Is there a suggested replacement for the TSL250? While it can still be found, it seems to be discontinued for the most part.

I've had no luck with the LM393 solution for my new power meter. Just can't tune it to pick up the led impulses. What sort of diode solution is everyone else using? I'm aware of the possibility of IR communication (https://wiki.hal9k.dk/projects/kamstrup) but it seems a little over the top.

While looking into the water meter I realized that we are getting a "smart" meter replacement soon. I'll see if I can speed up the replacement schedule. Anyhow, the replacement is a Kamstrup Multical 21 (https://www.kamstrup.com/en-en/water-solutions/water-meters/multical-21) which has several options for reading:

• Requesting the data via optical interface?
• Enabling the pulse function via optical interface, and then reading the IR pulse at 1imp/10lit.
• Reading the wireless mbus signal? (e.g. https://github.com/weetmuts/wmbusmeters)

@flopp Did you ever manage to stabilize the readings? Am I understanding you correctly that the readings were fine but the transmission got the reading scrambled?

Did you try to find a magnetic field with the meter instead? I have a similar meter and I'm wondering how best to approach the problem. I've seen people hook up Raspberries and cameras to do OCR basically but that seems like way too complex for an easy problem.

@koresh Package went under the "Postnord" radar! Woohoo, perfect! I will start replacing the old capacitors and finally be able to deploy the sensors. Very nice of you to include some product samples as well. Really excited about these sensors!

@alexsh1 I may have made a bit of a mistake with some glitchy chinese test probes. De-glitched cables and connected to a proper lab power supply gave very different readings (with the default git-sketch) ...

Still a bit confused over the differing readings. I get that the board I stripped from regulator and capacitors would perform better though. So do I have to do the same for all the other boards as well? Of course, I could save the worst performing boards for later and run them on 2xAA or something in places where space isn't an issue.

@alexsh1 Thanks for the suggestions! Reassuring to know that you succeeded.

1. I haven't added any sensors so it's just the default ones.
2. https://github.com/EasySensors/ButtonSizeNode ... may need some cleaning up @Koresh or do we use v2 code for v1 sensor as well?
3. I thought as much ... damn. I'm using the CW version radio with the adapter plate. I also thought about the radio but unlike the NRF radio this one should work with no counterfeit units?
4. No my other DMM was out of batteries. Found my old crappy DMM and it says the same, ~2mA.
5. I did remove both caps and it's still at ~2mA.

You're probably right about something not sleeping. Or else I've done a horrible soldering job on the four radios I've attached so far. All four sensors behave pretty much the same.

Also, at least on Domoticz they changed things around now so you have to use V_LEVEL instead of V_LIGHT_LEVEL or what? https://www.domoticz.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18577 With V_LIGHT_LEVEL I get some incomprehensible percent value reported.

@yury No I ran them on just a 2032 battery at the time, just had it in an external battery holder. I also removed the LDO on one of the boards and bridged the two top pads, with no apparent effect.

Unless there is something wrong with my DMM.

@Koresh I still have a bunch of v1 boards that I never got to work because of power consumption (I presume). I thought I'd make one more attempt.

I tried bridging the jumper and I'm using a 2032 battery. Consumption varies between 2 and 4mA on different boards. On some boards it fluctuates a lot. The instructions above are not immediately clear. Do I have to remove the LDO AND capacitors as well?

I'm sold on Fusion360 as it is basically professional 3DCAD that can be used for free. Full on parametric with a powerful history tree. As you've no doubt seen it has built-in CAM functionality as well, equally professional and it can output G-CODE for most CNC-controllers. So very much all in one. And you'll be glad you learned real 3DCAD instead of meddling with 123D, Sketchup or anything else.

Personally I prefer the Vectric programs (Aspire) for making G-CODE for the CNC as they are geared towards woodworking with features like v carving. Fusion360 CAM feels more like it was made for mills and lathes but can do most things as well.

@rfm69 I think the mechanical stuff is ~$1400 and then ~$600 for steppers and spindle and a few other things.

Of course the machine we're building at the makerspace is the biggest suggested model. Working area ~100x150cm with steel reinforced Y and X and with laser cut steel plates instead of aluminum. So I don't think he ever sold that as a kit internationally because of weight and size. A smaller machine would be much cheaper obviously.

@neverdie Yeah the guy behind the RawCNC has been a bit difficult. This is sort of his side project and he keeps changing his mind on how to proceed. He actually rolled back some of the features to make the machines lighter and easier to ship. But then he didn't sell internationally anyway. At least not for long.