this post was submitted on 24 Apr 2025
75 points (98.7% liked)

Ask Lemmy

31306 readers
1802 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions

Rules: (interactive)

1) Be nice and; have funDoxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them

2) All posts must end with a '?'This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?

3) No spamPlease do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.

4) NSFW is okay, within reasonJust remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].

5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.

6) No US Politics.
Please don't post about current US Politics. If you need to do this, try !politicaldiscussion@lemmy.world or !askusa@discuss.online

Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.

Partnered Communities:

Tech Support

No Stupid Questions

You Should Know

Reddit

Jokes

Ask Ouija

Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Bluetreefrog@lemmy.world
TheSaneWriter@lemm.ee
TheSaneWriter@lemmy.thesanewriter.com
Asudox@lemmy.world
lemmy_bot@lemmy.world
beefbaby182@lemmy.world
ModeratorCan@lemmy.world
neidu3@sh.itjust.works
KaneLivesInDeath@lemmy.world
asudox@lemmy.asudox.dev
candyman337@lemmy.world
candyman337@sh.itjust.works
75
What is this box/antenna thing? (lemmy.world)
submitted 4 days ago by Uradingus2@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
19 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 
all 20 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works 39 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (3 children)

This is just an educated guess, but since there doesn't appear to be a meter attached to it, I'm going to guess it belongs to the electric utility and is part of their AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) network.

There's a device at the substation that can read all the meters fed from the sub. Some utilities use AMI over power lines, some use a wireless mesh network, and some use a combination of different technologies depending on a few things.

Source: used to run the department that handled the AMI system.

[–] emilmuzz@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago

I'll second this as someone who used to administer an AMI headend. This is essentially an industrial wifi access point. This device connects to the utility's operations network, and provides connectivity to smart meters in the area.

[–] masterspace@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Based on the shape, at first I it thought was one of the new mesh network streetlights, but after zooming in more I think you're right, it looks like an antenna box for a wireless metering network.

[–] Ste41th@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

one of the new mesh network streetlights

Sorry but how does making mesh network streetlights help anything? What’s up with the normal ones?

[–] masterspace@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Cities still need a way of knowing when streetlights burn out or are in need of service.

You can wait for people to report them out, hope the report is accurate, and then send workers out to try and find them and fix them (and it's not exactly easy to figure out which light is burnt out during the day), or you can proactively send workers out to fix exactly the right light as soon as they break or show any signs that they might.

[–] Ste41th@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 day ago

True I suppose i didn’t think of that, I guess it’ll save companies money.

[–] x00z@lemmy.world 24 points 4 days ago

It's a hub to control all the pigeon spy robots in the area.

[–] nokturne213@sopuli.xyz 19 points 4 days ago

Sounds like a job for !whatisthisthing@lemmy.world

[–] Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org 12 points 4 days ago (1 children)

It's them. They are coming after you.

/s

[–] thefartographer@lemm.ee 4 points 4 days ago

I feel so noticed

[–] Hubi@feddit.org 7 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Seems to be a smart metering antenna. Not sure what it does exactly.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Smart_Metering_Antenna,_Cellnet_UtiliNet,_Minneapolis_(42422032184).jpg

[–] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 7 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Probably utility meter reader so they don't have to drive by to read the meters. It's lazy and my energy rates have only gone up the more jobs the get rid of.

[–] slazer2au@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

How else will they recuperate the cost of the project without cost increases and employee cuts?

[–] 11111one11111@lemmy.world -3 points 4 days ago (2 children)

"Failed to load image" I'm on mobile app so may just be me but it appears your link is broke.

[–] Hubi@feddit.org 1 points 4 days ago

Try opening the link in your browser. Seems like it's an issue with whatever app you're using.

[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago

It's probably set up by the utility company to monitor either electric or water usage.