Last week this turned up in the post here in Spain by CTT courier so I thought I’d write a few lines about it. Typically, mains powered USB Zigbee devices act as routers (I’d call them repeaters but never mind). As regular readers know, I use Sonoff a LOT –…
Category: General
Rpi5 and the Transition from The Script to Docker
After several years of compatibility concerns and linear, incremental development of my RPi-based node-red/mqtt/Zigbee2mqtt home control system which started with RPi2 and worked all the way through RPI4 while not EVER starting from scratch – and hence many articles in here, I’ve made a transition. Here is some detail: So…
Orange Pi Plus 16GB Version
When I say 16GB, I mean 16GB of RAM. In the world of single-board computers (SBCs), it isn’t unusual to focus on the Raspberry Pi as probably the most well known SBC but in some ways, the Orange Pi Plus stands out as a compelling choice for hobbyists and makers.…
256 Colour Editing in Linux
For many years I’ve been using SSH sessions on my PC to talk to headless SBCs such as Raspberry Pi. I HATE monochrome editing and almost as badly hate 16-colour editor. Be wary before going further that 256-colours is not for every situation. Disclaimer out of the way – with…
Tasmota Autonomous Auto-OFF, Solar Troubles and RPI5 WIN
Tasmota and Autonomous Turn-off Thoughts Right now I’m in the process of review writing some of which can’t be released until product launch dates – meantime – one of the main features of the free, open-source Tasmota device control firmware is it’s ability to control various devices and monitor various…
Reolink Argus Track – Twin-Lense 4K WiFi Security Camera
This new Reolink solar IP WiFi pan/tilt camera features 2 lenses. One normal, one 2 optical telephoto. The website claims “4K 8MPX, pan-tilt and 6* hybrid zoom”. I took the Argus Track out of the box, plugged in the supplied solar panel (in the house so no actual sun) waited…
A Tasmota/Zigbee2MQTT Learning Day
With help from the Tasmota forums and my Italian friend Antonio, I’ve learned some very useful stuff to share, in the last couple of days. Automatic router Re-Booter using Tasmota and Sonoff BASIC or Similar I have a 4G router which then feeds a normal router (we have no fibre…
More cheap AliExpress Zigbee Switches and Repeatability
Ok, so from time to time, AliExpress have cheap Zigbee and WiFi switches for sale – all seems good.. I purchased two Zigbee units along with an unrelated item, all of which arrived in one package, delivered this week (5 day delivery to Spain) and tested today. One is marked…
Extended Gripe and Info – USB Leads
Like many of you, I have countless USB leads of various types – and more and more USB-C leads (USB-A at one end, USB-C at the other – or USB-C at both ends). This is not new but I’ve been getting increasingly annoyed with two things: (a) discovering – despite…
Shelly H&T – a Year Later
Back in early March 2023 I wrote about the Shelly Door/Window sensor and remarked on it’s use of twin CR123A batteries – I remember commenting about the size of them. At the same time I BRIEFLY mentioned the Shelley H&T – a pretty-looking but otherwise non-descript temperature and humidity sensor.…
TUYA and the iHORN T3 (Zigbee) Smart Home Kit
Quick update: This article was written in September 2022 and the iHorn LH-961ZB movement sensor has been sitting on a shelf under my desk since then, seeing quite a few movements per day. Regardless of my comments below, this sensor has been working all this time, 100% with Zigbee2MQTT, not…
SONOFF POW RING – What’s THAT?
Well, it’s new and it’s from Sonoff of the famous Sonoff BASIC IOT controller which I’ve written about many times. Many of you will know that Sonoff are known for far more than their original simple-but-effective-and-cheap mains power WiFi controller. SO, let’s take a look at this new device that…
Surface Pro 4 – Windows 11 or NOT?
Reddit and other locations are full of conflicting stories about the venerable Microsoft Surface 4 Pro concerning upgrading to Windows 11 – mostly from people who’ve not actually tried the conversion. I noted a number of writers saying they’d never trust Microsoft again and how betrayed they felt. Here is…
TOPGRO Mini Gaming PC i9-9880H NVIDIA GTX1650
I recently bought the above-named PC from Amazon.es to replace my Mini PC which has performed well but not a lot of use for games. The TOPGRO machine cost me €969 (no screen or keyboard, just the base unit) and came complete with 32GB of DDR4 RAM and 1TB of…
Cheap Sonoff-lookalike BASICs and Aubess Zigbee
No doubt I’m not the only one, despite being a long-term Sonoff BASIC user, who’s noticed that AliExpress and Temu have what look like cheap Sonoff knock-offs running as low on Temu as €2.00 on special offer and not much more on AlieExpress. Good deal? Well, for the sake of…
Aqara Smart G4 Video Doorbell and FP2 Presense Sensor
I just received my first packages of the new year, a duff screen protector from AliExpress, some USB shelf-lamps from the same (more on that later) meanwhile from Aqara, my eagerly-awaited Aqara G4 Smart video doorbell and their FP2 Presense sensor products. The G4 Video Doorbell After recovering from the…
Another Tasmota APP for Android
From time to time I get ESP8266/ESP32 control units for example Sonoff BASIC lookalikes – basic mains control boards – which I usually de-Smartlife and convert to Tasmota – also Tasmota-pre-fitted bulbs – and more often than not, I end up with more than I need. Sometimes, dirt-cheap Sonoff-BASIC look-alikes…
Christmas Already? SONOFF Goodies and WLED Lighting
Well, not quite and I always thought people put their lights up from December 1.. but, not to be left behind… thanks to WLED, Tasmota and my cheapy projector – it’s a start…. and if WLED interests you – check out the WLED MoonModules project. This post December 20, 2023…
Algolaser 5.5w DIY Laser Engraver Kit
Some months ago, Algolaser contacted me re: their 20w laser engraver – and while I still plan to progress this in the future, for now they asked me if I’d build and review their DIY Engraver KIT with the 5.5w laser. As you’ll see looking around the blog, I’ve reviewed…
Meross Product Update MSS315 Smart Plug
The Meross MSS315 Matter Smart Wi-Fi Plug with Energy Monitor (EU Version) is a handy smart plug, not a lot to differentiate it from other, similar products but over time I’ve found the Meross products to be good. Initially when my MSS315 arrived, I simply got no-where setting it up…