 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Requirements
You need the following to use Calc-Electric. (Please refer to How it Works if you want to understand why these requirements exist.
| A WebCam - Almost any webcam will do *NOW SUPPORTS VIDEO CAPTURE CARDS - download v1.0.3 beta to test suitability* | ||
| A PC running any version of Windows from Window 98 onwards | ||
| A traditional electro-mechanical electricity meter (see how it works to see what one of these looks like), or a digital meter with a flashing led (where the number of flashes is related to the power usage). | ||
Additionally, please be aware of the following: |
||
| The meter must be accessible so that you can position a webcam in front of it, and so that you can connect this webcam to your computer running the Calc-Electric software. (You can buy extension USB cables up to 50 m long if you are unable to leave the PC near the electricity meter for the necessary duration.). Remember, if you leave your webcam and computer alone in a non-secure place, they may go missing. Even if you can't run a long term unattended test, a test lasting for a short period (e.g. 20 minutes) Calc-Electric will still be useful in helping you to understand which appliances are costing you money. | ||
| The electricity meter must be illuminated or in a bright enough place so that the webcam can see the detail on it, in particular the rotating disk. You may be able to achieve this by leaving the meter cupboard door open, or positioning a torch or lamp near the electricity meter for the duration of your measurements. |