Posts in General

The Ultimate No-Neutral Smart Switch Review - Which Is best?

Posted on 11th Aug 2022 21:15:51 in General, Review, Smart

We've discussed the problem of using smart switches in circuits that do not have a neutral wire in the past, but the solutions at the time were a bit underwhelming. You either had to put up with drawbacks like minimum load requirements or commit to hiring an electrician to rewire the light switch. While both of these solutions work, the experience is lacklustre when compared with the features of a regular smart switch that does require a neutral wire. In this article, we will be taking a hands-on look at three different products that solve the no-neutral problem, along with a regular smart switch for comparison purposes.

No neutral smart switch review

Manufacturing Custom PCBs And Prototypes With PCBWay

Posted on 8th Jul 2022 15:07:06 in DIY, General

Virtually every electronic device you can imagine contains a PCB. Although it was initially invented as early as 1936, PCBs are still the best and most reliable way of connecting electronic components in a circuit. The PCB stands for Printed Circuit Board, on which electronic components are soldered on pads connected by conductive lines. It is still called printed, but the technology goes beyond the printing process, where multiple other steps are equally important. PCB manufacturing technology continues to evolve as requirements of miniaturization, reliability, and flexibility have become critical. Each PCB is an art piece, which has to work as designed and look good. PCBs can have different shapes, colors, base materials, and can even be flexible.

PCBWay logo

Insteon Is Dead - Why That Matters Even If You Don't Use It

Posted on 20th Apr 2022 21:58:33 in General, Home Assistant, IoT, Smart

If you've somehow managed to miss the news, Insteon is dead. Let's back up before getting knee-deep into this crazy story. Insteon was a smart home ecosystem that offered controllers, smart locks, smart bulbs, etc. You might wonder how Insteon could be declared "dead" since it's common to continue using hardware devices long after their manufacturer ceases to exist. As you might have guessed, this will not be possible with Insteon - at least not in any way resembling the original experience. The key is that Insteon ran a cloud software controller where all customer commands and controls were processed. Once the controller goes offline, everything stops working.

A dead end marks no possibility of further progress

How To Build A Smart Home Network - A Complete Guide

Posted on 14th Mar 2022 17:36:37 in DIY, General, Smart

As smart home technology keeps getting more sophisticated, the importance of having a good home network can not be overstated. Taking a quick look at what's available on the smart market, it becomes evident that the overwhelming majority of devices use WiFi. There are several reasons manufacturers keep moving in this direction, but the side effect is that traditional consumer-level networking equipment quickly becomes inadequate. This article is my complete guide to setting up your home network to best support your goal of an ever more intelligent home.

Smart home networking

How You Can Actually Use Smart Bulbs For Your Entire House

Posted on 28th Nov 2021 00:48:55 in General, Smart

So you want to use smart bulbs all over your house to make it a smart house. This is a relatively normal progression when exploring what the smart home ecosystem has to offer, but the question must be asked: should you really change every bulb in the house for a smart version? The answer will depend significantly on what system you are using, your budget, the type of lighting you currently have, and many other factors. In most cases, the determining factor is cost. In this post, we will explore the feasibility of putting smart bulbs all over your house and talk about some other methods of achieving the same thing.

A common single family house