Sign me up! Please also provide me with a DBCH upgrade and a suitable DB IHD - I’d love to actually be able to use one! :D

I'm up for it too.

Bearing in mind that I also have an appointment already booked for a new SMETS2 gas meter install on the 18th of November.

Currently I have a SMETS2 electricity meter and hub but SMETS1 gas meter - because at the time of the Mex the new gas meter could not connect with the hub so the old gas meter was left in place as dumb.

To me that sounds like the kind of test case for HAN that you may be looking for.

Edit: unless of course you are looking at larger properties and tower blocks Alt-HAN. In which case my 1-bed ground floor flat is not going to be a good test.

Edit2- See my post below for more details of what this TCSO trial is actually about

Put me down for a trial, too, please. 

Please sign me up for the smart meter comms hub pilot

I’m also willing to take part…

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your interest in this pilot. 

I’ll be sending you all private messages shortly to gather some information from you all to pass onto the team that is doing the pilot.

Hi,

I would like to take part. I am due to have my smart meter replaced on the 26th Nov 24.

Thanks

Hey @Weeck14,

I sent you a private message to confirm your details 

I have found some more information about this TCSO trial and what it is,

CONSULTATION ON INTRODUCING AN OBLIGATION FOR TRUST CENTRE SWAP OUT PROVING

TCSO is a capability native to all ZigBee Smart Energy devices that allows the Trust
Centre, the Communications Hub in the case of smart metering, to be exchanged
whilst leaving existing devices operational. TCSO is likely to be a key component of
the successful transition to 4G Communications Hubs in the Central and South
Regions.

Laboratory testing has demonstrated TCSO works but it is not widely used in
operational settings for the purpose of replacing a Communications Hub. The results
of this testing have been shared with our Smart Metering Delivery Group where the
need for further proving to be conducted has been agreed. Large Supplier Parties
have indicated a willingness to participate to build on the initial laboratory testing and
expressed support for introducing obligations to continue this work.

But note also:

Whilst the initial focus is on gaining information on the TCSO process to support the
forthcoming rollout of 4G CHs in the Central and South Regions, we believe that
general information on the TCSO process can be gained from any SMETS2+ TCSO,
and therefore propose that TCSOs in the North Region should also be able to count
towards meeting the obligations

If there is indeed scope for the north region to be included then I would be keen to take part. I am in Scotland and currently have no WAN connection due to poor LRR coverage.

Hey @Retroanaconda 

If you send me a private message to confirm your details I’ll forward this to the team & they can advise if you’re eligible for the trial 

Happy to take part.

South West.

Electricity supply only.

Marginal mobile signal. Current connection via domestic WiFi.

Hey Mike 

I’ll PM you for your details 

I am in Glasgow and would be happy to help. Just had my smart electricity meter fitted but he could not fit smart meter for gas as is outside front window and signal not good enough. He said alt han would work but alt han was on pause due to product recall. I see Alt Han Company have now delivered the new products to all energy suppliers and either way I am keen to get my smart gas meter fitted. Thanks.

Hello,

I’m in Northumberland and have a non-functioning SMETS2 420DB electricity meter. I’m with another supplier but would happily change if I could be included in this trial.

We have excellent 4G signal as the mast is just across the road but the 423mhz radio signal is sadly lacking.

Thanks

Hi ​@Glasgowhome,

I’ll PM you for your details shortly.

Hi ​@JFisher22 ,

IIRC you need an already fully functioning and fully communicating S2 Smart Meter for this trial, so I’m not sure you can join right now. I’ll ask ​@Bradley_OVO to double check though.

Apologies for the delay ​@JFisher22 - Loving the interest!

(Thanks for the tag ​@Blastoise186 )

I’ll reach out to our Hub Pilot organiser and see if this is something we can confirm for you 

Hey ​@JFisher22 

Speaking with the 4G lead on this pilot and it looks like the industry wide change is for South and Central regions of the UK currently. The North isnt currently a region that’ll be affected by this change for a couple more years unfortunately, so it doesnt look like we’d be able to get you on board with this pilot.

The team really appreciates your interest though and wanted me to pass this on to you.

Thanks for the reply Bradley

I'm aware of the geographical boundaries and the different technology used to deliver (or not) smart meter data to the DCC & suppliers.

However I noticed that on this thread a customer in Glasgow has also asked to be enrolled in the pilot. As we are in the same northern region would it not be possible to offer the pilot to other customers if for no other reason to establish it as a viable alternative to replace/enhance the poor radio signal on many northern smart meters?

Great question ​@JFisher22 

Seem’s like the main issue and reason we’re currently unable to offer any form of comms hub testing in the Northern regions, from what I’m being told, is because of the strict ownership of comms hubs by the Data Communications Company (DCC) there. 

Bradley,

OK I hear you but that's not what you said in your first reply to me was it. This is a big issue. The DCC are unaccountable to customers and think that northern radio hubs are working to acceptable levels. As recently exposed by the BBC panorama programme there is an accountability gap. Over 3'500'000 homes without working smart meters is a big problem the real figure is probably closer to 7'000'000.

Given the woefull & inadequate service and the head in the sand attitude towards fixing it by Arquiva who provide the network maybe OVO could lead from the front on behalf of their customers. I noticed on panorama Octopus fitted a cellular comms hub in a northern area (Glasgow again) to sort out a customers long standing connection issues so it can be done it seems.

Hi JFisher22

I’m with Octopus in the northern area (Cumbria) and have been trying to get hooked up to the Arqiva LRR for almost a year now. Tried all the fixes - passive dipole repeater, etc all to no avail.

Got an appointment this Friday (6th Dec) for them to come and fit a cellular comms hub and T2 aerial. 2G/3G (and 4G) cellular signal is not good here, so I will have to apply a little ingenuity to extend the 2m tail on the T2 aerial in order for it to be located up in the loft. I’ve previously drilled the kitchen wall and routed some 50 ohm low impedence coax up the wall and onto the roof for the passive repeater trial. So it is just a matter of snipping the T2 aerial tail in the middle, fitting SMA connectors (same as the aerial is fitted with for connection to the comms hub) to the cut ends and coupling to each end of my existing coax with appropriate adaptors (SMA(F) to SO239).

Off on holiday for a week on the 7th, so will not be able to report back any success (or otherwise...) for a while.

DCC has accepted that LRR isn’t working as well as it was intended to. There’s signs that R&D has started on Dual-Mode Comms Hubs for the Northern Territory that can run both Cellular and Long-Range Radio so that whichever one gets the best signal is the one that gets used.

It’ll be a while before they’re ready, but my understanding is that they’re working on it.

It’s good that there is change afoot with the dual frequency comms hub in the pipeline but how long 1 year 2, 3?

There is a simpler solution. In the meantime fit cellular hubs where they work, in the northern area where there is a clear historical issue with LRR reception. In these cases there is no need to wait for the new duel hub as the LRR bit won’t work anyway.

why a system that doesn’t work where there is terrain shielding and won’t penetrate stone walls was rolled out in a landscape dominated by these attenuating factors I just can’t fathom.

WelI I could have a good guess…….