5 ms·

I have 13 in service right now: - Outdoor irrigation control via OpenSprinkler Pi: https://opensprinkler.com/product/opensprinkler-pi/ https://opensprinkler.co

I have 13 in service right now: - Outdoor irrigation control via OpenSprinkler Pi: https://opensprinkler.com/product/opensprinkler-pi/ https://opensprinkler.com/product/opensprinkler-pi/ - Z-Wave home automation via ZWay: https://z-wave.me/products/razberry/ https://z-wave.me/products/razberry/ - 2 Custom HAVC thermostats using: https://github.com/jeffmcfadden/PiThermostat https://github.com/jeffmcfadden/PiThermostat - An NTP server with GPS attached for a time source. - 2 for weather monitoring (one directly attached to sensors, one that aggregates the data from a few sources and provides reporting) - A sort of centralized "workhorse" Pi that runs a lot of random cron jobs, etc. - An Alexa gateway for home automation - An NES emulator - An infrared-remote source for turning on/off surround receiver, TV, etc. - Monitoring of HVAC temperatures/performance - An intranet server Assuming I didn't forget anything.

erklik 7y ago
>2 for weather monitoring (one directly attached to sensors, one that aggregates the data from a few sources and provides reporting) So, I hear people doing this alot. However what exactly does this help with? Like, is the extra information really more useful than just the standard old TV weather forecast?
- sparker72678 7y ago
  I do this primarily because I'm a weather geek. I don't _need_ this at all. I do find it interesting to see the differences in temperature (and humidity, etc.) in the microclimate around my house compared to the city and greater metro area. I also use the data to measure the performance of my home's HVAC system. Doing this _does_ require real-time local temperature and humidity data. But again, this is all for fun. I just enjoy it.
  - ianai 7y ago
    What sort of sensors are available? Just the stuff off the pi site?
    - colechristensen 7y ago
      You can integrate just about any sensor into a Pi depending on your knowledge. (any sensor you find on sparkfun would work for someone with a little determination)
    - sparker72678 7y ago
      For temperature only I prefer the 18B20 sensor. They’re very easy to interface with and they can be at the end of very long wires. Adafruit has a bunch of sensors that work over the i2c bus; they’ve included python code for accessing the data as well, which makes it easy to get started. There are sensors out there for everything. Absolutely everything. https://www.adafruit.com/product/1782 https://www.adafruit.com/product/1782
  - klausjensen 7y ago
    >I just enjoy it. That is as good a reason as any!
  - ip26 7y ago
    How does the data benchmark the HVAC? Or are you actually combining weather + HVAC data to benchmark the home envelope (e.g. insulation)?
    - sparker72678 7y ago
      Good question. I'm really benchmarking the system against itself, year on year, by comparing the weather outside vs. performance (output temperature of the HVAC unit, average temperature inside the house). I'm not trying to find an objective efficiency rating so much as monitor performance over time to see if it's changing.
      - ip26 7y ago
        I see, I guess I didn't even consider the performance might meaningfully fluctuate.
- DoubleCribble 7y ago
  It can be really useful for determining the microclimate. The landscaping & gardens in your yard can live or die from it.
anonu 7y ago
> Z-Wave home automation via ZWay: Whats your success with this? I am not referring so much to the Raspberry Pi part - but the actual ZWave protocol and whatever mesh network it creates. Is it reliable? Or do your lights flicker on and off randomly?
- sparker72678 7y ago
  I have used mostly light switches, dimmers, and a few isolated relays, plus home power monitoring. My experience is that it has all been rock solid. I’m using most GE branded in-wall light switches and they’ve been very reliable for me. Misc other brands for the other modules. I’d recommend it.
m463 7y ago
You are a kindred spirit. I have: 2 pi NTP servers - one running a GPS hat + PPS wired up, one using a USB gps receiver. a "workhorse" pi - 2 wired ds18b20 temperature sensors, cron jobs, email generators, weather page generator, connectivity monitor. One pi running piubos + nextcloud. One pi running as a clock. One pi running as a wireless temperature receiver. a few floating pis running media center or retropie or other things... just swap in the right USB stick and run.
- dev_dull 7y ago
  Good souls. I took the time to setup a highly accurate stratum-1 not server only to find my ISP permanently blocks udp 123.
  - lostlogin 7y ago
    Can a VPN pass that, further loading up the Pi?
    - dev_dull 7y ago
      A vpn won’t help you with inbound, since any packets marked as destination port 123 are simply dropped. That time server is simply for my own purposes now and can’t contribute to the pools.
      - lostlogin 7y ago
        I was meaning a remote VPN that the Pi connects to. Possibly a bit overkill.
        Topgamer7 7y ago
        Could use a pi to automate emailing isp staff every day nagging them about the blocked port.
- muratsu 7y ago
  Just curious, what kind of cron jobs are you running?
wycy 7y ago
What sort of equipment are you using for monitoring your HVAC system performance?
- sparker72678 7y ago
  Just temperature monitoring, really. I have sensors measuring temperature right at HVAC input, output, attic temperature, as well as home interior temp and outside temp and humidity.
googcheng 7y ago
be interesting in weather monitoring, could you describe it more detail
- sparker72678 7y ago
  I have a Pi connected to a BME280 breakout board that I got from Adafruit (https://www.adafruit.com/product/2652 https://www.adafruit.com/product/2652). It's also connected to a Dallas 18B20 temperature sensor. The sensors are outdoors in a small actively-ventilated enclosure I made. The Pi is indoors, and the wires run through the wall. Why 2 temperature sensors? Turns out the BME280 runs about 2°F hot, and the 18B20 is right on, so I end up using the 18B20 as my primary temp sensor. Every minute a cronjob runs and the Pi takes readings from the sensors and stores them locally. Then, I have another Pi that, every minute, reads those values and stores them in a long-term database (I have about 5 years of weather data at this point). The long-term database is running a custom Rails app I wrote to report on the data and show graphs, compare weather over years, etc. In theory this could all live in a single Pi, but for various legacy reasons I ended up with a dedicated Pi for data processing, and a dedicated Pi for data gathering.
robertAngst 7y ago
Seems like a Pi is overkill for a few of these, why not a micro?
- sparker72678 7y ago
  Absolutely overkill for most of these things, but I've been managing linux servers for 20 years now and find it really easy and fast to get a Pi up and running to do what I want. There's also some efficiencies from having everything on the same hardware platform. But mostly it's just comfortable for me.

erklik 7y ago

>2 for weather monitoring (one directly attached to sensors, one that aggregates the data from a few sources and provides reporting) So, I hear people doing this alot. However what exactly does this help with? Like, is the extra information really more useful than just the standard old TV weather forecast?

sparker72678 7y ago
I do this primarily because I'm a weather geek. I don't _need_ this at all. I do find it interesting to see the differences in temperature (and humidity, etc.) in the microclimate around my house compared to the city and greater metro area. I also use the data to measure the performance of my home's HVAC system. Doing this _does_ require real-time local temperature and humidity data. But again, this is all for fun. I just enjoy it.
- ianai 7y ago
  What sort of sensors are available? Just the stuff off the pi site?
  - colechristensen 7y ago
    You can integrate just about any sensor into a Pi depending on your knowledge. (any sensor you find on sparkfun would work for someone with a little determination)
  - sparker72678 7y ago
    For temperature only I prefer the 18B20 sensor. They’re very easy to interface with and they can be at the end of very long wires. Adafruit has a bunch of sensors that work over the i2c bus; they’ve included python code for accessing the data as well, which makes it easy to get started. There are sensors out there for everything. Absolutely everything. https://www.adafruit.com/product/1782 https://www.adafruit.com/product/1782
- klausjensen 7y ago
  >I just enjoy it. That is as good a reason as any!
- ip26 7y ago
  How does the data benchmark the HVAC? Or are you actually combining weather + HVAC data to benchmark the home envelope (e.g. insulation)?
  - sparker72678 7y ago
    Good question. I'm really benchmarking the system against itself, year on year, by comparing the weather outside vs. performance (output temperature of the HVAC unit, average temperature inside the house). I'm not trying to find an objective efficiency rating so much as monitor performance over time to see if it's changing.
    - ip26 7y ago
      I see, I guess I didn't even consider the performance might meaningfully fluctuate.
DoubleCribble 7y ago
It can be really useful for determining the microclimate. The landscaping & gardens in your yard can live or die from it.

anonu 7y ago

> Z-Wave home automation via ZWay: Whats your success with this? I am not referring so much to the Raspberry Pi part - but the actual ZWave protocol and whatever mesh network it creates. Is it reliable? Or do your lights flicker on and off randomly?

sparker72678 7y ago
I have used mostly light switches, dimmers, and a few isolated relays, plus home power monitoring. My experience is that it has all been rock solid. I’m using most GE branded in-wall light switches and they’ve been very reliable for me. Misc other brands for the other modules. I’d recommend it.

m463 7y ago

You are a kindred spirit. I have: 2 pi NTP servers - one running a GPS hat + PPS wired up, one using a USB gps receiver. a "workhorse" pi - 2 wired ds18b20 temperature sensors, cron jobs, email generators, weather page generator, connectivity monitor. One pi running piubos + nextcloud. One pi running as a clock. One pi running as a wireless temperature receiver. a few floating pis running media center or retropie or other things... just swap in the right USB stick and run.

dev_dull 7y ago
Good souls. I took the time to setup a highly accurate stratum-1 not server only to find my ISP permanently blocks udp 123.
- lostlogin 7y ago
  Can a VPN pass that, further loading up the Pi?
  - dev_dull 7y ago
    A vpn won’t help you with inbound, since any packets marked as destination port 123 are simply dropped. That time server is simply for my own purposes now and can’t contribute to the pools.
    - lostlogin 7y ago
      I was meaning a remote VPN that the Pi connects to. Possibly a bit overkill.
      - Topgamer7 7y ago
        Could use a pi to automate emailing isp staff every day nagging them about the blocked port.
muratsu 7y ago
Just curious, what kind of cron jobs are you running?

wycy 7y ago

What sort of equipment are you using for monitoring your HVAC system performance?

sparker72678 7y ago
Just temperature monitoring, really. I have sensors measuring temperature right at HVAC input, output, attic temperature, as well as home interior temp and outside temp and humidity.

googcheng 7y ago

be interesting in weather monitoring, could you describe it more detail

sparker72678 7y ago
I have a Pi connected to a BME280 breakout board that I got from Adafruit (https://www.adafruit.com/product/2652 https://www.adafruit.com/product/2652). It's also connected to a Dallas 18B20 temperature sensor. The sensors are outdoors in a small actively-ventilated enclosure I made. The Pi is indoors, and the wires run through the wall. Why 2 temperature sensors? Turns out the BME280 runs about 2°F hot, and the 18B20 is right on, so I end up using the 18B20 as my primary temp sensor. Every minute a cronjob runs and the Pi takes readings from the sensors and stores them locally. Then, I have another Pi that, every minute, reads those values and stores them in a long-term database (I have about 5 years of weather data at this point). The long-term database is running a custom Rails app I wrote to report on the data and show graphs, compare weather over years, etc. In theory this could all live in a single Pi, but for various legacy reasons I ended up with a dedicated Pi for data processing, and a dedicated Pi for data gathering.

robertAngst 7y ago

Seems like a Pi is overkill for a few of these, why not a micro?

sparker72678 7y ago
Absolutely overkill for most of these things, but I've been managing linux servers for 20 years now and find it really easy and fast to get a Pi up and running to do what I want. There's also some efficiencies from having everything on the same hardware platform. But mostly it's just comfortable for me.