[RFI] RFI and Smart meters

[Gary Tuck]

This summer our local power company installed what I've heard called "smart"  meters.  They provide a digital readout of electricity
usage and apparently will transmit the information to a van as it drives down the street.  After it was installed, it was still
read manually for some months according to the meter reader.  I'm not sure if it is transmitting now.  What I do know
is that this fall I started getting broad band hash from 160m on up.  The meter is right below my shack and about 15 feet
from one leg of my wire antenna (slanting delta loop).  The hash is on 24/7 with very few and very short breaks that I've
heard--perhaps of 5 minute duration.  The hash reads S9+ on 80m and still at S6 on 20m.  It almost sounds like
normal atmospheric band noise but much much stronger of course.

Has anyone else had experience with these meters?  I suspect the meter of course but don't really have a means to check it out.

Thanks,  Gary W7TEA