# Quarter Meter



## Kirkgang (Feb 26, 2010)

My Dad started with LPO in 1952 and retired after 45.5 yrs of service. This is a meter he said they use to install when folks would try and bypass the regular base. It took a Quarter and worked like a parking meter.


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## Bob Badger (Apr 19, 2009)

Cool, thanks for posting those.


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## Fredman (Dec 2, 2008)

Wow!

I wonder how much power a quarter would buy back then? They must have had power meter maids too.


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

Wow! Thats cool. Never, Ever heard of such a thing. Welcome to the forum. What part of NC are you in?


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## Electric Al (Mar 13, 2010)

In Britain we used to have meters in the rented rooms that you had to put coins in to keep the heat on. Maybe in some of the older houses they still do.:laughing:


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

Very cool pic's thanks for posting them.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Too bad we can't install them here. It would be nice to be able to shut of power when the customer doesn't pay up.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Awesome pic. That meter is pretty rare, and valuable. 

Thanks!


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## geo5509 (Mar 9, 2010)

Thats awesome, I would like to get my hands on that. As Marc said, its probably pretty valuable.


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

It would be nice for the kids room. They would learn to shut off the lights.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

I wonder how many kilowatt hours a quarter bought you compared to today?


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

Bkessler said:


> I wonder how many kilowatt hours a quarter bought you compared to today?


 

480 was probablly old enough back then to answer that!....:laughing:


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

jwjrw said:


> 480 was probablly old enough back then to answer that!....:laughing:


well one way or the other I don't doubt he's got the answer. He makes Tesla look like an armature.


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## Electric Al (Mar 13, 2010)

Was Tesla an ARMATURE ????:laughing:


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Amateur.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

MDShunk said:


> That meter is pretty rare, and valuable.


 I wonder if the guys on pawn stars have ever seen one?


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

william1978 said:


> I wonder if the guys on pawn stars have ever seen one?


 

I know I haven't but as I said I've lead a sheltered life. As for them guys...I'd say no but you know people will try to sell anything so...maybe!


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

jwjrw said:


> I know I haven't but as I said I've lead a sheltered life. As for them guys...I'd say no but you know people will try to sell anything so...maybe!


 I think it would be pretty cool to see one on there now that I know what one looks like.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

jwjrw said:


> 480 was probablly old enough back then to answer that!....:laughing:



25¢ worth.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Stuff like this fascinates me. Here's the patent for it: http://www.google.com/patents?id=1h...urce=gbs_overview_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

What I find most interesting is that the Wood Prepayment Device was used nearly exclusively on Fort Wayne meters. There is ne'er a mention in any old texts I can scare up of it being ever used on GE meters, because GE had their own competing prepayment device. That probably makes this particular meter even more special. 

It seems they fell out of favor because the coin box could not hold a month's worth of coins, as energy prices rose.


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

480sparky said:


> 25¢ worth.


 
But how many KW's did a quarter buy back then????Remember you wired the first light switch God made......


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

jwjrw said:


> But how many KW's did a quarter buy back then????Remember you wired the first light switch God made......



Yeah, but it was free back then.


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

480sparky said:


> Yeah, but it was free back then.


 

Gotcha! Good answer!


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

http://watthourmeters.com/generalelectric/ip5.html

_The IP-5 was a complete redesign of the IP-4, using the I-14 as the basis for the meter. Instead of using the Form 4 prepayment device, GE reverted to using the Form 3 device which was probably a better fit to this design._


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

jwjrw said:


> Gotcha! Good answer!



But if you must know, inflation has increased overall costs to where 25¢ today would be the same as 3¢ in 1952. So a Kwh, if it cost you 8¢ today, would have been a penny back then.


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## Electric Al (Mar 13, 2010)

I guess that device had a mechanical timer in it, something like the motel vibrating beds ( not that I would know):laughing::laughing:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Electric Al said:


> I guess that device had a mechanical timer in it, something like the motel vibrating beds ( not that I would know):laughing::laughing:


Funny. When I first saw that picture posted, I thought of the "Magic Fingers" motel bed vibrator right off the bat.


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## Podagrower (Mar 16, 2008)

That is one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

It looks like it says "5" on the amp nameplate and I can read "110 volt", 2 wire.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

I agree, that is cool. Who would have thought that? That's probably where the guy at the laundromat got his idea.


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