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Post by kenmb on Apr 9, 2021 18:53:04 GMT -6
Been messing around trying to get a system working to monitor temperature in house and sump pump so I can get alerts if something goes wrong while away.
Hade a Homeseer with Hometroller working off and on for a number of years but it kept giving me problems and was a PITA to setup.
Got a Yolink system up and running today. Cheap and easy. Their claim is long ranges for devices to the hub. Right now have a temperature sensor in the steel building shop about 150' from the house and communicating fine with hub located in house basement on opposite end of house from shop. Can access the hub via internet and read temperature /humidity any time. Can set alarm levels so it will send email notification if temperature drops below your set point, goes down to about 0f. I don't think it will SMS text the phone. The water sensor is setup to email and message the phone.
No monthly subscription. Limit of 20 free text messages a month. In a perfect world I would never need any.
The hub, temp and water sensors were US$85 mailed to me and had everything setup and working in a few minutes. I need to figure out if I am missing something as to why no phone text via temperature alarm, maybe just not available as nothing is visible in the software.
Nice to know I can finally get a reading on the sheds to know when heat goes out. Especially if away for a few days. My sump pump was pumping hundreds of gallons a day in the wet years so getting notifications on high water level in the sump pit is nice peace of mind too.
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Post by Beerwiser on Apr 9, 2021 21:52:19 GMT -6
Well if you are interested..... My system is free monitoring and costs about 15 a sensor. No text alerts but when shit goes south the phone doesn't shut up. I have wifi repeaters down to about 6 bucks a piece. Fine for monitoring, but that is about it. No streaming video lol.
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Post by SWMan on Apr 9, 2021 22:16:15 GMT -6
I admire you guys being able to rig stuff up like that, I'm not so good at that stuff. I just prefer to build redundancy into things around here, two pumps and alarms on my septic tank for example.
On a related/unrelated topic I had a young guy come around here last summer trying to sell security systems and monitoring systems such as is being discussed. They like to put some sort of camera in your house for you to remotely view. When I asked he told me they were not able to see that at a local level, but when asked who checks on it if necessary he said it was some outfit in the southern US I believe that has access to that. He said "It's the same outfit every security company uses"!!! Now I will let you strap on your tinfoil hat and imagine what it means for one company to have a clear view into a LOT of people's houses/buildings. Needless to say I sent him packing even though it was relatively cheap, especially after a discount on insurance.
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Post by Beerwiser on Apr 9, 2021 22:46:16 GMT -6
So SW are you interested in learning? Goes for anyone actually. I see what is involved in the "new" technology and if you are capable learning that you are certainly able to learn this. I do want to stress that this is not redundancy I am talking about, just a way to monitor vital systems. Something goes wrong you still need to be out there. All this does is let you know something is wrong before you have a bigger problem.
I have been toying with the idea of doing some videos on stuff like this since I do enjoy it and if it helps someone out even better. The IOT(look it up) is a God send to ag. So I will ask is there any interest in being able to monitor various farm related things? Talking about pumphouse temps sewer levels etc. There is computers and soldering involved too.
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Post by kenmb on Apr 10, 2021 11:16:52 GMT -6
I like to build custom stuff when nothing is really available to meet my needs. That is ultimately what drives my desire to read about stuff and learn what it takes to DIY. If I can find a premade solution then I am half way home, the next question is how much and can I do it for significantly less.
I am pretty happy with this yolink stuff for what I want to accomplish. Plug the hub in, download the app, tap "add decice", scan the QR code on device (built in reader in app), press "set" button on device and presto - communication and monitoring is all setup a few minites after unboxing.
I really hate networking stuff and getting devices talking. Have two decades of that being a requirement at work and has always been a headache. Connect a laptop to a relay via USB, 232, or 485 and it was really a thrill when it actually worked like it was supposed to. Most often it was half the job just to talk to a relay so I could do my testing. So far this yolink is looking like true homeowner kind of stuff, don't need to be tech to make it work.
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Post by SWMan on Apr 10, 2021 23:05:35 GMT -6
Yeah learning is great, my problem is remembering! I just find myself spread so thin that I can't be an expert at everything and just hire some stuff out. I love it when other people make good DIY articles or videos and post them, used those types of resources many times in a pinch.
This is actually a good topic because I have a heated building in another yard, only one heater in there so would be bad if it went down. I have cameras but nothing to monitor temp.
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Post by lanwickum on Apr 11, 2021 0:47:24 GMT -6
I have weather stations around I use to monitor with. They are not cheap but do work well. All davis brand. I have a few other I have used and still use. They work, just easier when they are all the same. I get an email every morning at 7am for my mom's house on the farm. No one living in it now. Mom lives in town. I pay for electric and internet in it so I can help monitor it. I am 35 miles from it. I also have a camera that notifies me if it detects any movements in the house, it logs to the cloud when anything is detected. I have wifi temp controls that alert if temps drop enough and I can set temps remotely and monitor. None is free. Not very expensive. No subscriptions other than electric and internet. I also monitor a neighbors house with weather station when they head south for the winter. They can monitor it also that way. The weather stations also give humidity. Lots of ways to monitor these days if internet and electricity are available. Considering a long range repeater to moms so I can cancel the internet there. That is the most expensive part I really don't need there.
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Post by hillbillyreefer on Apr 11, 2021 21:45:54 GMT -6
I’ve been looking at the YoLink stuff too. It would give nice piece of mind to be able to check building temps, and refrigerator/freezer temps remotely. Flood sensors would also be very useful especially after the wreck we had here last winter. For the price point if the system prevented one wreck it would have payed for itself several times over.
On top of that that being able to control certain things around the yard remotely would be very convenient!
Doors, lights, eventually maybe even bin fans.
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Post by kenmb on Apr 12, 2021 8:48:37 GMT -6
That's an interesting idea about doing bin fans. I have run them occasionally by running only at night or only in the day depending on what I am trying to accomplish. A guy could use the outdoor temperature and humidity sensors and do some automation in that regard. Use a wifi operated wall plug to receive the commands and replace the fan switch with a cord to plug into the outlet. Or wifi light switch. The fans only run based on what outdoor temperature or humidity value you have set. Get real fancy and put a temperature / moisture sensor in the bin lid opening and monitor air exiting.
Yard light control is something I could implement. Right now have a light on outside of shop so only switch is in shop. Rather than trench wiring to house a guy could use a WiFi operated light switch and have the ability to turn light on/off from house. I have proven the yolink devices will reach that far so could make that happen now.
To SWmans point about building your own stuff and then keeping track of it, that is where I am at these days. The more complex something is and more time spent getting it to work means there are more finer details I am likely to forget 5 years later. When I was 20 something I used to build and learn from it and remembered it. Now I build, learn and forget. Maybe because a guy dabbles in so many more things as he gets older. Too much to keep track of. So I lean towards premade stuff if I can be confident it will work as expected and is not crazy expensive.
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Post by hillbillyreefer on Apr 25, 2021 16:50:54 GMT -6
Welp, definitely need to order up some temperature monitors. I unplugged the beer fridge in the shop a couple days ago because I needed the outlet, then forgot to plug it back in. After work beers were warm last night, smh. Warm beer isn’t the end of the world, but all my fishing bait and a couple packages of sausage were in the little freezer compartment above the beers🤮.
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Post by hillbillyreefer on Jun 16, 2021 23:23:48 GMT -6
Quick follow up on the yolink brand equipment. I have no affiliation with the company whatsoever.
Basically I’m happy with them, right now there are 9 temp/humidity sensors in the system and 1 garage door opener controller. The furthest temp sensor is 130m from the hub and reads reliably through the refrigerator, a tin wall and a house with aluminum siding. The garage door controller has a sensor to tell if it’s open or closed both work reliably. I ordered light switches but they won’t work with the way the building they were for is wired, a word of caution to check the wiring schematics before you order.
The system setup is exceptionally easy, plug the hub into your router, download the app and set it up. For sensors etc. you scan the QR code on the device, name it, bind it to your hub and you’re done, it’s stupid easy.
Yolink has an ex Deere parts guy working in their shipping department and they sent an extra door sensor instead of the relay I ordered, no joy on trying it on a bin fan until I make another order. The problem was dealt with by Yolink without any problems at all, they issued a refund immediately for the relay and told me to keep the door sensor.
I liked mine so much I ordered a second one for my parents house. They live 100miles away. I set them both up so if anything goes wrong in either system, we all get alerts.
I can foresee a lot of useful applications for the system. It will be expanded greatly over the next year.
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Post by kenmb on Jun 18, 2021 7:34:45 GMT -6
That's good that I am not the only one having good results. Still haven't done anything else with mine. Bought a new led wall pack for shed wall and have yet to install it, once I get that done I will look at ordering and installing a yolink light switch so I can turn it on and off remotely. I would prefer that functionality since I don't like having the extra light all night long that a photo cell gives but do need some light on occasion walking to and from shop in the winter.
What is the wiring issue? Seems to me I looked at the yolink documentation a while back but don't recall anything unusual.
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Post by hillbillyreefer on Jun 19, 2021 14:37:39 GMT -6
That's good that I am not the only one having good results. Still haven't done anything else with mine. Bought a new led wall pack for shed wall and have yet to install it, once I get that done I will look at ordering and installing a yolink light switch so I can turn it on and off remotely. I would prefer that functionality since I don't like having the extra light all night long that a photo cell gives but do need some light on occasion walking to and from shop in the winter. What is the wiring issue? Seems to me I looked at the yolink documentation a while back but don't recall anything unusual. The yolink switches require a neutral wire, my 70yo shop doesn’t have them. The logical solution would be build a new shop that the $30 switches will work in. Of course my wife doesn't see it that way🤣 |
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Post by northernfarmer on Jun 19, 2021 19:19:56 GMT -6
Hillbillyreefer, you got me curious over the comment about this older shop not having a neutral wire, so how does the power operate if there is no neutral in that building ?
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Post by kenmb on Jun 20, 2021 7:19:30 GMT -6
Wives can often be unreasonable in such things. I think HBR means there is no neutral where the switch would go. Just a hot lead going into switch box and switched side going out. The neutral return from light likely in a separate location. So need to do some rewire work. If nothing else at least to bring a neutral to the yolink switch so it has essentially 120v supply for it to power up its power supply.
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