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
