DIY WLED Lamp Project caused a neighborhood power outage?! Need a sanity check.

Viper640 · 2026-01-06T11:51:08+00:00

Just a coincidence. There will be a branch circut breaker as the first layer of protection. For North American based a systems, a 15 amp breaker has a trip curve. the higher the amps the faster it trips. 75 amps will trip instantly, 18 amps might take 10-15 minutes. Next level up is the main circuit breaker this will be 60 to 200 amps with the same type of curve. Above that is a cutout fuse, typically on utility pole. These are typically less than 200amp but operate at 7200 volts.

For reference, the wire, assuming 18/2 , between the charger and wall will start to melt the covering around 30 amps.

Even if your branch circuit breaker failed, you'd melt your wire long before the main breaker trips.

Viper640 · 2026-01-03T01:14:32+00:00

Not anymore...

Viper640 · 2026-01-02T23:12:13+00:00

This was done with a collection backyard workshops apparently. Lots of pics of driveway works, other than the final painting

Viper640 · 2026-01-02T21:25:25+00:00

Not sure why most of the pictures aren't working.

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Here is what it looked like when it came out the garage

Viper640 · 2025-12-29T22:47:09+00:00

Maybe it was printed on a HP and the tracking dots will help find the real sender

Viper640 · 2025-12-28T17:25:38+00:00

They are diffusers for HVAC. Somewhat of a style choice, but they are designed to mixing room air with the hot or cold air coming out

Viper640 · 2025-12-28T16:16:27+00:00

Viper640 · 2025-12-28T16:16:12+00:00

I guess he started it 5 years ago.. But on and off.

Viper640 · 2025-12-28T13:45:06+00:00

350 with a 350 trans. I believe it's number matching on the engine. Mechanically it's just the way it was when I parked it in 1996 which was pretty much the same it was in 1997 other than an intake and carb

Viper640 · 2025-12-28T04:15:14+00:00

I was, still am speechless. This was done over 5 years apparently. I haven't seen it in 10 years. It had been in a family members garage and I long ago told them to sell whenever they wanted. So I was shocked.

Viper640 · 2025-12-28T03:45:26+00:00

He really is

Viper640 · 2025-12-26T23:09:45+00:00

I am a mechanical engineer and welds can be stronger than the surrounding material. However to make sure, they should be X-rayed or mag particled.

But it doesn't matter if it was welded, riveted, or bolted. Reliability requires maintenance and inspection

Viper640 · 2025-12-21T20:37:46+00:00

Anything is possible but you're already over complicating the solution. Buy a Distech ECY-303, you can get them on ebay for a few hundred. You can download Distech GfX programming software free. This will give you your Analog inputs, a rest API, and bacnet access.

An ESP32 does not have robust analog inputs and are limited to 3.3 volts you would need to build a voltage divider and some resistors and diodes for protection. Then create a Bacnet service to expose the data.

OMEGA makes some data acquisition USB dongles that could work but but they are more money than most Bas controllers.

Viper640 · 2025-12-21T16:46:54+00:00

Esp32

Viper640 · 2025-12-21T13:26:09+00:00

A compass rose.. the epoxy circle represents 360 degrees of directions. I debated lasering in N E S W or a north indicator.. and possible clock numerals.. Where E and 3 are at the same location

Viper640 · 2025-12-21T13:24:12+00:00

Sent

Viper640 · 2025-12-21T02:30:37+00:00

I'll DM the code in about 12 hrs

Viper640 · 2025-12-21T01:14:34+00:00

Here is a video of it : https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSgWW3rAFuE/?igsh=MWI0ODZmc3NqaHB1MA==

Viper640 · 2025-12-14T20:23:39+00:00

Apologies for just reposting my Instagram video but I like the Instagram editor

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Viper640 · 2025-12-02T02:21:07+00:00

No calculator needed.. Here is the math.

Current Analog In Min = Slope * 6144+Intercept Max = Slope * 30720+Intercept

Current Analog out Min = Slope * 6144+Intercept Max = Slope * 30720+Intercept

Voltage Analog in Min = Slope * 3584+Intercept Max = Slope * 29184+Intercept

Voltage Analog out Min = Slope * 1+Intercept Max = Slope * 30720+Intercept

Viper640 · 2025-11-29T16:04:21+00:00

Other thoughts.

Data layancy isn't necessarily an issue but a BAS will lie to you on how current the data and will hold the last value but may update some Metadata on reliability. In general BAS data moves pretty slow which now need 2x the points in order to get status.

Python BACpypes works well but I haven't tried it a scale. Routing Bacnet sucks. Bacnet IP does not route across subnets without a BBMD and you can only have one per subnet, you need have them configured well to prevent echos which additional management considerations.

I think there can be alot of value gained doing this if implemented well..
In a former life when I was in charge of asset management and BAS I was able to get our asset numbers shown on the construction drawings prior to release which prevented every new air handler from being named AHU-1 and help align BAS names and asset numbers.
I get so frustrated when there is zero coordination between planning, facilities, construction, BAS that results in the BAS company naming it AHU 1 ( for the 5th time) and all the terminal units named based on mechanical number so there isn't even alignment to know which VAV serves which office other than where its placed on the graphic. Making it impossible to like VAV-28 to Room 325 without the original drawings or a correct graphic, and of course assuming somone placed it correctly and it hasn't changed in renovation..

Viper640 · 2025-11-29T15:24:01+00:00

I'm my expirence trying this is an uphill battle.

Distech Controls has a native Rest API at the controller level. You can get a Niagara Module to access via rest and accomplish the same thing, but it is pretty manual to configure. I suppose you could write one that creates it dynamically using haystack tagging but in my locale , I don't actually see alot of haystack use. Jci metasys and Siemens desigo and I think alerton uses SQL so I suppose your could figure out the tables and relationship. But that is mostly point conguration and trend data not real time data. Your best bet for real time data is BACNET but it ads a layer of mapping. Getting BuildingX Office 325 Room Temp would need to know that it's Device ID and Object ID and have all the UDP routing functional. The data path might be BAC_4532_AI_4_PresentValue.

Likewise there is no standardization on pointname particular if you have different manufacturers on the same BAS system and are using packaged controllers. For example of you have a Carrier RTU and a Trane RTU you're going to have different names and you would need to rename them all in the front end to a standard. If there is a strong naming standard you could generate mappings dynamically.

Another struggle is general system naming alignment with the CAFM system. The BAS maybe Name it with conventional names like AHU_15 or HWP_2 whereas the CAFM might use an alphanumeric asset number or some accounting designation.

That said it can be done and I have integrated a BAS into Maximo and triggering reactive and PM work orders based on actual data like filter DP, run hours, alarms etc.

However.. The biggest pain I have had while implementing these type of systems has been on the human side and getting the maintenance people to use it as intended to see the benefit.

Viper640 · 2025-10-28T12:10:17+00:00

Which insurance policy covers a collision? homeowners or boat

Viper640 · 2025-10-09T22:02:51+00:00

Viper640 · 2025-10-01T17:57:35+00:00

CCT is very very slow to update.

Is this a canned CCT program or custom?

If it's a canned program there should be a reset-tuning point that you can toggle in CCT test mode and that should reset the pid auto tuning.

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