• 2 Posts
  • 35 Comments
Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: July 9th, 2023

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  • Here’s a couple of cheaper ideas you can try before replacing your unit:

    • I have a smart thermostat that lets me configure the fan to be on X minutes every hour. Helps circulation, evens out temps
    • it has remote sensors, and I can tell it which to follow at any time or to average
    • I have partly closeable vents, so I can direct more heat downstairs in winter, more cool upstairs in summer. This is not as effective as dampers and you need to watch shutting down too much airflow, but it’s cheap diy that can make a difference
    • my brother swears by pointing a pedestal fan up the stairway

  • I’m not entirely sure what those movies are like, and don’t want to know, but ……

    My Mom watches horrible Hallmark stuff constantly. As far as I can tell, every movie has the same plot, they are low quality, etc. The thing is they are simple feel good movies for her. She finds them relaxing and gets good feelings from them, perfectly appropriate for “entertainment “.

    If there is any parallel here, my point is that you don’t have to appreciate them for your Mom to. Why does it matter whether you agree with the movies or not: do you love her? Do you want to help her with entertainment that makes her feel good /relaxed/entertained?






  • Yes, you should not be thinking about security in terms of an outside intruder here. Think about untrustworthy or potentially compromised devices.

    • WiFi smart devices are notorious for calling home, possibly collecting data, even if you’re trying to use them locally.
    • There have been botnets from unsecured video cameras, and even some compromised from before import.
    • TVs report back what you’re using them for and when, even playing through hdmi, and some have been caught listening in to your private conversations.

    How do you prevent these from happening, or limit what they can do? One way is to put them on a separate vlan without internet access (your HA or other hub can listen on multiple VLANs and be the gatekeeper) and without access to your computers.

    That being said, for similar requirements, I found managing the more complex network to be too much hassle, and went back to a simple flat network


  • Not exactly the same, but I use the RM-4 with a mini-split AC in place of the remote, and it has worked well for years. You do have to place it somewhere line of site for the ir blaster but it has a very wide range

    Setup was choosing a make a model, and everything mapped perfectly. In my case, it even reads the status and current temperature.

    The one feature that I haven’t gotten around to trying is line power. I hate using batteries. However RM-4 also had a section on powering it directly that I wanted to try. In my case I have an Ecobee thermostat that I think I can grab power off of, and just mount the RM-4 on the wall right next to. However the batteries have lasted years so I never got around to it

    EDIT: or maybe not. I have a Remotec RM-4. I don’t know if it is an ancestor to the Broadlink with the same name, but it’s a beige box. It’s local-only, with no WiFi or app



  • I don’t know if it’s true for cheap ones off Ali Express, but I always look for “appliance” plugs, as that will be easily searchable. Usually it means a 20a (in US) rated relay.

    Actually, in reference to the other poster’s discussion about halogen lights, I did the same there. I have a set of halogen lights that’s pretty much at the threshold for common smart switches/receptacles/plugs, so used an “appliance switch” with a 20a rated relay, so I never head to worry about it. It’s really not worth going cheap for things that plug in





  • It’s also a matter of saving on the wiring. I may not be (quite) that Uncle Dave, but I really regret a few places I pulled wire for a switch loop without the extra conductor for a neutral.

    At the time, I rationalized it was already an improvement over what was there and I had no immediate use for the neutral. I believe the neutral wasn’t required by local code, only recommended, or I would have done it

    Of course now I’m cursing my choice, trying to decide whether I need to go back and do it over, or whether I even can practically since it’s a two person job and my buddy retired to Florida. Wiring I pulled many years ago was great for dimmers, more convenient switches, and extra three-ways, but not so great for smart switches

    Edit: looks like neutral wasn’t required until NEC 2011


  • Yeah, if we focus on high value items, it becomes much simpler. But what if there’s a disaster like a fire? One shirt is too cheap to worry about but having to replace all your clothes is expensive, so what’s a practical way to inventory that?

    Looking at my home automation stuff, really the only expensive thing is my smart thermostat and it’s nit that expensive. However all the devices add up to several thousand dollars.

    Maybe there’s a sense of type and volume or something, and video or photos, that would be sufficient to inventory everyday stuff

    Actually, I’d also wonder how far insurance “replacement value” stretches. So many things I got on close out deals where the nearest remaining similar brand is several time the price




  • I’ve been wondering about that, since my Firestick became so shitty that I actually prefer streaming apps on my TV. Most of my devices are already on Apple, so how about this one?

    • I like fewer ads
    • if it’s like the Apple TV app, there’s too much pressure to buy stuff I’m never going to buy.

    So, on the home screen, can you tell which Videos are to purchase without clicking into them? Are things you subscribe to easily distinguishable from god forsaken ad infested ones?