced that smart meters are something to be concerned about. I think you may all be too quick to make fun of serious concerns and valid complaints from a lot of intelligent people. This many people coming out against it has to be for a reason.
A second concern even if you do not believe they are harmful to your health is what a hacker might do with the information including knowing when you are home, when you leave, and when you are on vacation. Hackers have gotten into banks these days. Nothing is safe.
I respect all of your opinions who disagree and have come out against me on this but I remain convinced that smart meters are something to be concerned about. I think you may all be too quick to make fun of serious concerns and valid complaints from a lot of intelligent people. This many people coming out against it has to be for a reason.
A second concern even if you do not believe they are harmful to your health is what a hacker might do with the information including knowing when you are home, when you leave, and when you are on vacation. Hackers have gotten into banks these days. Nothing is safe.
There are no serious concerns or valid complaints. There's misinformed or flat out uninformed drivel. The fact is you are constantly bathing in electromagnetic radiation. People who don't know anything about anything like to convince themselves that some additional emitter is making them sick. Those people are delusional and you should not get sucked into their mental illness.
If you do want to get sucked into their world, go live in a conductive box. You can't have any windows. No electronics. No other people either - they radiate too. I'll leave it up to you to figure out how to shield yourself from the radiation your own body is emitting.
I think you may all be too quick to make fun of serious concerns and valid complaints from a lot of intelligent people. This many people coming out against it has to be for a reason.
No, this is an all too common logical fallacy. There may be absolutely no factual reason whatsoever.
Lots of people believing in something proves nothing except that a lot of people believe in that thing, and every single one of them could be totally mistaken. As a matter of fact, this is how totally bogus ideas can become popular, because each new person into the group brings along more people to be sucked in by the popularity of the myth. And this is how myths grow, when people believe in things for which there is no proof. And this is why mythbusting has become a popular sport in recent years, since there are so many myths floating around since the internet has become popular, and many people are too lazy to fact check what they pass on to others.
In this particular case, there is a lot of mythbusting information about this particular myth posted online, most from far more credible sources than you'll find supporting the myth.
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A second concern even if you do not believe they are harmful to your health is what a hacker might do with the information including knowing when you are home, when you leave, and when you are on vacation. Hackers have gotten into banks these days. Nothing is safe.
But having to allow people onto your property, to read the meter, because the utility is not able to read your meter remotely, has risks too, which you may not have considered. A big one is that meter reader could injure themselves on your property and sue you for damages. It has happened. Another is that having people on your property to read the meter on a regular basis can give crooks a good cover story to case your property, up close and personal... checking for dogs, looking for windows and doors that would be easy to open, scanning for the expensive stuff so it can be grabbed quickly... all they need is a convincing looking shirt and hat in most cases, which are often ridiculously easy to obtain.
The good news is that you can choose what meter you have. I didn't even know FPL would (or had to) give you a non-smart-meter if you asked for one. The early smart meters were blamed for a few houses burning down - but still it was rare.
As far as knowing when you are home or not based the meter it's hogwash. Burglars know when you are home or not without going that route. Knocking on the door and not having anyone come to the door usually proves that out.
My A/C in South Florida turns on and off all day long and since I have 12 tons of it, it pulls quite a bit of KWH when I am not home when they all turn on. The pool pump does too. So does that mean I am home or not?
I like the fact that a stranger isn't just coming onto my property to read a meter. They couldn't possibly knock on all the doors. I did have an instance where the FPL meter reader startled me and he ended up with my gun in his face. His fault as he came tires screeching into my driveway and jumped my fence... I wish all meters were smart. Gas, Water, Power...
The concerns over smart meters may all be hype that comes to nothing but in the article it says a group of 50 prominent scientists felt concerned enough about the meters radio frequency transmission of data to write a letter stating the smart meters need more study.They are not yet fully convinced that they are safe.
And the issue of bad wiring leading to fires. I hope that has been resolved but that also depends on if the power company employees know what they are doing and the wiring poses no further risks. What type of wiring does the smart meter need?
Yes a cunning thief knows how to case a house without the help of a smart meter but this hacking can even be done by people who are nowhere near the area. Maybe they can hack entire neighborhoods looking for the best victims.
And on a final note people have complained their bills have gone up after the installation of smart meters.
Are they concerned as much about the frequencies that are all around us? I think most complain come from people who cheated easy with the old meters; than anything else.Wiring anything is much the same no matter the meter type.
I respect all of your opinions who disagree and have come out against me on this but I remain convinced that smart meters are something to be concerned about. I think you may all be too quick to make fun of serious concerns and valid complaints from a lot of intelligent people. This many people coming out against it has to be for a reason.
A second concern even if you do not believe they are harmful to your health is what a hacker might do with the information including knowing when you are home, when you leave, and when you are on vacation. Hackers have gotten into banks these days. Nothing is safe.
If you have a concern about the radio emissions to the degree you express, then regardless of what anyone else says, the concern is valid. While the evidence to the contrary might be valid or not really doesn't matter, your perception will always matter to you.
Considering the above, require the utility to provide you with sufficient information so that you can determine to your own satisfaction the the meter installed isn't a smart meter and go on from there.
When you get right down to it, it is your peace of mind that matters to you, not what anyone else says. The utility company can give you the information, just ask the right people in the right way and you'll get it. Since radio waves travel in straight lines and don't make u-turns, in the absence of getting the information you want, simply install a shield between the meter and your occupied living space and then you'll be able to stop worrying about it altogether. The shield construction isn't difficult and the procedure to make it is easily found.
Before you do that though, you can scan the meter for radio emissions. Since it concerns you, the minor cost involved shouldn't be a barrier to getting it done. There are plenty of businesses that can do this for you. Many environmental cleanup companies have this equipment. If you're just worried about the wifi type signals, use your smartphone to scan the meter. The apps are readily available for no cost to you and they can scan for a variety of radio types.
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