Tag: Arduino

Building a $5 Smart Plug

January 30, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I love home automation and have added all sorts of devices to my home over the last several years. For all the devices I have the most used and most useful are smart lights.

I’ve said many times to not use smart bulbs and to use smart switches instead, but what if you want to control more than just lights? What if you want to control power to something like 3d printers, a soldering iron, or even a flat iron; something that would be dangerous to keep on when away but something that don’t have just one location and thus doesn’t have just one switch to control it.

That is where smart plugs come in.

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Why I Hated My Old Smart Home

January 16, 2018 / / 2 Comments

I’ve had a smart home for over a year and learned a lot in that time. I’ve added devices, removed devices, and in the end have a nearly 100% different system than when I started.

The Beginning

I started with an Amazon Echo, a SmartThings hub, several Z-Wave light bulbs, and an ecobee 3 thermostat. Each of these devices was a great device to start with but I quickly outgrew them and have swamped them out for something better. The only thing which remained constant was the home security cameras which was directly linked to my phone so that I could view the live feed.

So why did I start with these devices, why did I change them, and what have I swapped them to?

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