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Why can't my supplier resolve my smart meter Wide-Area-Network (WAN) signal issues?

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Just researched the T3 options and happy the have one if that works. No one in OVO customer services seems to know anything about them.

 

Do you know who I speak with or what i ask for?

 

Also spoken to secondary metering provider that installs external aerials for exactly these situations. They said all aerials are going to work with coaxial cables. Having work down now and running a coax from outside to meter room wouldn’t cost anything, do you it would be good to have it there for when/if I could get agreement for a T3?

Blastoise186
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This is all stuff I’ll have to tag-team with someone at OVO who knows more than me about.

Please bear with me - getting permission to talk to that person and/or get the info from them may take a while.

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Firedog
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OVO is supplier - blank drawn there, they say there is nothing they can do if the extended antenna doesn’t get a signal - this is the 30cm long thing

 

OVO can do no more. This is the procedure for problematic locations: smartme.co.uk. Sadly, DCC aren’t known for their speed in dealing with cases like this.

I suppose your original meter was installed long before smart ones came along; nobody thought that wireless connectivity was a consideration back then. You have a couple of options: (a) grin and bear it until such time as DCC get you sorted out, submitting readings manually meanwhile, or (b) ask OVO to move your meter to a more wireless-friendly spot. That won’t be without significant cost to you, with the possibility that the distributor would have to be involved as well. 

The DCC wireless network isn’t the same as a mobile phone one. While the fact that you have good mobile connectivity to an O2 mast is a positive sign, there’s no knowing whether the DCC signal would use the same mast; O2 put the antennae for DCC where DCC tell them to. That’s why connectivity problems like yours become DCC’s headache. 

 

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA
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OK, so I have the T2 aerial left installed.
Step one should be that I make sure OVO have actually registered the connection failure with DCC?

Then who do I chase, is it OVO, or can I hassle DCC directly?

Blastoise186
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You can’t go directly to DCC. Try https://smart-meter-help.ovoenergy.com though - that might work.

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Abby_OVO
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Hey @Chris Watt 

 

Glad our volunteers have been able to offer even more helpful advice here.

 

I’ve also replied on your other topic thread, but ultimately the Support Team should be able to help you with this.

 

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Hey Abby_OVO

Your link takes me to beginning of where I states. No one in the ‘support team’ knows anything about how to get past where I am - they simply says that’s it, no connection.

Who/where in your support team do I find someone that understands enough to answer these two question;

  1. Have you registered my connection failure with DCC?
  2. Have you, can you, will you ask for a T3 aerial for my install?
Blastoise186
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Unfortunately, getting hold of a T3 isn’t as simple as it sounds. DCC really doesn’t like giving them out and absolutely insists on every other possible option being tried first… And the process takes absolutely forever as well.

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Whilst I understand I need to have realistic expectations that the process may be long, irritating, etc. - I’ve still got to persist otherwise I’ll be ignored.

Hence my questions.

If I can’t speak to DCC directly my route must be through OVO. I at least have to ensure that OVO have started the process, which currently I am not. 
Hence my x2 questions.

If you know where/who in OVO I go to check that (because ‘support team’ don’t know anything about T3 aerials) then I’ll be to be directed there?

Blastoise186
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If you use the Smart Meter Help link I gave you, a case gets sent directly to the team you need to reach out to. The tool also gathers a bunch of diagnostics that makes the task much easier as well - and that too gets sent off with the case which the tool raises.

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I’ve tried that. 
step 3 of 7 asks me if my HAN light is flashing or on, no option for off

4 of 7 asks for a meter reading but gives instruction about how to find it that don’t match my meter

I am on a domestic 3 phase supply, I wonder if these instructions / forms are designed for a single phase supply and therefore not useful?

 

Blastoise186
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Pick flashing

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OK done that. Not that impressive that they now want 45 days to reply!

BPLightlog
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…

I am on a domestic 3 phase supply, I wonder if these instructions / forms are designed for a single phase supply and therefore not useful?

 

Hi @Chris Watt , just a thought as there aren’t many 3 phase smart meters. Which meter do you have?

Independent volunteer - Sitting in a Faraday cage, waiting for a signal
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…

I am on a domestic 3 phase supply, I wonder if these instructions / forms are designed for a single phase supply and therefore not useful?

 

Hi @Chris Watt , just a thought as there aren’t many 3 phase smart meters. Which meter do you have?

Kaifa MA329B

Blastoise186
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OK done that. Not that impressive that they now want 45 days to reply!

That sounds like it’s raised a tech case directly to the team responsible. They need time to go through the data, run diagnostics and make other decisions. However, you might get a response faster if you’re lucky.

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BPLightlog
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…

I am on a domestic 3 phase supply, I wonder if these instructions / forms are designed for a single phase supply and therefore not useful?

 

Hi @Chris Watt , just a thought as there aren’t many 3 phase smart meters. Which meter do you have?

Kaifa MA329B

Ok - that meter does have a ‘Flying Lead’ capability to help move the connected comms to a better location. I’ve never seen one in use and don’t know who uses them but mentioned for what it’s worth

Kaifa FL100

Independent volunteer - Sitting in a Faraday cage, waiting for a signal
Blastoise186
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I know of only one Site that uses said flying lead (and it’s not my own). It’s used because there isn’t enough space to put the Comms Hub directly on top of the meter, so the Comms Hub is a bit further up the wall where there is enough space.

However, those leads aren’t very long - you’re talking maybe 2m at best if memory serves.

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…

I am on a domestic 3 phase supply, I wonder if these instructions / forms are designed for a single phase supply and therefore not useful?

 

Hi @Chris Watt , just a thought as there aren’t many 3 phase smart meters. Which meter do you have?

Kaifa MA329B

Ok - that meter does have a ‘Flying Lead’ capability to help move the connected comms to a better location. I’ve never seen one in use and don’t know who uses them but mentioned for what it’s worth

Kaifa FL100

Interesting, can’t find any data on Kaifa website about length, etc. - maybe mobile website not great.

Found a user post saying flying lead is 1.5m. That won’t be enough to get out of the basement.

Does anyone know if there is a fixed length on the T3 aerial?

Blastoise186
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T3 have pretty long cables. I’ve never found the details but given that they’re external and roof/wall mounted? They’ll be long enough to cope.

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