Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ section will grow as people have questions. As I cannot think of everything, feel free to drop me an email at crispin@myenergyusage.org
 
 
Wattson:
  Can I use Powometer with Holmes?
  Does Powometer delete information from Wattson?
  Where's my information gone?
 
Graphs:
  How do I add a new Graph?
 
Powometer:
  How do I backup the database.
  Can I use Powometer on Linux or Mac?
 
Questions and Answers
 
Wattson
  Can I use Powometer with Holmes?
  Short answer: Yes you can. Long answer: Yes you can but you cannot use them both at the same time. One one programme can talk to Wattson at a time. In Powometer, you can disconnect from Wattson but still have the programme running. You cannot disconnect from Holmes so you have to close it before connecting with Powometer.
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  Does Powometer delete information from Wattson?
  No, it does not. It reads it but leaves it as it is.
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  Where's my information gone?
  If you are using Holmes 1.2, there will be no problems. However, if you are using Holmes version 1.3, each time Holmes connects to Wattson, it will delete all the history. This means Powometer will have nothing to download from history but if you leave it running, it will still gather it's own history.
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Graphs
  How do I add a new Graph?
  You can add up to 6 graphs (that is, different graph panes). Each graph can have 6 different comparisons.

To add a new Graph do the following:
1) Click on Tools Menu
2) Click on Options
3) Click on Graphs
3.1) Enter a name for your graph. Example: "My Power Usage" (Without the quotes)
3.2) Check the Enabled tick box.
3.3) Click Save

This has now created a graph container for you. Now you can add curves to show you your power usage or comparison power usage.

Adding a Curve:
1) Click on the Graph name on the left hand side.
2) Click in the Curve Name box and give it a name. Example: "Current Usage" (Without the quotes)
3) Click the Enabled tick box so that there is a tick in it.
3) Ensure Graph Type is "Actual"
4) Click Save

You can then click OK to close the window.

You should now have your graph on the screen. If it is connected to Wattson, it should start showing your
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Powometer
  How do I backup the database.
  If you want to backup your database, it is easily doable - and advisable from time to time. One never knows when things will go south...
  1. Click on the Start button
  2. Click on Run (Vista users: Click in the Search Box)
  3. Type the following: "%APPDATA%\powometer\data" without the quotes.
  4. Click on the OK button
A directory should open up with the data file inside it called Powometer.sdf Copy (do not move!) this file to any location you like for safe keeping. It is recommended you do this from time to time. In the extremely unlikely event that something goes wrong, you stand the chance of loosing all your usage information and the chances of getting it back are very slim.
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  Can I use Powometer on Linux or Mac?
  No, you cannot. However, there is a site called www.linux-depot.com which has a Linux version which will work on a Mac as well. It is also able to sync your usage data with this website allowing you to use all the available graphs and charts.
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