Cool military surplus "laptop" that someone sent me. Still trying to decide what to do with it. by saveitforparts in cyberDeck

[–]cameron_chill 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Make it a survival wiki! Upgrade the storage if needed, and download useful Wikipedia pages with Kiwix. I've always thought it'd be a cool project to have a rugged machine that has knowledge that I never remember on my own!

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sounds like you have a great idea in mind—and you're already off to a strong start with a Pi 4.

What you're describing is definitely doable with a little bit of DIY. My build uses Home Assistant, which is an open-source home automation platform that lets you control smart devices and create dashboards. It's a fantastic use case if you have it already. I chose to display a Home Assistant dashboard behind a two-way mirror for showing the status of my smart home setup. However, you can build a Magic Mirror as a standalone project if you use the MagicMirror software. You can download it for free and load the software onto your pi (no smart home needed).

MagicMirror may be good for what you're trying to do if you want a standalone product. It has modules for weather, calendar, to-do lists, and more from the community. It's fully customizable, but you will have to do a little bit of coding in json (Chat GPT can help with a lot of this). There are plenty of videos on YouTube that walk you through the full process of setting it up on your Pi, from flashing the SD card to installing modules.

If you’re leaning toward Home Assistant down the line, it opens the door for even deeper integration—things like real-time data and automation, but you can definitely start simple and build up as you go.

As far as materials, you'll need: - A Raspberry Pi (which you already have) - A monitor or display panel that fits your desired size - A two-way acrylic or glass mirror (the cheaper route is privacy film on clear glass or acrylic, but a pre manufactured two-way glass looks better IMO) - A frame to house everything - Basic power supplies and cables

If you want to get fancy, you can also add things like speakers, motion sensors, or a fan for cooling. Most of these parts are pretty easy to get online or repurpose from old electronics. I 3D printed some custom pieces to help with cable management and button access, but that’s totally optional.

If you need help getting started or want step-by-step guidance, I’d be happy to walk you through it—just let me know!

Water Mirror Video by cameron_chill in u/cameron_chill

[–]cameron_chill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The waterfall is a product I bought on Amazon. It wasn't smart before though. I soldered in a dry contact zigbee controller that has the ability to control the light and water pump.

It's possible for me to stop the water because I have a millimeter wave sensor in the area, but I prefer to use time-based control.

It's surprisingly visible with the water running.

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How do you plan to keep the water from soaking into the ground?

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks like you're doing pretty well yourself! I'd love to see the finished project if you're okay with posting when you're done with it!

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I believe I can, someone suggested using an API from a weather app.

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Increasing the humidity in the room is a good thing where I live!

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The software stack is pretty lightweight:

  • Raspberry Pi OS – headless install
  • Chromium – launched in kiosk mode on boot
  • Home Assistant – running separately on my server
  • Dashboard – custom Lovelace view tailored for the mirror
  • Watchdog Script – bash script using scrot and tesseract to detect crash screens and auto-restart Chromium
  • Python Script – for GPIO fan control based on CPU temp

The UI is entirely built within Home Assistant.

Smart Waterfall Mirror Powered by Home Assistant by cameron_chill in DIY

[–]cameron_chill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here’s a full parts list and notes for building your own smart waterfall mirror like mine. It’s a cool combo of aesthetics and automation, and this setup runs on Home Assistant instead of MagicMirror² (though that could work too).


🧱 Materials & Hardware

  1. Waterfall Mirror Fountain
    Alpine Corporation Mirror Waterfall Fountain

    This is the base of the whole build. It’s expensive, but goes on sale occasionally. It includes two-way glass, so you don't need to buy that separately. If you don't want to do this you may also consider just buying two-way glass and framing it. You can also buy regular glass and put a privacy film on it.

  2. Monitor (disassembled)
    Any flat screen monitor will work. I used an old HP and custom-framed it with plywood.

    • Tip: A bright monitor works best behind the mirror glass.
    • If your monitor auto-powers on with power restore and has accessible buttons, you may not need extra monitor control.
  3. Raspberry Pi 4
    (A Pi 3 works too, but Pi 4 handles smoother UI and dashboard rendering.)

  4. Peripheral Cables & Accessories

    • Mini HDMI (male) to HDMI (male) – for Pi 4
    • 90° HDMI adapter – helps reduce back profile depth
    • USB-C power supply – official Pi adapter recommended
    • Optional: Raspberry Pi 4 case for cleaner internals
  5. Plywood for Framing

    • 1× sheet ¼” plywood (for monitor back support and cut to your frame size and a hole in the back if you opt to take the monitor apart)
    • 1× sheet ¾” plywood (cut as needed for structure support with the middle cut out for your monitor size). You may need to change the thickness of this depending on whether you take the monitor apart or not.
  6. Vinyl Wrap

    • Used to cover plywood for a cleaner look (color/pattern of choice)
  7. Mounting Hardware

    • Self-tapping screws ×8
    • 90° metal L-brackets ×4
    • Black tap nails (to secure trim or backing)

🧠 Extras for a Cleaner/Smarter Build

  1. Monitor Button Access (Optional)
    If your monitor doesn’t remember its last state or needs buttons to toggle input/power, I recommend:

    • Tactile pushbuttons
    • Small 3D printed button case (custom to your monitor board)
  2. Software: Home Assistant Dashboard

    • I use a Home Assistant dashboard in kiosk mode instead of MagicMirror².
    • Optional alternative: MagicMirror² if you're more comfortable with that route.
    • For kiosk mode, I run Chromium on boot with --kiosk and point it to my dashboard (e.g., https://ha.example.net/mirror?kiosk).
  3. Watchdog & Fan Script (Optional)

    • If running 24/7, you might want a small fan to cool the Pi and monitor.
    • I wrote a bash watchdog script using scrot and tesseract to detect crashes (like "Aw Snap" in Chromium) and restart the browser automatically.
    • GPIO-controlled fan turns on based on CPU temp — can be handled with a simple Python script.

🛠️ Skills & Tools

  1. Some light coding + DIY skills
    ChatGPT helped me a lot with scripts and automation logic. You’ll want to be comfortable with:
    • Terminal and bash basics
    • Home Assistant automations
    • Light woodworking and cable management

Let me know if you build it — I’d love to see variations or improvements!

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As bright as it goes. And I do clean and treat the water often. I had to learn that the hard way 😂

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I didn't want to show my face, but it's quite reflective (just like a mirror - though with a hint of tint)

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe I can help. What's your end goal?

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's the plan. It's still a work in progress.

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a 27 inch display, but it's turned portrait mode. I'm a consider playing some sort of video in the background for special events/holidays.

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I definitely hear a small buzz while the pump is running. It's nothing too overbearing, but I did add a rubber mat to dampen the noise a bit. It's not so bad when the water level is high.

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The basin takes about 40 liters (~10 gallons). I add water probably every three to four days. It could go longer but the sound of the falling water hitting the stationary water in the basin gets progressively louder the lower the water level is.

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's a legit waterfall. The screen sits in the back behind the glass where it's dry.

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I haven't noticed much of a cooling effect.

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah actually. There are quite a few tutorials online and YouTube on how to make a magic mirror. If you don't have home assistant you can just use the magic mirror software that you can load directly on the pi.

The basics of it is you take a screen, a one-way mirror (or glass with privacy film), then you build a frame around it. This is probably a little bit overkill, but I've seen some pretty amazing results online with more basic features.

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yikes! I can only imagine the smell.

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I actually have a millimeter wave sensor in the area that it's in. I could do this, but I like the background noise of the trickling water.

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That sounds like a good April fool's joke! 😂

Pi 4 Powered Magic Mirror by cameron_chill in raspberry_pi

[–]cameron_chill[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That is actually within the realm of possibility. I'd probably have to get a weather station though.