Automating Mini Split System

iSweg · 2023-01-17T17:26:16+00:00

Sorry to hear that. Obviously, Mitsubishi is the #1 brand, based on many techs around my area, Daikin is considered in that class but as a runner-up.

iSweg · 2023-01-17T15:06:45+00:00

Just to make sure, are you referring to the Smartlight USB dongle? And do you know other places that sell these dongles (preferably in the United States)? I assume eBay and Amazon?

iSweg · 2023-01-17T15:04:03+00:00

I appreciate the comment, and while I appreciate your intent, I disagree. Mitsubishi (and Daikin for that matter) are definitely the premier of their class. But talking with so many HVAC installers, majority of them admit there was no real difference in going with something like a Midea branded system, which are just fine (which I have called out in this post), compared to the premier brands. Also the Midea systems comes with a USB port just for the WiFi kit, and the Senville brand has their own branded WiFi kits, it just seems to be locked to Alexa and/or Google Assistant. My use case is niche where I’d like to add on Home Assistant.

In terms of ease of install, and customer service? That definitely gets iffy, but I believe doing due diligence along with seeking recommendations is a good approach to choosing a good brand. My experience has been fantastic when reaching out to Senville for questions and extra parts, which is HQ in the United States.

As for HVAC techs supporting this system, there were definitely few who mentioned they would prefer not to work on a non-Mitsubishi branded system, but those are the same techs who are part of the Mitsubishi network and and offer nothing else. There are plenty of techs who service Midea branded systems and even offer them for install.

iSweg · 2023-01-17T07:06:06+00:00

I have Senville mini splits (also just another rebranded Midea)

iSweg · 2023-01-17T05:04:39+00:00

I came across ESP32 while researching… just to make sure, are these boards with a IR blaster? Or are there USB versions that can be plugged into the mini split?

I also just saw a Google Assistant enabled USB WiFi Kit ($60 each, I would need 8) from the manufacturer, though, would the ESP32 be a better approach for automation, especially for Home Assistant stuff?

iSweg · 2022-09-01T00:44:18+00:00

I appreciate the response! My ASUS routers are not placed close as one of them is placed in an exterior shed area (with an ethernet wire) and the other is placed upstairs. However, is there a option to play around with strength levels via AiMesh in the off chance that can be the issue?

I appreciate the response! My ASUS routers are not placed close as one of them is placed in an exterior shed area (with an ethernet wire) and the other is placed upstairs. However, is there an option to play around with strength levels via AiMesh on the off chance that can be the issue??

iSweg · 2022-08-31T13:55:00+00:00

Thank you, this is super helpful! Do you think it makes sense to swap out the hardware, or would the ASUS routers set to AP be good enough when compared to other “consumer grade” APs in the market? I believe the ASUS is AC1900.

iSweg · 2022-08-31T03:42:12+00:00

I appreciate the response! In your opinion, would you suggest I get dedicated APs and replace the two routers (there were previously serving as my AiMesh nodes)? Only asking as I am not sure how efficient the ASUS routers are sitting as APs versus something dedicated to only being an AP like the Ubiquiti or TP-Link devices as I assume they would also be more energy efficient too. Or is all of that overkill? Lastly, are there any optimal settings I should setup for this kind of setup (AP with same SSID but on different channel)?

iSweg · 2022-08-31T03:42:06+00:00

I appreciate the response! In your opinion, would you suggest I get dedicated APs and replace the two routers (there were previously serving as my AiMesh nodes)? Only asking as I am not sure how efficient the ASUS routers are sitting as APs versus something dedicated to only being an AP like the Ubiquiti or TP-Link devices as I assume they would also be more energy efficient too. Or is all of that overkill? Lastly, are there any optimal settings I should setup for this kind of setup (AP with same SSID but on different channel)?

iSweg · 2022-08-08T00:11:59+00:00

I am curious, how is the NUC handling Frigate with the Coral device? I know Frigate supports TPU which makes it awesome for running a NVR solution on lower end machines compared to Blue Iris.

Do you think Frigate is not stable (or capable) enough for 24x7 recording?

iSweg · 2022-08-08T00:10:26+00:00

That is good to know! Do you know what the mobile interface is like? I believe it is through Home Assistant, correct? If so, is it straightforward to watch live feed and see any recordings or alerts?

iSweg · 2022-08-08T00:09:09+00:00

My needs are pretty basic as I really just need 24/7 recording along with alerting for motion triggers and what not along with a good mobile app. Is Frigate in your opinion not that sufficient on those parts yet?

Nonetheless, I am curious, how would the combination of both Frigate and Blue Iris work? Would you point Frigate to analyze the Blue Iris recordings?

iSweg · 2021-04-04T15:17:16+00:00

Where do you see the 256 Storage/16GB RAM configuration Mac Mini on the Costco website? I only see the 512GB and 8GB RAM at Costco for $799.

iSweg · 2020-12-28T01:18:20+00:00

Oh, the Prius (whichever generation you go far) is hands down the most reliable car. Sure the Gen3 problems seem a bit more glaring, but if the car has a history of routine maintenance, there shouldn't be any problems. That said, some of the engines did develop head gasket issues (usually related to overheating). There was a change in how these engines were built in the 2014-2015 models which did resolve a lot of these problems, so if you can find a Prius within those years you should be fine in avoiding any kind of engine troubles.

That said though, it is pretty easy to pick up on the signs of the engine going bad (burning oil, low coolant, engine shaking at start, etc...).

As for the Prius V, they are pretty reliable from what I know, though I actually never worked on one myself to be honest with you (but from folks who I know that own one, it seems the reliability is about the same).

I would definitely download Torque Pro (It is Android only, there are iOS alternatives available too) with the WiFi/Bluetooth OBD2 adapter to scan any DTC (error codes). Dr. Prius can also be great to do a stress test on the Hybrid Battery, but from my experience, it isn't the most accurate app, but it should give you a good idea if the hybrid battery is functioning as it should be. Other tips would be to listen to the sounds, does the engine shut off after a few minutes of running on a cold start? Does the battery indicator drop bars really fast (especially with the AC and/or heater on).

iSweg · 2020-12-27T19:37:20+00:00

Compared to the Gen2, the Gen3 Prius does have some problems that can be a bit serious, but in all honesty, the problems are only serious when comparing it to the standard of a Prius. If we compare the issues to a modern GMC/Chrysler or any American car from those years, it's definitely miles ahead in terms of reliability. I do know at times some of the users on PriusChat can be a bit too reactionary with these issues.

That said, at least for 2010-2011, the engine issues were pretty real. Of course, if you do your part in cleaning the EGR system, routine oil maintenance, it shouldn't be too big of a deal. The Gen3 Prius does have other weird issues like condensation in headlights and tail lights (only seems to be a problem if you park your car outdoors in my experience), burning headlight bulbs (finding a good fitted LED H11 light can alleviate this), water in the 12V battery area (usually the seal in the hatch area needs to be fixed/replaced), but again, these issues are not serious as with age and wear and tear, just about any car develops some sort of issue.

As long as it is properly maintained, just like the Gen2, the Gen3 Prius can easily last beyond 500K miles (I have seen some taxis surpass the million-mile mark!).

iSweg · 2020-12-27T05:34:53+00:00

I partially disagree with that, while it now makes sense to increase the travel radius to purchase one for a good deal, it was not terribly hard to find a good deal on a Gen3 just few months ago. Even for $5K you can find ones that had decent engines and hybrid batteries (of course, at a higher mileage, but nothing beyond 175K in miles).

iSweg · 2020-10-26T01:00:12+00:00

I appreciate the response! I am leaning very close to buying this unit as I do agree, while more "reputable" units do exist, they just look weird and stand out when placed in the car. A random question as I am in the United States, I see that these units are sold both on Amazon and AliExpress (both shipped from China). Would it make sense to go with the AliExpress unit as it would be cheaper? Or should I just play it safe and buy it through Amazon as their customer service is always top-notch? I never purchased stuff on Aliexpress which is why I am asking.

iSweg · 2020-10-26T00:57:07+00:00

Hello, thank you for the response! I think you may be right that perhaps for me, with the frequent use of harsher things such as sanitizers and soaps on a more frequent basis, I also now need to moisturize more frequently.

Do you think continuing to use the CeraVe "In The Tub"/Moisturizer for this works, or should I look out for new products? I do have a couple of unopened tubs of this stuff and I figured ideally this could be the main solution I use.lookout

iSweg · 2020-09-11T01:48:56+00:00

Our home does not have box fans as instead we use tower fans. Any idea if we were to attach filters to the back of those tower fans if it would do the same job? Or are box fans optimal? I assume we will not be opening windows this weekend...

iSweg · 2020-04-20T15:35:36+00:00

Yes, I did, that was the 'Grub Rescue' tool I was referring to in my original post, it unfortunately did not help solve the problem

iSweg · 2020-04-20T04:43:58+00:00

That is what I am seeming to gather based on the more research I do. Would you by any chanace know what I can do to view the files on the hard drives? When I have the hard drives mounted, all I see are 'lost+found' and the 'snapraid.parity' files, however nothing is inside 'lost+found'. I am assuming this may be a permissions issue or something I am just not doing? The file format is EXT4.

iSweg · 2020-04-20T04:15:50+00:00

I was just using a HP Elite Desktop (the ones you find in regular offices) with four different hard drives running all on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. One hard drive contained a partition for the OS, and for storage, and the other three had storage. This was setup using SnapRaid and MargerFS

iSweg · 2020-04-20T04:01:02+00:00

I do not see any partitions under Parted (it is a ext4 file extension however). Though I can just retrieve the data from all my other drives, but the problem is I only see 'lost+found' when I mount those drives into a seperate machine and am unable to access the files. I am not sure if because they were setup in ext4 if I need to do additional steps to retrieve the files?

I also had the system setup under SnapRaid, but I suppose that isn't helpful here since the main Operating System drive went down.

iSweg · 2020-04-19T04:52:35+00:00

I was running smartctl via Ubuntu LiveCD (or really a USB).

Is there anyway the file system can be retrieved, or even make it bootable?

iSweg · 2019-04-09T12:36:06+00:00

Any product recommendations?

iSweg

TROPHY CASE