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The midwit home

submitted by stackt+(OP) on 2023-10-12 16:31:17 | 416 points 278 comments
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16. marcin+Yb[view] [source] 2023-10-12 17:28:18
>>stackt+(OP)
>The hell? But people seem to think that Home Assistant is good. (Something about subscription fees and invasive apps and forced obsolescence?) So you search for “how to get a Home Assistant”. This reveals a recursive landscape of terror:

Google "how to install home assistant" which leads to:

>https://www.home-assistant.io/installation/

>If you are unsure of what to choose, follow the Raspberry Pi guide to install Home Assistant Operating System.

This leads to:

>https://www.home-assistant.io/installation/raspberrypi

This has a nice visual guide that requires you to know how to buy a raspberry pi, how to plug in a raspberry p, how to plug in an sd card (twice), and how to navigate to a url.

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28. bitdiv+le[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 17:39:10
>>barbaz+ec
I'm a zigbee fan, mostly because there's such a wide variety of devices.

I almost exlusively use zigbee2mqtt [0] reference to find devices that suit me. Searching for `meter` gives a lot of options, you'd have to do more investigation to find something that supported 40A, but my guess would be that a clamp meter is likely your best option.

It's also possible that you could use one of the DIN rail options in your fusebox, but I haven't looked at the current ratings.

[0] https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/supported-devices/#s=meter

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42. chrisw+Hh[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 17:55:06
>>marcin+Yb
I googled "how to install home assistant", and the links you point to above don't appear to be anywhere on the first page of results.

The second link is this one: https://community.home-assistant.io/t/guide-how-to-install-h...

But the linked page is pretty complex.

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57. p1mrx+ek[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 18:05:08
>>aaronh+Uc
https://tecknet.com/collections/wireless-doorbell/products/s...

I removed the TECKNET logo with isopropyl alcohol.

The receiver has dozens of tunes, but the only one worth using is the Westminster Chime Melody. There's also a "ding-dong ding-dong", but it's annoying that it plays twice. The rest are just too long; it's a doorbell, not a jukebox.

The receiver remembers the tune and volume if power is interrupted, so that extra cruft doesn't matter after initial setup.

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59. hoherd+1l[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 18:10:25
>>WA+Rj
Philips LED lights, Hue or otherwise, are wonderful. Be aware though that they seem to be enshitifying the Hue ecosystem >>37667266
67. sampo+mn[view] [source] 2023-10-12 18:21:03
>>stackt+(OP)
> My usual process for making tea is to walk to the kitchen and start the kettle. Then, because it takes an eternity for water to boil, I go back to my desk to wait.

Instead of remote controlling the kettle, get a hot water dispenser.

In Europe: https://yum-asia.com/eu/product-category/instant-hot-water-h...

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77. lozeng+2q[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 18:32:20
>>sampo+mn
Or get one that goes under the counter: https://www.quooker.co.uk/?___store=en
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95. drewbu+Ds[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 18:43:35
>>afavou+Id
Are you talking about ceiling fans? If so, I've found that their fan switches work flawlessly - no need to buy any kind of fan with smarts built-in: https://www.casetawireless.com/us/en/products/dimmers-switch...

(Search the page for "Original Smart Fan Speed Control Switch", there's seemingly no way to link directly to the requisite page section... which is a thing I could rant about but will not).

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106. gwern+Yu[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 18:51:24
>>ryandr+nr
It's a https://xkcd.com/927/ situation because (1) there's so much money at stake and (2) many involved are incompetent/have bad taste.
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122. rekabi+Pz[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 19:09:19
>>wmsmit+Ch
Made a comment in the root of the article thread that is related to yours, in terms of overcoming your elderly client’s problem with something far more robust and reliable: >>37861604
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123. evanco+kA[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 19:11:55
>>rsync+k5
Also a happy Lutron fan, but I went with RadioRA2. It's a bit "smarter" but it's very reliable, not connected to the internet, and some basics can even be programmed without the management software.

One thing that stands out with Lutron products is their use of a unique spectrum[0], unlike almost all other smarthome products that share the same noisy bands.

[0]: https://assets.lutron.com/a/documents/clear_connect_technolo...

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124. xoa+FA[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 19:13:12
>>tlarkw+Gp
>I totally don't understand what I gain with colored lights. My friend had a similar setup and I just don't get the attraction. I have a Google home and setting timers has a clear value, I forget less. Playing music has clear value, I relax. Colored lights??? I don't get it.

While the effect no doubt varies with individual, there has been a significant amount of studies suggesting that there is some link between bright light in shorter wavelengths (so blue end of spectrum) and melatonin suppression, and in turn circadian rhythms [ex: 0, 1, 2]. If you live near the equator with consistent sunrise/sunset year round artificial light management may be less of a concern to you, but the further you are and the more seasonal variation you experience the more helpful it may be (and is for me) to have lighting throughout home/work that can help maintain circadian rhythm as desired. "Sunrise" into bright white/blue in the morning and day, then slowly changing into dimmer, redder light as one approaches the desired time to go to sleep. YMMV of course but as someone in tech who had decades of difficulty in maintaining a normal 24h cycle in the northern latitudes, heavy light brightness and temperature control has been a very significant improvement in my QOL and I never want to go back.

Of course, some people just enjoy having fun with lighting as well, for parties and mood and such. "Painting with light" can be interesting by itself. But for me the practical advantages have been significant value for the cost, and without any need for any kind of drugs or other mechanisms.

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0: https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-blue-light

1: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-ha...

2: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9424753/

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127. gruez+QB[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 19:18:11
>>marcin+Ze
>Huh? I have no idea what you're talking about here.

https://youtu.be/0506yDSgU7M?t=632

>Get a new sd card and reload from the last backup.

1. How do you do backups? Is it built into home assistant? Do you think the average person knows or will remember to make backups?

2. "restore from backups" works if the sdcard just dies. If it's silently corrupting your install and causing weird behavior you won't even know it's sd card's fault unless you go through troubleshooting.

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130. kunwon+mC[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 19:20:17
>>wmsmit+Ch
I run HA at home, and my home is an apartment. I was able to buy some zigbee switches [1] that just 'snap' over the top of traditional light switches, after adding some castellated plastic washers under the screws that hold the switch cover in place

This means that instead of a light switch, there is a button. And when I relocate, I can just remove these devices from the switches and take them with me

[1] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TVZK8D6

140. iisan7+CG[view] [source] 2023-10-12 19:38:01
>>stackt+(OP)
Adding to this list the Philips sceneswitch bulbs: color changing bulbs that can be rapidly power-cycled to change color. https://www.usa.lighting.philips.com/consumer/choose-a-bulb/...

If one could trigger scheduled actions by connecting a remote control to a daily or weekly plug-in timer, that would meet virtually every use case I have for app-controlled appliances, bulbs, and locks.

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162. kaibee+eN[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 20:05:59
>>fragme+EJ
Not sure if this is the one OP has but:

[https://www.homedepot.com/p/Schlage-Camelot-Satin-Nickel-Ele...]

I had one on my house growing up from like 2007-2012, rock solid. Bought a house this year and the first thing I did was install these on the front and back doors. Seems like it's exactly the same model that was being sold in 2007 (which is still on my childhood home and going strong btw).

170. dkbrk+TQ[view] [source] 2023-10-12 20:24:01
>>stackt+(OP)
I think it's worth taking a look back at X10 [0], the OG home automation.

Yes, it was primitive by today's standards with a very limited command set, but that command set was good enough for 90% of purposes and its simplicity meant that it was trivial to implement correctly and everything interoperated.

It didn't need an internet connection to function. It didn't even need a local server. Though you could have a programmable controller, the minimum viable setup consisted of having some X10-enabled device (such as a light socket), an X10 switch, and setting some DIP switches as configuration.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X10_(industry_standard)

174. acyou+WU[view] [source] 2023-10-12 20:46:47
>>stackt+(OP)
The most important mid-wit home automation tool is the programmable thermostat, which curiously isn't mentioned. That will have more impact on energy use and quality of life than anything else. No remote control, no wifi needed. Just turns heat on in the morning and turns it off when things warm up, and turns the temperature setpoints lower overnight. In comparison with heat, LED light automation doesn't matter so much. For example, this one:

https://www.honeywellhome.com/us/en/products/air/thermostats...

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184. m463+PY[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 21:12:34
>>dsr_+HF
I got one WITHOUT an app, bluetooth or wifi.

Geeksmart "smart dumb" fingerprint door lock:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TMBL7FW

works great

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187. stackt+yZ[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 21:16:39
>>kunwon+mC
3D-printable replacement for the plastic clips, https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6014514
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189. stackt+401[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 21:18:43
>>rekabi+Xy
Zigbee light switch that fits over existing physical light switch, >>37861815
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193. dmd+j11[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 21:25:25
>>fragme+EJ
I've had https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NJJ1MQ for 10 years now with zero issues and not even a battery change needed yet.
195. Fricke+q31[view] [source] 2023-10-12 21:38:05
>>stackt+(OP)
The author seems unfamiliar with Radio Shack's Plug 'n Power, which was first introduced in 1979.

>The modules were designed to respond to commands sent over the electrical wires inside the house. They could turn on or off, or in the case of a lamp, change brightness. The advantage of using a power-line communication system was that it didn’t require any additional (and costly) signal wiring.

http://www.trs-80.org/plug-n-power/

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197. xsmash+R41[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 21:45:49
>>anonpo+6K
I don't know that story, but it's a similar premise to "There Will Come Soft Rains"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2552i2Z8sNM

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198. isaidt+j51[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-12 21:48:07
>>wmsmit+Ch
The owner of a custom rotating house in California cited a similar reason for moving. The video is worth watching but here is the relevant section:

"I've had 18 heart procedures. My wife is in perfect health. The odds of me outliving her are zero...We're moving back to Coronado. This is a complex house, even though I think it's simple! For her to try and teach somebody else how to run everything and do everything would be difficult if something happened to me. So we're just kind of jumping ahead."

https://youtu.be/gisdyTBMNyQ?t=383

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225. ajot+5E1[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-13 02:17:04
>>gregma+Yv1
Mandatory related xkcd: https://xkcd.com/538/
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234. seltze+uK1[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-13 03:14:29
>>dragon+sL
....and a little label next to the switch so you know it's got a sceneswitch bulb.

I first learned about these from the author of 'calm technology' https://calmtech.com/

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263. enimod+Ds2[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-13 10:10:19
>>WA+Rj
If you want the numbers, there's always https://lamptest.ru/
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264. semiqu+iG2[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-13 12:16:45
>>dragon+sL
Dimmable bulbs and 3-way lamps are not compatible: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-way_lamp. The electrical principles are not the same —- a three way bulb has a different socket contact configuration to accept different wattages at each of the three levels. Supposedly LED 3 way bulbs exist but I’ve never seen one in the wild.
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266. dengol+8R2[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-13 13:33:45
>>tomato+DQ
For feature readers: there is a project [1] for Home Assistant that use VictoriaMetrics as long term storage of your Home Assistant monitoring data.

1. https://github.com/fuslwusl/homeassistant-addon-victoriametr...

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