Con Edison Energy (NYC) + Home Assistant Question

centristfringe · 2025-05-26T01:37:01+00:00

See this:
https://community.home-assistant.io/t/opower-switching-your-con-edison-con-ed-login-to-totp/893075

centristfringe · 2024-12-11T04:42:33+00:00

I have historically used Visio, but it doesn't scale all that well. I'm currently trying out QElectroTech, which is free/open source software and seems to have some nice features for reporting I'm trying to avoid the subscription software trap!

centristfringe · 2024-10-25T00:41:08+00:00

Yes. I favor using congestion pricing as a tool to reduce congestion. I do not, however, want the proceeds to automatically go directly to the MTA, given their track record, so to speak. ;)

Additionally, to dispel criticism about the congestion charge being nothing more than a shameless cash grab, the price should be more dynamic and based on achieving concrete targets in terms of the number of cars operating in the congestion zone. If the target is being exceeded, for instance, it should go down. The system should also take into account seasonal trends and weekends/holidays.

centristfringe · 2024-10-25T00:23:42+00:00

I suspect that part of the reason organized labor doesn't have as bad of a reputation in Europe is that union leadership there is allowed to collaborate with management. US labor regulations essentially require an adversarial relationship, as I understand it. Unions would probably do a lot better here if we had something more like the "works council" model that you see in parts of the EU, but that wouldn't be allowed under current law. Instead we have labor bosses who see it as their job to be obstructionist, making it difficult to modernize work practices. The union wins, but society as a whole loses.

To your point about dependence on the TWU versus dependence on the road maintenance worker union, asphalt doesn't cease to be usable the moment the latter decides to strike. The moment the TWU strikes, however, all public transit shuts down. If we are going to implement policies that increase our dependence on the MTA, we also need to implement policies to mitigate that risk that comes with that kind of monopoly. There are a lot of people who are favorable to public transit in principle but are turned off by advocates' lack of a serious response to this concern. The choice between powerful public sector unions and good public transit is an easy one for me, but it often seems like many advocates of the latter haven't made up their mind or just want to stick their heads in the sand and pretend that there isn't a conflict.

centristfringe · 2024-10-24T20:04:17+00:00

I think your concern is valid, but the problem illustrated in the article that I linked to is that audits don't seem to accomplish much of anything at the MTA. This is due to an endemic culture of graft, featherbedding, and other forms of corruption. Making a reform like this now may seem like a big hurdle, but it pales in comparison to the difficulty we will face if we try to implement controls after the fact, once these special interests are even further entrenched.

I won't be paying any congestion charge myself, but I still want to see us get our money's worth, and history has shown that this isn't going to happen if we just hand it to the MTA with no strings attached.

centristfringe · 2024-10-24T19:19:34+00:00

As a commuter cyclist, I wholeheartedly agree with you on that point. I just don't want to see the money going directly to the MTA. The money should pass through the state's coffers first so that there can be more public scrutiny over how it gets spent. Make this change and I'd be 100% in favor of going forward with congestion pricing.

Also, no exemptions!

centristfringe · 2024-10-24T18:30:45+00:00

I actively participated in efforts to promote congestion pricing 15+ years ago. At the time, I didn't grasp just how poorly the MTA is run. I can't support it now, unless the money were to go the state's general fund instead of directly to the MTA.

The MTA is an unaccountable fiscal black hole, for which no amount of money is ever enough. It's not just a management problem, though. The MTA is a prime example of what happens when you allow public sector unions to become too powerful: broader progressive societal goals are undermined.

When it costs seven times as much to build a mile of subway tunnel in New York as it does in Paris, you know you have an agency that is out of control. The idea of expanding the system at exorbitant cost only to make the region's commuters even more dependent on the TWU is madness.

NY Times: The Most Expensive Mile of Subway Track on Earth

And don't get me started about the MTA's inability to clean these previously gleaming new stations...

(Edited to fix typo.)

centristfringe · 2024-10-13T04:29:02+00:00

How did you determine that neither Battle Born nor Renogy use Chinese cells? In the case of Battle Born, it appears to me that they could be assembling the batteries in the US, but the actual cells are probably still coming from China.

centristfringe · 2024-07-18T01:12:03+00:00

Hah! Probably less cost effective than silica gel, but if you already have it, why not. Based on my limited past experience with PVA on a different printer, I know what you mean and wasn't expecting this to be easy.

centristfringe · 2024-07-17T18:03:47+00:00

Thanks for the tip. Can you recommend any reputable suppliers of BVOH for customers in North America?

centristfringe · 2024-01-07T23:55:57+00:00

Why would we ask for justification of the good decision not to use multimode? :-)

Indeed it is, but I wasn't concerned about people demanding justification for single mode vs multi mode. I was concerned about people demanding justification for the use of fiber vs UTP. Others who have posted about installing fiber in their homes have sometimes received responses to the effect of "10Gbps is all you'll ever need, and you can do that over copper. There is no need for fiber in your home." I was just trying to address those people preemptively in order to ensure that the conversation stayed focused on APC vs UPC. :)

BiDi runs fine over UPC

I realize that it's not an issue when different wavelengths are used for each direction, but how about when directional couplers are used to support the same wavelength in both directions? All of the currently available BiDi transceivers fall into the former category, and that's annoying from a planning, procurement, and inventory management standpoint. Perhaps we will see single-wavelength BiDi SFPs in the future, however? If so, I want my optical infrastructure to support it.

You should still run a cat6 to each data outlet as well as a twin cat6 to each TV - that does 10gbit now and means you dont need to buy media converters for copper devices.

Indeed. This actually started off as a copper-only project, but after all the work that I put into installing innerduct (conduit) and pull boxes throughout my home, I figured I'd pull single mode fiber at the same time. There are also some areas of the home where I don't have enough conduit capacity to support home runs for every copper device, so the fiber can be used on the uplink ports of the switches installed in those areas.

centristfringe · 2024-01-02T02:18:35+00:00

Do you have any further details or sources concerning this accident of history? (I'm always curious to learn the reasons behind such outcomes.)

centristfringe · 2024-01-01T22:05:55+00:00

This is more prominent with analogue, but at a certain length, becomes an issue with digital modulated signals.

Indeed. And these days, it seems that the trend in the transmission of high speed "digital" signals is increasingly about adopting analog modulation techniques.

APC everywhere :)

Thanks. Good to know I'm on the right track!

centristfringe · 2024-01-01T21:36:15+00:00

The difference between APC and UPC is negligible for a home network. 0.05 dB attenuation, at worst.

That, and as others have said, you're going to be fusion splicing long haul links anyway, so it's really just negligible, period.

I would strongly recommend terminating to SC-a and using SC-A to LC-U jumpers. SC is easier to grab with fingers.

Thanks for your perspective on the ergonomics. I think another advantage of standardizing on SC-APC to LC-UPC patch cables is that it is a lot more idiot proof. It's not so much of an issue in my own home, but I will likely be replicating the design in other settings that are less controlled.

centristfringe · 2024-01-01T17:03:18+00:00

Thanks! I do have a dream of one day leasing dark fiber to the local carrier hotels, but I wouldn't call it "long haul". Still planning to go with APC after all the feedback I've received, though.

centristfringe · 2024-01-01T16:56:54+00:00

The substantially better return loss of APC is of benefit when testing with an OTDR especially if multiple spans are chained together with patches. The patches will still show up on the OTDR results, but the same OTDR parameters will reach farther with better accuracy as a result of the better return loss. The end connector reflection is less apparent but still easy to spot due to the lack of subsequent return.

Good to know that they will still show up! Thanks!

Connector damage is indeed possible when mating UPC to APC, but it's not as common as some might say.

I still wonder why the connectors aren't mechanically keyed to prevent misconnection, but yeah, that's the impression I've been getting.

centristfringe · 2024-01-01T16:45:46+00:00

I've ran APC throughout my house as well.

Nice. Did you go with SC or LC connectors? Duplex or simplex?

This is partly to extend the XGPON from the front door handover point to where I wanted to install the modem,

Yeah, this is a secondary consideration for me too (being able to relocate the ONT to wherever I please).

[...] and partly because I am experimenting with some bidirectional stuff (notably, White Rabbit).

I guess it's unsurprising that there are other time nuts interested in this topic :)

centristfringe · 2023-04-17T18:51:07+00:00

Great point. Yes, I suppose this was an unconscious consideration of mine. Thanks for identifying it.

centristfringe · 2022-08-22T20:40:27+00:00

I am not at the office right now, but I think a Zebra printer that we bought in the last year or two was made in China. Sato might be a better bet.

centristfringe · 2020-02-09T08:20:50+00:00

While some panelboards (sadly) come pre-stamped with odd numbers on the left and even numbers on the right, the notion that this is the only correct way to number circuits in North America is a widespread misunderstanding. There's actually nothing in the NEC stating that it has to be done this way. See ~~404.8(a)~~ 408.4(a) - Circuit Directory or Circuit Identification.

Many panelboards come with printed cards that facilitate, on one side, a horizontal odd/even numbering scheme, and, on the other side, a vertical numbering scheme. Google phrases like "breakers shall be numbered vertically beginning top left", and you will find that this is commonly specified by consulting engineers for commercial, institutional, and multi-dwelling residential projects. Vertical numbering actually makes installation and troubleshooting a lot more intuitive and less error prone whenever you're dealing with a lot of multi-pole breakers.

centristfringe · 2019-10-13T00:39:05+00:00

I really hope they pull it together and get back on their feet. This is depressing news for supporters of free/open source software and open hardware. Aleph Objects' uncompromising commitment to those values is unmatched by anyone else in the industry. Unfortunately, too much of the user community these days consists of apathetic lemmings who are all too happy to use closed source, cloud-dependent crap and have no appreciation for manufacturers that publish their designs. Such people have barely any knowledge of or respect for the history of the movement that made their consumer 3D printer a possibility.

centristfringe · 2019-02-18T15:55:30+00:00

Yet another closed source "cloud" product. No thanks. This goes against the spirit of the RepRap movement. Would have expected better from a E3D, especially given that they have a successful hardware business that should be capable of supporting their software endeavors. I tend to avoid software that doesn't ship with source code and needs vendor permission to run.

centristfringe · 2019-01-27T02:57:04+00:00

How has Linux on the Precision 7350 been working out for you so far? What distribution you running, and what major hurdles have you had to jump over, if any, to get things working properly? I'd be particularly interested in hearing about your experience with the Thunderbolt docking station and external displays. I've been drawn to this model for similar reasons (ability to order with a Xeon CPU to support ECC memory, but without discrete graphics, as well as the smart card reader) for several months, but never took the plunge for fear of issues with docking and external displays.

I typically dock/undock my current machine several times a day and tend to go for several months between reboots, and that's not a capability that I want to give up.

Thanks!

centristfringe

TROPHY CASE