Home Automation - Smartkit

SauRoNZA said:
Setup automatic Google Drive snapshots.

As for Virtualbox you probably set it up as a NAT device instead of Bridge.

But why the hell Virtualbox in the first place?
Click to expand...
What should be used rather than VirtualBox?
 
SauRoNZA said:
Put it on a Pi or use Docker.

The whole notion of a laptop was already a bad idea to start with.
Click to expand...
My laptop also runs my Plex server and I had no problems running both prior to the HDD kicking the bucket - either way I still can't get the bloody thing to work so I guess I will have to look at the Docker option this weekend when I have some time.
 
Personally I would go for one of the official installation methods:
- Docker (no supervisor)
- Pi or dedicated hardware
- Virtual Appliance (e.g. a VM)

My Home Assistant has run on
- a Pi 3 -- I went through 4 SD cards
- a Pi 3 with an SSD -- worked fine, but not the fastest
- Generic Linux install on Ubuntu (basically Docker with the Supervisor). Worked fine until they started becoming strict on the supported Linux versions, and started pointing out that you're on unsupported hardware, and Docker started updating things that broke Home Assistant Supervisor and then HA updates stopped working. I was 3 releases behind and getting nervous.
- VM (KVM on Linux). Basically decided that I'd rather let HA manage the OS, Docker, Supervisor etc. and I can just click update. This runs on a ThinkCentre M700 mini with a laptop-class i5 6th gen and laptop memory. So basically a notebook :). Outside the VM I run a couple of Docker containers doing other thiings (including my camera system).

Other than Linux and me not always agreeing and that my Bridge0 interface disappears every now and then, it runs fast and stable.
 
ebendl said:
Personally I would go for one of the official installation methods:
- Docker (no supervisor)
- Pi or dedicated hardware
- Virtual Appliance (e.g. a VM)

My Home Assistant has run on
- a Pi 3 -- I went through 4 SD cards
- a Pi 3 with an SSD -- worked fine, but not the fastest
- Generic Linux install on Ubuntu (basically Docker with the Supervisor). Worked fine until they started becoming strict on the supported Linux versions, and started pointing out that you're on unsupported hardware, and Docker started updating things that broke Home Assistant Supervisor and then HA updates stopped working. I was 3 releases behind and getting nervous.
- VM (KVM on Linux). Basically decided that I'd rather let HA manage the OS, Docker, Supervisor etc. and I can just click update. This runs on a ThinkCentre M700 mini with a laptop-class i5 6th gen and laptop memory. So basically a notebook :). Outside the VM I run a couple of Docker containers doing other thiings (including my camera system).

Other than Linux and me not always agreeing and that my Bridge0 interface disappears every now and then, it runs fast and stable.
Click to expand...

Picked Pi 4 2G with HDD purely cause of power consumption, or lack thereof ;)
 
Does anyone know how to get an invoice out of Smartkit? I bought some stuff for an external project so I need to be reimbursed but email after email, they won't send me an invoice.
 
Anybody ordered from Smartkit recently? I created an account in October last year and ordered from them, now when I want to log in they say my email does not exist on their system?

@SmartKit
 
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Another question, I have an extractor fan in a bathroom that is linked to a standard motion sensor. Can I put a Sonoff switch in parallel to the motion sensor to turn the fan on on schedule? So that the fan can be triggered by the motion sensor or the Sonoff? Will that cause issues for the Sonoff?
 
furpile said:
Another question, I have an extractor fan in a bathroom that is linked to a standard motion sensor. Can I put a Sonoff switch in parallel to the motion sensor to turn the fan on on schedule? So that the fan can be triggered by the motion sensor or the Sonoff? Will that cause issues for the Sonoff?
Click to expand...
Definitely no issues for the Sonoff - it neither knows nor cares if another switch or relay in parallel with its relay is on or off. Assuming your motion sensor also powers the fan via a relay it similarly shouldn't care.
 
furpile said:
Another question, I have an extractor fan in a bathroom that is linked to a standard motion sensor. Can I put a Sonoff switch in parallel to the motion sensor to turn the fan on on schedule? So that the fan can be triggered by the motion sensor or the Sonoff? Will that cause issues for the Sonoff?
Click to expand...
Could you explain how you set this up? Id be keen to also start an extractor based on motion. Which motion sensor did you use and how did you wire it all?
 
powermzii said:
Could you explain how you set this up? Id be keen to also start an extractor based on motion. Which motion sensor did you use and how did you wire it all?
Click to expand...
It was installed by an electrician. It is a dumb motion sensor in line with the fan, similar to a day/night switch. You can set the sensitivity and the time it keeps the fan on with 2 rotary switches. I want to add the spinoff to run it on a schedule as well since the bathroom is not used a lot. But I don't want to get a smart motion sensor because I have no ZigBee or any other devices at the moment.
 
powermzii said:
Could you explain how you set this up? Id be keen to also start an extractor based on motion. Which motion sensor did you use and how did you wire it all?
Click to expand...
It was installed by an electrician. It is a dumb motion sensor in line with the fan, similar to a day/night switch. You can set the sensitivity and the time it keeps the fan on with 2 rotary switches. I want to add the spinoff to run it on a schedule as well since the bathroom is not used a lot. But I don't want to get a smart motion sensor because I have no ZigBee or any other devices at the moment.
 
furpile said:
Another question, I have an extractor fan in a bathroom that is linked to a standard motion sensor. Can I put a Sonoff switch in parallel to the motion sensor to turn the fan on on schedule? So that the fan can be triggered by the motion sensor or the Sonoff? Will that cause issues for the Sonoff?
Click to expand...

I would throw out the motion sensor.

Fit a Sonoff TH10/16 with humidity sensor instead and have the fan trigger above a given range.

Then the fan shuts the **** up when you don’t need it and goes on by itself when you do.
 
SauRoNZA said:
I would throw out the motion sensor.

Fit a Sonoff TH10/16 with humidity sensor instead and have the fan trigger above a given range.

Then the fan shuts the **** up when you don’t need it and goes on by itself when you do.
Click to expand...
That is a good idea. A bit more expensive for the TH16 and sensor than just a basic, but a better solution overall and simpler. Thanks.
 
I have humidity controlled extractor fans bought from acdc for about 800 bucks IIRC. They turn on for defined amount of time when triggered by humidity or if you turn on and off the switch at the light switch socket as my bathrooms have.

They are great and work well , but I put across to you another point to consider :-sometimes you need the extractor for when nature calls. There ain't no amount of humidity that your output would generate to kick start that motor . Motion control has its place too if you don't have a dedicated switches like I do.

The next great invention: extractor fans with an effluent sensor
 
InternetLuddite said:
I have humidity controlled extractor fans bought from acdc for about 800 bucks IIRC. They turn on for defined amount of time when triggered by humidity or if you turn on and off the switch at the light switch socket as my bathrooms have.

They are great and work well , but I put across to you another point to consider :-sometimes you need the extractor for when nature calls. There ain't no amount of humidity that your output would generate to kick start that motor . Motion control has its place too if you don't have a dedicated switches like I do.

The next great invention: extractor fans with an effluent sensor
Click to expand...

Well that’s why you can then just trigger the Sonoff from your phone should you need to put it on manually.

But it’s automated the rest of the time for its original purpose.
 
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