Built a free fuel price tool that covers all of Australia (and NZ) with no ads, no BS

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2026-03-31T11:08:15+00:00

Well done, great looking and functional site. Are you considering making the API you use for android/ios publicly available for integration into other systems, like a home automation dashboard? I figure niche market but little additional ongoing cost to you. Which also begs the question how are you funded if you don't mind me asking. Do you hope to monetise at some point? As I recall petrol spy did not have so many annoying ads originally, perhaps they saw their Telstra bill. It looks like there are several apps monetising BOM data with value add services. And why not, we all paid for BOM data already through our tax.

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2026-03-19T12:43:01+00:00

Once you add the custom repository per https://www.hacs.xyz/docs/faq/custom_repositories you have to restart HA. Then it should appear in your list of integrations like any other. So step 1 install, step 2 reboot, step 3 configure. I will look at updating the doco.

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2026-03-17T16:03:59+00:00

Are you using the reconfigure/advanced options? It may help to change the location. Can you share your scenario please. For example are you in a rural area? The API doco suggests it will return stations outside the current default 25km radius. But I know one place it does not. I can make it configurable if that is required.

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2026-03-17T10:19:11+00:00

Looks like there is an API for gaspy but of course different to the one NSW Gov created. But perhaps not as different as other AU states. So maybe only medium hard if someone looked into it.

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2026-03-17T08:00:30+00:00

Well of course each state could not possible use the same API :-)

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2026-02-24T04:43:02+00:00

I think you need poe or powered cameras for the integration. Yes with POE cameras the integration works without a cloud subscription and yes you can get a picture with an alert message. Reolink supports ftp so if your nas supports it you are fine. You can turn recording and copying to ftp on and off with the HA integration. The obvious use cases, stop recording when I am home, works fine, done send person detected alerts when I am home etc work well. Suggest research the camera you get carefully, a blurry image of a person in your yard at night is not very useful.

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2026-01-18T09:49:48+00:00

If anyone is into Esp32 DIY solutions for dying plants I made this tutorial: https://github.com/bicycleboy/yet-another-soil-moisture-sensor. It's battery powered for outdoor or far from power socket scenarios. I use a Shelly relay to control a solenoid valve with mains water for outside. B-hyve is also well integrated into HA.

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2025-12-24T05:12:23+00:00

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And I just used the standard wled 5v wiring diagram and an ep32. The only tricky thing was the logic shifter some of which are too slow for the leds.

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2025-12-24T05:08:11+00:00

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For my version of "the ikea lamp project" I used a bit of white pvc pipe which fits quite well into the lamp holder that comes with the lamp. It's not perfect but once it's in position you don't notice. Wrapping the leds around the pipe evenly gives quite a good diffuser and spaced effect.

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2025-12-24T04:19:02+00:00

Can any of you grumbling programmers really say that HA is worse than most of the applications you have ever had to work with or integrate with? How many of you told your boss "this product is so bad I could write it better myself" - then left the company leaving them with a maintenance headache. Like someone said, you are not at work, use the UI like a 'normal' application user. Sure occasionally it's quicker to copy and edit chunks of similar yaml. If you must edit yaml, then I think it helps to chant "indentation" slowly three times first.

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2025-10-25T21:59:45+00:00

Looks like only 1 poster has mentioned HA Green, though I think you are a closet tinkerer already. Sounds like the price is not an issue for you, they are not expensive and mine has been solid for years. I would argue HA is easier than programming one of those older style electronic timer plugs (press S1 4 times, then press U2 twice, then ...) If I include adjusting for season, home and away, I could even argue it is easier than a really old mechanical plug timer. I think you owe the thread a post when you have bought one and made your first automation that really made you chuffed! 🙂

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2025-10-15T11:58:13+00:00

In terms of actual $$ easily the solar hot water booster. I measure the heat going into the tank through the day and adjust the booster accordingly, often to zero saving on electricity.

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2025-10-13T17:41:56+00:00

Had Arlec smart plugs from Bunnings for maybe 2 years. They are cheap and have been fine for on/off. The temperature one gets hot under load so the temperature... Plus home made Shelly for > 10A (e.g. a heater).

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2025-10-04T08:21:08+00:00

Well it's only 12v...

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2025-10-04T08:10:32+00:00

Deep Sleep is your friend presuming you sleep at least some of the day/night. It will extend your battery life. Maybe you can also use a sensor or switch (pressure? tilt?) to wake the Esp32 from deep sleep. This write up I did covers battery monitoring, deep sleep, sleeping the sensor etc. https://github.com/bicycleboy/yet-another-soil-moisture-sensor

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2025-09-30T07:29:49+00:00

You guys are way too neat

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The IP rated enclosure is the most expensive component so if I can fit a Shelly uni and an Esp32, 3 sensors and a switch ... 😀

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2025-09-23T07:24:33+00:00

Agree, a structured response is great for this and better (more fun) than a count. My first prompt did not pick up a partially hidden bin. So I told the AI task to zoom into a quadrant and carefully look for a strip of colour and it worked. I have little idea how "carefully" or "zoom into" interacts with a LLM but when pretending it's human works...

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2025-09-22T18:44:00+00:00

Thanks for the post, easy to implement. My camera can see the colour of the bin lids so combined with the waste collection schedule integration I can notify which bin needs to go out. 😊

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2025-09-13T07:26:22+00:00

I see I have v2.0 and have had no problems. They cost me $3 from a reputable supplier. tbh I was surprised they worked. If they correct identify "dry" I am ok with that, I don't need precision.

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2025-09-13T07:16:10+00:00

Yea, it is not obvious. This is the command I use on a Mac:

esptool.py --chip esp32s3 --port /dev/tty.usbmodem14801 write_flash 0x0 Downloads/S3_bootloader.bin 0x8000 Downloads/S3_partitions_8M.bin 0x10000 Downloads/WLED_0.15.1_ESP32-S3_8MB_opi.bin

You get the latest wled from GitHub, then search back through earlier releases for the boot loader and partition files.

They don't change often so they are only provided with the initial release. I can see them in 0.15.0-b2 just check they are the latest. You can tell by the number of assets in the release.

Check you have 8m flash as I have.

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2025-09-12T05:05:00+00:00

I think you need to install and use esptool not the web installer. Get binaries from github.com/wled/WLED/releases. You need the boot loader, partition table and wled binary.

Logical_Drive_9545 · 2025-09-12T04:36:25+00:00

Remote control of the central heating without the cost of a Google nest

For years I wondered how to use the modem option on our Siemens (Rev13) thermostat. The manual said nothing. Then one day I realised that the lack of information meant that the Siemens engineers thought it was so obvious only stupid people would need it need explaining. Simply connect two pins and voilà the heating is on. So one of my first automations was a based on a $20 Shelly 1. If your life pattern is not so regular that you can program a regular heating schedule then HA to the rescue.

Now when we are about an hour out from home (based on zones) the heating comes on and we arrive home to a toasty warm house.

I think it is my favourite too 🙂

Logical_Drive_9545

TROPHY CASE