Home page » Peripherals

Search:

Refine search for Peripherals

It would be quite nice to be able to export this data as CSV to be used in a spreadsheet, but as of yet this feature is not supported. This is apparently coming in a future version, and hopefully after reading this article, along with a Linux version.

As previously mentioned, when plugged into the computer, it will power the device and automatically log the data. However, as the USB port is on the underside of the device, you can't stand it upright to act as a display, as you would if you were using the power pack instead. This is a pity, as this is where I would happily leave the device 24/7, where I can keep an eye on usage.

Running the kettle all day, every day for a year would clearly get expensive

The reality of it is that you very rarely want to actually carry the device around. Perhaps you want to see how much power a particular device in your house is using, so you carry it over and do the switch on / switch off test. You soon get over this and end up leaving it in one place. In my situation is was the hallway as I could see it every time I went to the kitchen or left the house. If the device is not turned on, it isn't collecting data and this will obviously affect your results. This, in combination with the USB connector issue, makes me wonder if the Wattson wouldn't be all round more suited to having a dock, rather than messy cables.

The Wattson is very quick to react – assuming you have the polling interval set high enough. Obviously the more data being sent, the more accurate your averages are. I can see almost instantaneously, as the central heating kicks in, my power consumption jumps up some 100-150W for instance.

Verdict

The Wattson is a nicely put together package that is simple to install and a pleasure to use. Its data logging functionality is perhaps more than most people require, but justifies the slightly high price tag of £99.95. You certainly won't re-coup your costs in money saved, but it looks nifty in your living room and is certainly easier than counting the blips on your meter.

Add your comment

© 2003-2009 TrustedReviews & IPC Media
About Us | Contact Us | Legal | Privacy | RSS