vik

vik, 1 day ago (edited 6 hours ago) to homeassistant

Next #HomeAssistant project is a 15 tonne water tank level monitor. So, your thoughts:

vik, 3 days ago to homeassistant

Been using the GoSungrow addon for #HomeAssistant, and iSolarCloud just booted me off. I have a new password and am back on again. Might have to look at extracting the data locally (which frankly is a much better idea anyway).

vik, 6 days ago to homeassistant

#HomeAssistant is going well, but I need to move all the devices to another network SSID and password. Searching for how to do this is basically full of "why would you do that?" but no solutions that don't involve manually diving in to the config "secrets" - followed by replies saying "don't do that!" Well, security is one reason. I can't be alone here, right?

vik, 17 days ago to random

Great, just what we need to eliminate range anxiety and encourage EV ownership: Limiting when you're allowed to charge your car on all chargers.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/516449/govt-must-regulate-to-smooth-evs-and-data-centres-demand-on-power-grids-vector

I generate my own power. How will that work?

vik, 18 days ago to random

For the first time ever, Trustpower have actually sent me a text advising me to activate my emergency medical power plans. This one might be serious, folks. I am well prepped btw.

vik, 19 days ago to random

The reduction of pollution in China may be having some unexpected consequences: https://phys.org/news/2024-05-north-pacific-due-china-aerosols.html

vik, 19 days ago to random

Bugger. Multimeter died. Only had it 16 years.

vik, 20 days ago to random

Boeing Starliner launch scrubbed, if you were planning on watching it.

vik, 22 days ago to homeassistant

Configured an #ESPhome #HomeAssistant device up with two buttons on it, and an 18650 battery. Battery doesn't last overnight, which is a bit disappointing. I need something I can stick on a wall that runs forever off a CR2032 (used to have those with the ancient X10 system).

vik, 22 days ago to homeassistant

Further adventures with #HomeAssistant and #ESPhome show that a Dallas 1-wire temperature sensor can be wired up via a 4K7 and it just works! Greenhouse temperature now monitored, option to send "It's bloody cold out here you know" messages enabled. NZ-compliant wifi socket for the heater on order...

vik, 22 days ago to homeassistant

Hey @Unixbigot !
I wondered what that multi-microphone home assistant module was as per #EverythingOpen presentation? Went and installed #HomeAssistant didn't I? Can give it up any time I like...

vik, 23 days ago to random

Tried sending an APK to a mate on his gmail account. Google blocked it as "spam."

vik, 24 days ago to homeassistant

What they shouldn't tell you in the #HomeAssistant manual: Use the Supervisor Panel. It no longer exists. The Control Panel a quick web search tells you to use instead no longer exists either...

vik, 27 days ago to random

It's bedtime, so I'm just gonna leave this here for now.
https://reprap.org/wiki/RepRapMicron

vik, 28 days ago to random

The second generation μRepRap prototype now has a name: "Titch"

It's getting kinda sophisticated...

vik, 1 month ago to homeassistant

Ok, #HomeAssistant running. I have installed a wifi switch. I've discovered I need to add it to a dashboard and it doesn't just magically show up on the Overview (which you'd kinda think...). It has many monitoring options and they take up much valuable screen real estate. How the f**k do I tell it to only show "ON/OFF" ? Manuals entirely unuseful.

vik, 1 month ago to homeassistant

Things they don't tell you in the #HomeAssistant manual: When connecting your Raspberry by to the same router as your PC, the router needs to be connected to the internet.

vik, 1 month ago to random

I'm discovering how distracting balancing your power can get once you have a solar/battery system. Now in a mode where the system is topping up battery with enough off-peak power to avoid using expensive peak power. It's like a train set but with more volts...

vik, 1 month ago to random

Some genius has stuck a flamethrower on a robot dog and called it The Therminator. A second apocalypse becomes apparent when trying to search for details because all the clever search engines either go "you really meant Terminator" or shadow-ban that kind of content.

vik, 1 month ago to random

En route to #EverythingOpen.

SIM vendor: Could you please remove your phone's case, Sir?
Me: It's not a case.

I wish I was able to photo his expression.

vik, 1 month ago to SpaceX

#SpaceX's market isn't the average city-dweller. It's the people in the rest of the world who, thanks to mobile phones, don't have anyone laying any cable nearby and are not likely to. Now, if I had a 200 tonne payload on #Starship V3 and a history of beaming stuff via #Starlink, know what I'd beam? Space-based solar power. Low altitude SPS from multiple interconnected satellites eliminates the need for geostationary gigastations. A small 1MW LEO one might weigh, oh, I dunno, about 200 tonnes...

vik, 1 month ago to random

When I look at the instruction leaflet for my air bed, I don't want to see a list of warnings not to use it for white-water rafting in 15 languages. I want to see how to fold it so I can stuff it back in the bloody box!

vik, 1 month ago to random

One of our old cooks passed away apparently of natural causes. So if anyone in Wairarapa/Wellington area happens to have a couple of excess Orpingtons...

vik, 1 month ago to random

I am burning so many candle ends right now with RepRapMicron, the family Easter chaos, work, organizing the Trail's End competition, and presentation/packing/housesitter etc. for #everythingopen that I may explode in a fireball. It'll be good to get on the plane and let the conference rush take control!

vik, 1 month ago to random

I wrote a bunch of python for stuff that I didn't know what I was doing with. It just sort of blorted out into 600 lines of code. Now I have to unpick it into proper modules. Any handy tools for that?