An empty-nester sparky’s Home Automation journey

Join us as we talk with Scott, a licensed Electrician with a deep IT background who's been bouncing between code and conduit for years. Discover how this empty-nester crafts ingenious automations, from power monitoring with custom solutions to integrating nine pinball machines

Watch the full episode on YouTube

https://hasspodcast.io/ha198

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:53 Guest Introduction: Scott the Sparky

00:01:08 Scott's Home Automation Journey

00:04:25 Challenges with DIY and PLCs

00:07:35 Home Automation Concerns and Sustainability

00:22:35 Scott's Water Management and Fire Protection Plans

00:29:48 Introduction to LoRa and Challenges

00:30:42 Powering Devices & Solar Solutions

00:31:26 Communication Projects: MeshTastic

00:31:41 Bushfire Resilience and Backup Solutions

00:32:16 Exploring LoRa Applications

00:32:41 Solar Solutions for ESP32

00:35:15 Z-Wave and Zigbee Discussion

00:37:16 Advantages of Z-Wave Over ZigBee

00:45:43 Power Monitoring Solutions

00:46:43 Smart Home Automation with Shelly

00:48:14 Challenges with Exporting Solar

00:53:30 Animal Automation & Security

00:57:44 Introduction to AI in Home Automation

00:58:07 Automating Fox Detection

00:59:37 The Role of Cameras and Reolink Integration

01:01:09 Exploring Advanced Automation Scenarios

01:07:32 AI in Home Automation: Prospects and Concerns

01:11:35 Challenges and Opportunities in AI and Automation

01:15:17 Simplifying Home Automation for Life

01:18:47 Community and Innovation in Home Automation

01:20:17 Fun with Pinball Machines and Automation

Support the Podcast

Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon

This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

Zooz

If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

So for the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to thesmartesthouse.com

Hosts

Phil Hawthorne

Website

Smart Home Products

Twitter: @philhawthorne

Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

Buy Phil a Coffee

Rohan Karamandi

Website

Smart Home Products

Twitter: @rohank9

Buy Rohan a Coffee

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy