Jeff Smith. DFW Plastics, Inc. Fort Worth, Texas

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1 Jeff Smith DFW Plastics, Inc. Fort Worth, Texas

2 There are many factors that may affect your RF performance within your AMR/AMI system. These are dependent on various areas within the network itself. A short list of these factors include: The technology of the devices used The conditions your meter and antenna are installed The local environment the signals will travel through The fundamental physics behind wireless transmission

3 Many of these factors cannot be avoided- measures must be taken to try to minimize the negative affect that these factors will have on your AMR/AMI performance. Some issues may be resolved completely or at the very least minimized. We can achieve this through good network planning by either through upgrading equipment or looking into the some of the challenges you are facing.

4 Water meters are typically installed in an enclosure. This enclosure will have a lid to allow access while also protecting the meter from the elements. The lid will be the first obstruction the signal will pass through and is dependent on the antenna and its location in the enclosure.

5 This presentation is to show the products used and how they may affect the signal strength. Now for the BORING stuff

6 A very specific form of electromagnetic waves is used to communicate wirelessly in AMR/ AMI system. This form of wave is a radio frequency wave, often shortened to RF wave. An RF-based system is a system that relies on the phenomenon of electromagnetic wave theory to provide data wirelessly from antenna to receiver.

7 What happens to an RF signal between two locations is a direct result of how the signal PROPAGATES. In the AMR/AMI industry, we use what is called LOS (Line of Sight), which is the distance between the antenna and receiver. All transmitted RF energy incurs path loss as electromagnetic waves propagate from source to destination. This path loss will increase depending on what type of medium in the signal path.

8 A flat, dry, desert environnent will exhibit different propagation characteristics than that of a hilly, wet, jungle environment. A sparsely populated rural environment will also exhibit different propagation characteristics than a densely populated city environment. Even the same environment surveyed under different weather conditions will exhibit different propagation characteristics.

9 Visual Diagram of Characteristics

10 RF propagation is difficult to precisely characterize generically. There are too many factors to control such as weather, trees, or buildings; but you can increase signal strength with a select few. So what can we do?

11 What materials are your lids made of? Steel Cast Iron Concrete Polymer Concrete Composites Polyethylene Polypropylene

12 Cast Iron Lids

13 Steel Lids

14 Cast Iron & Steel Lids Even through the lid installations have significant interaction of metal lid and antenna, reducing radiated power.

15 Concrete Lids

16 Polymer Concrete Composite

17 HDPE Polymer

18 Each one of these products will change the strength of your signal, due to the reduction of RF signal as it propagates. Propagation What happens to the RF signal between two locations.

19 The reduction in intensity of a RF signal propagating through a medium is called attenuation.

20 When a signal passes through a medium and a portion of that signal is absorbed by the medium and a reduced signal comes out the other side

21 Attenuation Loss From Absorption Typical Losses Recorded Polymer (HDPE) Polymer Concrete Concrete Metal Mesh Solid Metal* -5 db -11 db -16 db -17 db -30 db * db loss is higher if MIU is not through metal lid

22 What style antenna are you using? Touch Read Radio Read

23 How is your Antenna mounted? Locked into your lid (Different mounts are available)

24 Through the lid Drilled hole in lid Molded recess in lid

25 Recessed mount in meter pit lid

26 Stab Mount

27 Recessed and screwed into place

28 Slide Mount

29 No lid mount needed

30 Keep meter box and lid clear of: dirt water overgrown vegetation gravel and rocks

31 With today s growing technology, and your good network planning, now is the time to try different options within your system. Test different products out in the field where you might have troubled spots. It might be as simple as cleaning meter boxes that are filled with dirt or maybe you have a lid that is affecting the meter reading.

32 No matter how we look at it, it starts with Your Good Planning!

33 Questions / Comments Jeff Smith DFW Plastics, Inc. Fort Worth, Texas

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