WeChat ID
aaronpk_tv
#homeautomation
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oops didn't realize putting the air conditioner and TV in the "living room" group would mean saying "Alexa, turn on the living room" turns both on! -
So far out of all the home automation devices I've connected to this Raspberry Pi, the most reliable ones have been 433mhz transmitters and ESP32s on wifi. I've been getting spotty performance of Bluetooth and Z-wave devices. Could be that the Pi isn't powerful enough, or could be because simpler is just better.
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I just installed this neat motor which can drive the chain on my blinds! Now I'm brainstorming various rules to cause the blinds to open and close. So far:
• Close the blinds once the sun is high enough to start shining into the room
• Open the blinds when the sun goes down in the evening
• Close the blinds when the TV turns on
• Close the blinds when I get in bed
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Over the past few weekends I've been overhauling my home automation systems. At the core, as I decide what to buy and how to configure it, there are three primary principles:
• Manual override: Everything automated has to still have the ability to be controlled manually
• Keep it at home: No "cloud" services unless absolutely necessary (e.g. push notifications to a phone)
• Open: Avoid vendor lock-in, use open source and open protocols where possible
So far, I've removed my Dropcam (acquired by Google/Nest), removed SmartThings (acquired by Samsung), and replaced everything with the best alternatives I can find, and making a few sensors myself as well.
It's been a fun experience for sure! Not something I would recommend as an "out of the box" solution, but I've learned a lot, and have a lot more ideas still! I'm planning on doing a full writeup once I get a few more things hooked up. -
Made some good progress on building my automatic cat feeder today!
Tore apart a kitchen scale to extract the load sensor and platform. Built a stand out of some MDF board. Attached the scale to the base, mounted the dispenser to the back.
Tomorrow I get the motor and can mount that to the back as well as wire up all the circuitry!
In the end, this will be able to drop food into the bowl only if the bowl isn't already full. It'll also track how much is left in the dispenser, as well as hopefully be able to tell when she actually eats by measuring the weight of the bowl!
#homeautomation #internetofthings #automaticcatfeeder #smartfeeder #diy #arduino
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Bed occupancy DIY sensor - Share your Projects! - Home Assistant Community (community.home-assistant.io)
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Andrew Connell - Using a Kindle Fire as a Home Kiosk for SmartThings & Smart Home Monitor (www.andrewconnell.com)
