Home Automation
124 episodes · Page 2 of 6
#4995: What a Bad Thermostat Teaches Us About Control
How phase lead, decay, and knowing when to do nothing fix the oscillation problem.
#4925: ESP32 Mics for Remote Home Monitoring
Why an $8 ESP32 with a MEMS mic beats expensive cameras for remote audio monitoring in a vacation home.
#4827: When Your One-Person Stack Starts Fighting You
Your custom-built system was a perfect fit. Now it's a cast you can't escape.
#4763: Red Light, Real Science: Sleep Hacks That Actually Work
ADHD circadian disruption, red light products, and smart home integration — a practical deep dive.
#4582: Designing a Home MCP Gateway for Conversational AI
How to securely connect ChatGPT to a home-hosted MCP gateway — transport, auth, and the missing pieces.
#4562: Weighing Euroboxes: DIY Load Cells vs. Off-the-Shelf Sensors
Daniel wants to know if his industrial shelving is overloaded. The answer involves 24-bit ADCs, micro-deformation, and a surprising market gap.
#4551: Decoding the Cable Aisle: What All Those Specs Mean
Installation cable vs. flexible cord, H-codes, and why 1.5mm² is your DIY sweet spot. We decode the label.
#4499: Twilio for Small Business: IVRs, SIP & Phone Trees
How to build professional phone systems with Twilio — IVRs, round-robin routing, voicemail transcription, and SIP setup.
#4468: What a Log Scale Actually Does to Your Sensor Data
Log scales don't smooth data — they change the ruler you're measuring with. Here's when to use them and when they'll break.
#4464: Building a $120 Porch Monitor for Construction Noise
Daniel built a weatherproof sensor system to track construction noise and dust while he's away for the summer.
#4425: DNS Blocking That Doesn't Break Everything
How to block ads and trackers at the network level without breaking your spouse's banking app or your kid's game.
#4362: Batteries vs. Wired: Smart Home Security for Renters
Coin cell batteries die silently. Here’s how to wire Zigbee sensors to mains power in a rental apartment.
#4361: LoRa vs ZigBee for a Flood-Prone Basement
Designing a reliable smart home sensor network through concrete floors for a seasonal New England home.
#4345: HVAC Balancing for Renters: Cardboard, Coils, and CFM
Can blocking vents actually help a hot bedroom? The physics of airflow, coil freeze risks, and what renters can actually do.
#4344: Freeing IR Codes from Broadlink's Walled Garden
Dump the firmware, flash Tasmota-IR, and take control of your own IR codes.
#4273: UPS vs Generator: Where's the Line Now?
Lithium batteries are making home UPSs bigger and cheaper. But when does a generator still win?
#4230: Modbus to Smart Home: The Real Bridge Guide
Three gateways tested, three hurdles revealed. What actually works when bridging OT gear to Home Assistant.
#4222: How Local Network Discovery Breaks with Custom DNS
Why your printer disappears when you run AdGuard Home — and how mDNS actually works.
#4124: Building a Safe AC-to-DC Enclosure for MQTT Traffic Lights
Learn to safely build a constant-voltage enclosure for a Raspberry Pi-powered traffic light with MQTT control.
#4123: LoRa Through Concrete: Parking Sensor Deep Dive
Can LoRa punch through 4 floors of concrete? We break down the real-world range, hardware, and regulatory details.
#4073: Private Buckets, Pre-Signed URLs: Self-Hosting Without the Compromise
How to keep your self-hosted images secure, accessible, and cloud-friendly without becoming the product.
#4068: How to Build a Go Image Pipeline for Your Inventory App
Stop treating your inventory app like a photo dump. Here's how to build a smart image pipeline in Go.
#4062: How to Keep a Baby's Room Comfortable With a Dumb AC
Smart sensors + dumb AC + PID control = better than a Nest for keeping your infant comfortable at night.
#3972: Car Maintenance Apps That Actually Work
Turn your phone into a car maintenance log with photo tracking, mileage-based reminders, and cost analysis.