Just call or send us an email. We'll set the order up right away.
You can use a purchase order or credit card. We also have a network
of authorized distributors. Call for details or ask your metering
products representative if they sell the OptoWave by Probe-TEC.
A wireless optical probe is a patent pending device used to read
and program electric meters. The wireless optical probe combines
infrared communications technology (at the meter optical port) with
wireless communications (between the probe and the handheld) and
serial communications (between the handheld receiver and the
operating system). If you read or program electric utility meters
than you need a wireless optical probe.
Radio waves are a dynamic physical phenomena as such many factors
can improve or diminish their performance. In the best of cases our
Optowave probe can communicate over 300 feet. In the worst of cases
communications will be about 15 feet. The use of external wireless
adapters greatly improve performance.
Bluetôôth is a wireless communications standard adopted
worldwide. The term Bluetôôth applies to the radio hardware,
firmware and protocol structure. In short Bluetôôth is a wireless
communications standard developed for short range data
communications. Bluetôôth devices are used in everything from cell
phones to automobiles. Bluetôôth is a popular worldwide technology
as such there have been over 1 billion Bluetôôth devices
manufactured worldwide. For more information on Bluetôôth see
www.Bluetôôth.com
Prior to Windows 98 wireless communications were not a part of
the Windows standard operating systems. Since then Windows has
supported wireless Bluetôôth technology in Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7
thru 11. For intructions on installing the
drivers
CLICK THIS LINK.
After discussing the options with our customer we decided to
design our probe with replaceable batteries. The reason was that our
customers wanted the option to replace the batteries in the field if
necessary. So we designed in a set of standard AA batteries which
can be purchased at any local gas station or convenience store. We
sell our probes with Energizer Lithium Ion batteries because they
last far longer than any of the others. They are more expensive but
the added cost is offset by the longer life. But the probe can use
any AA batteries, even rechargeables. The Premium Kit come with
rechargeable batteries and an in vehicle charger.
Some meter software do not support higher com port settings above
com 4. It is advisable to check with the supplier of your meter
software to determine if your metering software can utilize com
ports above com 4. It is also important to understand if the
software you are using supports virtual com ports such as those used
by USB devices. For more information on com port settings please
CLICK THIS LINK. If you need more information
please don't hesitate to call us for further support.
While most metering software requires no special configuration
some users have told us they have a problem communicating while
using Elster's MeterCat™ software. In
most cases the problem can traced to the packet size setting under
the Connection Manager screen. Please refer to
THE LINK HERE to see how to properly configure
MeterCat™.
MeterCat is a registered trademark of Elster Metering.
Again, normally there is no special configuration required to use
the Optowave. However some manufacturer's software packages may
require that you change the probe setup from its current setting to
more generic setting. This depends on the current settings and the
type of wired probe that was formally used. For best performance we
recommend that you check your settings for PC Pro™
and, if necessary, change them to agree with the setting as shown on
THE LINK HERE
. The settings shown correspond to a com port 6. If your probe is
installed on a different port change the number shown accordingly.
PC Pro is a registered trademark of Itron Metering.
We recommend the Linksys Bluetôôth adapter because of its range
and ease of use. But if you already have Bluetôôth in you laptop of
if you have already purchased a Bluetôôth adapter that uses the
Toshiba stack you can easily set it up to work with the OptoWave
probe. If you would like to down load the instructions be sure you
have the .pdf viewer installed and then click
THE LINK
HERE . You may also want to refer to
THIS LINK.
Using an internal Bluetôôth radio has the advantage of not having
to worry about damage to the radio or the USB port. But you
sacrifice range. Internal radios typically give you a range of 30 to
100 feet. If the laptop has a Bluetôôth antenna then the range could
be as far as 300 feet. If you would like to down load the setup
instructions be sure you have the .pdf viewer installed and then
click
THE LINK HERE .
Windows XP SP2 has a set of Bluetôôth drivers that can be
used with many Bluetôôth devices. However the Windows XP Bluetôôth
drivers are not as robust as other drivers so we recommend that you
use the Linksys (Broadcomm) drivers or the drivers that came with
your Bluetôôth radio. If you do not follow the installation
instructions and plug the Linksys adapter in the the USB port too
soon Windows will install its drivers and will prevent the Linksys
software from properly installing the Linksys drivers. If you think
this happened you can down load the instructions to correct the
installation. Be sure you have the .pdf viewer installed and then
click
THE LINK HERE/a>/strong>
.
Windows sets virtual COM port numbers based on the records in a
registry key. This key can be edited to reset the virtual COM port
emuneration. To download the information be sure you have the .pdf
viewer installed and then click
THE LINK HERE
.
There are two version of the OptoWave Manual one for the
Linksys/Bluetôôth adapter and one for use with the OptoBlue USB
adapter. The files may take a few minutes to download depending on
your connection speed. To download the information be sure you have the .pdf
viewer installed. For the Bluetôôth adapter version click
THE LINK HERE
To view the OptoBlue version
THE LINK HERE
Normally each OptoBlue is paired with an
OptoWave when shipped from the factory. However if you received your
separate OptoBlue and want to pair it with an OptoWave that you
already have you must follow this simple procedure. For a copy of
the instructions
CLICK THIS LINK.
