Tech & Projects on IRRGANG.DEV

433 MHz Devices in Home Assistant with Sonoff RF BridgeR2

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 20:37:31 +0000

Welcome to the second part of enhancing our smart home with 433 MHz devices. We’ll delve into adding and tracking the state of these devices via your Sonoff RF BridgeR2, which you’ve already successfully integrated into Home Assistant, as discussed in our previous article. With the bridge in place, we’re poised to explore the next level of control and monitoring for your home automation setup.

Integrating the RF device into Home Assistant.
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Capturing the RF commands
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We need the device we want to add to home assistant. The main purpose why I started this whole project was to add my ceiling fan, which is one of the more complex things you can add via an RF bridge, as many states can depend on each other. First you need to get the RF source, in this case the remote:

How to flash the Sonoff RF BridgeR2 with ESPHome

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 08:27:54 +0000

Introduction
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Bridging the gap between legacy devices and cutting-edge technology is a fascinating endeavour. If you’ve ever wanted to integrate your 433 MHz remote-controlled devices into your smart home ecosystem using the Sonoff RF BridgeR2, you’re in the right place. In this article, I’ll guide you through the process of flashing the Sonoff RF BridgeR2 with ESPhome, to make it vendor-independent and easily integrable into Home Assistant.

Warning

A Caution Against Cheap 433 MHz Modules

Home Assistant & ESPhome: Easy Electricity Meter Integration

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 12:12:19 +0000

You can integrate your electricity meter into home assistant easily and cheaply using ESPhome and some cheap sensors. Here is how I added my parent’s solar panel electricity meter to home assistant.

My parents installed solar panels onto their home nearly 15 years ago. Until very recently they had an old ferraris meter in their basement and apart from that, had no idea how their solar panels performed. They can technically be made smart too using a reed sensor – but that’s for another time. After a new smart meter had been installed – but without my parents getting any access to it directly – I figured it’s time to take things into my hands!

Saeco Incanto HD8917/01 repair & maintenance

Sat, 03 Jun 2023 13:33:22 +0000

The coffee machine, a Saeco Incanto HD8917/01 worked diligently for 10 years, and a few days ago it decided to display an odd behavior: Whenever it was requested to produce some bean squeezings, it’d shut off. It’d start normally, you could browse the menu — but the moment it started to do some work, it shut off.

At first, I expected some sort of jam — in my mind, a jammed electric motor could draw so much current that the voltage drop could cause the IC to reboot. I removed the brewing unit, gave it a thorough cleaning and lubricating — but same result.

Simple Yet Sturdy DIY Workbench Made Of Wood

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 19:54:59 +0000

Workbenches! Everyone wants them. Everyone loves them. They’re the bee’s knees; but also hella expensive! At least when you want something sturdy, and not made from paper maché like the majority of tables sold by Ikea. So I figured — why not make my own? How hard could it possibly be?

The Why
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I needed a workbench. You’re supposed to learn from your mistakes, but it took me several purchases of Ikea tables to learn that they really don’t last even common office use. I don’t even mind that they’re made from honeycomb shaped paper, hopes, and wishes. Unless you drop something big and heavy on them (like I did), they’re fine. But even their damn coating rubs off after not even a year of regular use.

2013 Toyota Yaris Quick & Easy AC Evaporator Cleaning

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 19:53:08 +0000

While selecting a time and date for my car’s yearly maintenance, the dealership offered to have my air conditioning system disinfected. At first, I thought this was more of a money-grabbing scheme more than anything. But I have, since then, learned, that air conditioning systems can become nasty. Very, very nasty. They can become breeding grounds for mildew and bacteria, which then spew into the passenger cabin whenever the air conditioning is used. This is accompanied by a rather unpleasant odour. It is at this point when you want to give your AC’s evaporator a thorough cleaning.

Greatly Improve Portable Air Conditioner Efficiency

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 11:30:38 +0000

Ducted, portable air conditioners suffer from terrible efficiency inherent to their design. Here is how they work and how to improve portable air conditioner efficiency.

Portable (Air-to-Air, Monobloc or Ducted) Units
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If you, like many others, find yourself unable to install a split or central air conditioning system due to rental agreements or insulated windows, your options for cooling are limited. Portable air-to-air units, despite their convenience, come with a significant design flaw that compromises their effectiveness. In this article, we delve into the drawbacks of these units and shed light on the inherent problem that plagues 99% of the available commercial models.

Simple 3D printed Kärcher SC3 Power Cable Holder

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 23:09:49 +0000

I’ve nearly completed the first semester of my two-semester CAD course at my university, and now for the first time have started to feel comfortable enough to use these newly acquired skills to design things that have a real-life application. That is how a 3D printed Kärcher SC3 Power Cable Holder became my very first functional CAD and print.

The Problem
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My parents own a Kärcher SC3 EasyFix steam cleaner, and one of her most common complaints was the inability to store the power cable of it satisfyingly. The cable would dangle around when carrying the device and be an overall nuisance. I mulled the problem over in my head somewhat, starting as to where one could even securely attach an accessory to an object that consists of smooth, curved plastic surfaces.

Harvesting Lithium-Ion cells from old batteries

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:01:15 +0000

When you work on electronics projects, chances are you will need a mobile power source some time down the line. There is a plethora of options, meeting any need imaginable. If you’re on a tight budget you can even try making your own Li-Ion battery! But what if you’re on an even tighter budget, and/or want to do something for the environment? Then I suggest harvesting Lithium-Ion cells from used batteries!

Warning

Attention! Now, before you go poking and prodding old battery packs, keep in mind that batteries first and foremost store power. Power in the form of chemical reactions that can react violently if given the right (or wrong) conditions. If you do decide to do this, make sure to wear proper personal protection equipment, and have a place where you can dispose of the battery immediately, should it catch fire.

A sleek Prusa i3 MK3S Raspberry Pi 4 Upgrade

Sat, 31 Oct 2020 14:31:55 +0000

Running a Prusa i3 MK3S with Octoprint definitely improves the overall printing experience. You can quickly upload print jobs from the slicer and check on the printing process remotely. Prusa even has a guide on how to install a Raspberry Pi Zero W directly onto the EINSY board. However, the little board struggles to run Octoprint and in some cases it can even cause layer shifts that ruin a print entirely! Doing a Prusa i3 MK3S Raspberry Pi 4 Upgrade is a little more effort, but absolutely worth it.

Inexpensive DIY Lithium-ion Battery Pack

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 18:10:13 +0000

When working on electronics projects, there will undoubtedly come a time when you want to take your project mobile. Choosing the right battery for your project is another whole can of worms by itself, as there are many variables to consider. How high does the voltage need to be? How many amps will be pulled at once? Are there weight or size restrictions? How many W/cm³ do I need?

A good bang-for-your-buck are 18650 cell based Li-Ion battery packs. The best part? You can make them yourself! You can even use scavenged cells in your DIY lithium-ion battery pack to save even more money!

3D Printing Safety

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 18:03:52 +0000

What are the health risks of 3D printing?
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Appropriately dealing with health hazards is (hopefully) nothing new in our workshops and maker spaces, and just with any other tool it is important to analyse and mitigate the health risks, to ensure 3D printing safety. This article concerns common safety hazards of fused filament fabrication printers.

Mechanical Hazards
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All parts of the 3D printer that move pose the threat of injury. Examples include: flywheels, pulleys, belts, couplings, chains, cranks, gears, etc. The feed mechanisms and auxiliary parts of the 3D printer should also be considered.

3D Printer Emissions of common filament types compared

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 11:38:07 +0000

3D printers can create harmful fumes
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FFF 3D printers are a major source of VOCs and ultrafine particles, both of which can be harmful to your health. While this can vary drastically on the filament type, it is still advised to reduce your exposure to 3D printer fumes. There’s a continued research effort in comparing 3D printing filament emissions with each other.

The number of studies regarding 3D printer emissions is still relatively small, and has until very recently only considered basic filament types such as PLA and ABS1. PLA is fairly benign, as it mostly consists of mostly harmless components. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), as the name suggests, emits large amounts of styrene when heated. Hardly any studies have compared these filament types with the more modern alternatives on the market. I was especially interested in the performance of PETG, and I’ve found this study that has a closer look.

3D printer resin made in the EU compared

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 10:46:00 +0000

The market for 3D printer resin is, perhaps unsurprisingly, far smaller than the one for 3D printer filament. However, there are still several manufacturers that offer 3D printer resin made in the EU.

With Anycubic’s release of their new series of Photon Mono resin printers, I started looking for 3D printer resin to buy in preparation. For similar reasons as I had stated in my 3D printer filament article, I wanted to buy resin that was made within the EU. And again, despite being made in the EU and under EU law, there are a bunch of resins available that aren’t too expensive either.

Ideal server rack 3D Printer Enclosure

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 11:16:00 +0000

The Enclosure
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A 3D printer enclosure perfect for a Prusa i3 MK3S, made of powder coated sheet-metal and has a safety glass door.

Even before I received my 3D printer, I was looking for an appropriate enclosure. I did that for two reasons: One being that filaments apart from PLA tend to warp outside the stable temperature environment an enclosure provides, and two being that I wanted to reduce the toxic emissions and noise of the printer.

3D Printer Filament Made in the EU

Sat, 19 Sep 2020 10:48:00 +0000

Sourcing “ethical” 3D printer filament
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*There’s an abundance of 3D printer filament manufacturers on the market. While there is a plethora of reviews and tests regarding their quality and price, far too often the circumstances under which they are made is disregarded. I was looking for filament made in countries that have acceptable human right standards and labour laws. That’s why here’s a list of 3D Printer Filament Made in the EU.*

While globalization certainly has its upsides, I’ve come to try to source things I purchase from Germany (or any other country within the EU) whenever I can. This is also the case for 3D printer filament. Naturally, I looked around.