Ask HN: What have you built with ESPHome, ESP8266 or similar hardware • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What have you built with ESPHome, ESP8266 or similar hardware

#41

Post by bloopernova » Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 4:57 PM UTC

isoprophlex wrote: post #22

Does a raspberry zero count? I replaced the dubiously secure Chinese box that came with my solar panels with a home grown energy monitoring solution, hooked up to HomeAssistant. And I made a full color eInk photo frame that displays seasonally appropriate, generated images from a stable diffusion like-algo.

Which colour e-ink panel did you use? Any pictures of your setup?

Re: Ask HN: What have you built with ESPHome, ESP8266 or similar hardware

#42

Post by Tempest1981 » Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 4:57 PM UTC

I want to automate some window blinds to open/close, based on time of day, and maybe sunny-ness. Anyone try this? They came with a Velux remote control.

Re: Ask HN: What have you built with ESPHome, ESP8266 or similar hardware

#43

Post by praccu » Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 4:59 PM UTC

praccu wrote: post #35

E Ink Todo list on my wall that pulls from Todoist, which I can update from my watch. https://blog.praccu.com/

I should update the post with details.

I ended up using DFRobot firebeetle because it respects sleep mode. I'm at 15 months on one charge with a 10Ah battery.

Re: Ask HN: What have you built with ESPHome, ESP8266 or similar hardware

#44

Post by throwup238 » Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 5:01 PM UTC

I have forty dutch buckets in four zones with cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers hooked up to two thirty gallon reservoirs and four ten gallon drainage tanks via a series of pumps and valves (using ESPhome sprinkler controller module). The first reservoir is pure RO water fed by a valve connected to the tap and the second is connected to a series of peristaltic pumps and sensors. They pump pH up and down as well as nutrients from concentrate into the reservoir and the concentrate bottles sit on DIY magnetic stirrers that run daily to prevent precipitation. Six ESP32s in waterproof Sockitboxes control all of this via a bunch of relays. The pH controller ESP32 gets mqtt messages via Atlas Scientific pH sensor while most of the other pumps are either on a schedule or respond to mqtt messages from Vegetronix water level sensors. I also have several Vegetronix liquid flow sensors that are hooked up to an ESP32 with solar and a battery that acts as a watchdog and alerts me via text message and indoor alarm if water doesnt flow for 12 or more hours.

The outdoor tap is also hooked up via valve to a drip irrigation loop that waters some roses and pots full of herbs, cabbage, etc.

The indoor setup is similar but much smaller with metal halide lamp and LEDs in a grow tent for out of season growing and seedlings. Protip: never put vining plants like cucumbers in a grow tent. Its a huge pain.

Re: Ask HN: What have you built with ESPHome, ESP8266 or similar hardware

#45

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 5:05 PM UTC

sho_hn wrote: post #40

sp0d3rmun wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This looks amazing! Do you have a guide? Would love to recreate this!

My goals to release source and docs a la https://github.com/eikehein/hyelicht got waylaid by the ultimate DIY project of having a baby in November, but I will try to get it done this year!

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: What have you built with ESPHome, ESP8266 or similar hardware

#46

Post by nuancebydefault » Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 5:06 PM UTC

I built a live programmable led string using micropython on esp32. Just connect to its wireless AP, type some python code and see the result in the led string.

Re: Ask HN: What have you built with ESPHome, ESP8266 or similar hardware

#47

Post by ohthehugemanate » Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 5:06 PM UTC

I use homeassistant, so the esphome integration makes esp32s priceless.

- integrated my projector via RS232 to esp32

- integrated my projector screen via IR module

- ir receiver lets me use an old tv remote as a universal whole house remote

- motion sensors everywhere so I never have to touch a light switch again

- several wled units for accent lighting, night lights etc

- built a laser maze with esp32s and light detectors for my kid's birthday.

- I've played around with BLE based room detection, but it's not really useful yet (or maybe ever).

I love em!

Re: Ask HN: What have you built with ESPHome, ESP8266 or similar hardware

#48

Post by guiambros » Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 5:07 PM UTC

Mostlygeek wrote: post #18

I built a little robot that props open a door when the av cabinet gets too hot. It has a temperature sensor, two fans and a linear actuator. It even has a small webui so I can manually enable/disable cooling. Been working for several years.

Ha, that's a great idea. I have a smart exhaust fan in the av closet, but it still lacks air circulation, so opening the door slightly every now and then (particularly when there's high load / heat dissipation) could be a nice extra feature.

How did you mount the linear actuator? I need to retain the ability to manually open/close the door. Maybe using a magnetic latch.

Re: Ask HN: What have you built with ESPHome, ESP8266 or similar hardware

#49

Post by swalberg » Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 5:07 PM UTC

I have one that I attached to an old antenna rotator so I can control it from the network. And another that monitors Github's status API and lights an LED when they're down.

Got a nice pair of Github socks at re:invent for showing a pic of that last one at their booth!

Re: Ask HN: What have you built with ESPHome, ESP8266 or similar hardware

#50

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 5:08 PM UTC

[deleted]