Boy, I wish it were that easy here. The power utility where my primary repeaters are located is an investor-owned one and they require every customer to purchase and install their own meter socket, regardless of service classification.
They have no "commercial" rate, but rather a "non-residential" rate. So a service to an "out building" will be classified as non-residential unless it is part of a working farm (farms enjoy residential rate). I asked criteria for the residential rate and was told that one criteria was a permanently-installed sewer system, so I can't just hook up an RV power receptacle and make that my "residential excuse." Chuck WB2EDV ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike WA6ILQ" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 1:28 AM Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] Electricity question > At 09:06 PM 8/31/04, you wrote: > > >Anyone have any dealings with your local power company about getting a > >non-commercial rate at a commercially owned tower site? I might be > >dreaming, but I figured I would ask. I know that hams are able to get > >non-commercial telephone rates at commercial sites, but not sure the > >best way to approach the power company. Any thoughts on the subject. > > > >Steaven, W4YI > > We got the residential rate but we had to put in our own meter > to get it. > Showing the Pac Bell press release that I put up on > www.repeater-builder.com helped. It showed that another > utility in the same area had granted residential rates. > > We bolted a meter panel next to the existing paging company's > meter and ran 1/2" conduit to a box by our rack. In the same > room were several paging TXs. > > A year earlier another ham group had rented space at > another site that also rented to the same paging company. > Based on their experience we did not leave an open > outlet. They had put in a meter and conduit to a quad > box behind their racks. Their bill was consistent month- > to-month for over a year then suddenly went up 600%. > They made a site visit and found a 330w paging TX > plugged into the extra outlet they left open (they had used > three of four outlets). It may have been accidental on > the part of the paging tech, but as I understood the > situation it took almost 9 months for the paging company > to reimburse them. > > We put a blank plate on our quad box, and drilled > holes in the plate for two clamps. We cut the plugs > off of two 14-3 extension cords and wired them up > so one was on each side of the 220v line, and both > were the only live outlets on our meter. We dropped > the female ends into the rack and plugged the two > power strips into them. > > Mike WA6ILQ > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Repeater-Builder/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
