I’ve pretty much settled on Home Assistant as my DIY automation platform. While it is not perfect, it has the right mix of features, simplicity and customization for my needs. I also like that it is written in Python and includes support for custom dashboards using HADashboard. I’ll be adding additional posts about home automation platforms in general, but for now I want to concentrate … Continue reading Water Metering With Home Assistant
Since Septa is on the verge of introducing their new fare technology, Septa Key, to the Regional Rail system, I thought this would be a good opportunity to reminisce about one of their earlier automated fare systems. In the early 1990s, Septa provided orange refrigerator-sized ticket vending machines at most Regional Rail stations. I scoured the web for a picture of one of these hulking … Continue reading Anticipating Septa Key
“HD Radio” is the technology by which US radio stations broadcast digital audio along with their regular analog signal. Standard FM radios only receive the analog signal and ignore the digital data. You need an HD Radio to listen to the digital audio. HD radios are most popular as features in newer automobiles, but adoption outside of car radios, as well as awareness by the … Continue reading Listening to HD Radio with an SDR
LoRa is a radio technology for long range, low bit rate communication among sensors (temperature, light, location etc…) and other IOT devices. The sensors send their data to a radio receiver known as a gateway. The leading protocol used by sensors and gateways to manage communications, frequency, data rate and security is known as LoRaWAN. The gateway transfers the sensor data to the cloud so … Continue reading Getting Started with LoRa
My local Radio Shack closed on June 27, 2017 after 50 years in operation. This was my go to place for electronic parts and occasional electronics since 1988 and it will be greatly missed. Originally the store was listed as one that would remain open, but it was not to be. In addition to the store’s longevity, some of the staff had been there for … Continue reading Ardmore, PA Radio Shack Closed
I remember when this sign was posted in the fall of 1989, visible from the SEPTA commuter train window whenever I rode by. I was in college then, taking the train from Philadelphia to the suburbs every few months. It seemed strange to me that someone would go through the trouble to print a sign announcing that a gate was going to be locked on … Continue reading Temporarily Permanent
I’ve been fascinated by software defined radio (SDR) for years but investigating the GSM cellular network has always been just a little too challenging and slightly out of reach. All of that changed earlier this year when someone finally posted a workable, step-by-step guide for decoding (but not decrypting) cellular (GSM) radio traffic. For those not familiar, SDR involves moving much of the functionality of … Continue reading Sniffing GSM with SDR
The Displio is described by its creators as a “WiFi display that tracks what’s important to you.” It caught my eye as a Kickstarter campaign back in January 2015 as a neat, compact device for displaying custom data on my desktop. The delivery date slipped a few times but my Displio finally arrived in April 2016, about a year late. Not a huge deal, considering … Continue reading Displio Review
The Tile is a small, matchbook-sized Bluetooth device that works in conjunction with a mobile app to provide its location. The main purpose of the Tile is to help you keep track of the items to which it is attached. It is small enough to place on your key chain or put on your pet’s collar. (My dog has one.) The device is waterproof and … Continue reading Tile Review
While perusing the various channels on IFTTT recently, I came across one for something called “bt.tn.” My curiosity led me to a Finnish site that sells a very interesting product: a large pushbutton that can control anything that is connected to the internet. The bt.tn comes in various colors and has both Wi-Fi and cellular models. The operation from a user’s perspective could not be simpler. You … Continue reading The Internet Button
