User's Guide

A c l a r a R F E l e c t r i c I - 2 1 0 + c U s e r G u i d e 83
CHAPTER
8
INSTALLING THE M ETER
Meter Installation Procedure
Installing the meter is nothing more than a meter change out. Follow your
company's guidelines for meter change outs.
1. Wear appropriate PPE, such as gloves.
2. Bring suitable test equipment, such as a VOM.
3. Follow all applicable safety guidelines.
4. Notify the home/business owner prior to interrupting power.
5. Document the old meter’s serial number and final dial reading(s) prior to
removal.
6. Remove the old meter.
7. Measure the various service voltages to ensure they are within specification.
8. Inspect the socket for serviceability. Make plans to replace it if one or more
jaws show signs of age or corrosion.
9. If the socket is in good condition, install the new meter.
10. Upon power-up you may notice a blue blinking LED that transitions to
remaining steadily on. The steady LED light indicates the NIC has
communicated with a nearby DCU. A meter that has a red LED that
remains steadily on should not be installed. Swap out such a meter and
return it to Aclara for evaluation. Use a different meter instead.
Alternatively, some designs use the meter LCD instead of the LEDs. If the
meter is programmed to scroll a “NET---” message will appear after
power-up. This indicates that the NIC needs to communicate with a nearby
DCU. Upon hearing from a DCU, the message will be promoted to
“NETREC” to indicate that it has received a message from the network.
11. Note any special conditions, such as if the meter appeared to fail to
communicate with the network, and if the meter is inside a building or
surrounded by nearby tall metal fencing.
12. The NIC will likely spend the next hour or two registering itself on the
network and obtaining security credentials so that it may operate normally.
13. The headend is expected to reconfigure the module if it finds it to have a
configuration inappropriate for the account.