Latest stories

Cleaning my “green” solar panels

C
white and blue solar panels

We’re having amazing weather in the Netherlands 🇳🇱 right now! Even though it’s technically spring, it feels like summer, with temperatures hitting 25 degrees Celsius already in early May 😎. This is super rare for us Dutchies, so we’re really making the most out of it by spending lots of time in our garden! However, I have noticed that my solar panels on the roof are looking...

Privacy, please!

P
Privacy please!

I don’t write a lot on my blog (unfortunately actually, I would really wish I was better at this); however, yesterday I had to do some maintenance on the server running this website… This made me realize; that I added Google Tag Manager & Google Analytics to this darn thing and haven’t looked at it, since… I don’t think I ever looked at it all 😬 And the above...

Thinking of doing a DIY IoT summer project

T
Building your own DIY IoT devices

👋 Well hello, April! Yes, it is April already. Doesn’t time fly? Here in the Netherlands, this month already provided us with some nice sunny days, with exceptional warm temperatures for the time of year… Summer is coming! (yeah I know, it is barely spring 🌱). Nevertheless, I feel the need for a summer side project to tinker with, and I have been writing down quite a bunch of ideas. I...

Introducing WireGuard VPN for Home Assistant

I

I’ve built quite a few add-ons for Hass.io, the Docker management system for Home Assistant; and because of that, I get a lot of requests for building all different kinds of add-ons, like WireGuard. Undoubtedly, the most requested add-ons are related to providing a VPN solution, that will allow one to securely connect to their home to control their home automation systems (or any other...

For just $2, convert any existing wired doorbell into a smart doorbell; using ESPHome and Home Assistant

F
Old doorbell button near a door

This article is going to show you how to convert your (existing) wired doorbell (also works for battery-powered chimes) into a smart, WiFi-enabled, doorbell. The essential components needed sets you back about $2, yes, that is correct, just two bucks. No soldering is required and you don’t have to be an electronics expert. The result of this DIY Smart Doorbell project on my test bench...

Calibrating an ESPHome flashed power plug

C
12 gosund wall plugs, plugged into each other making a big stack.

I’ve calibrated twelve wall plugs! So you got a power plug or any other device that can measure power, current or the voltage flowing through it. Nice! So did I, and I flashed them with ESPHome since well, that is my firmware of choice for ESP based devices. The problem, however, is that measurements using these DIY methods are rarely accurate. Fortunately, there’s a solution: You can...

A year passed… the second post! 🤭

A
Picture showing electric sparks

So a year has passed since I posted my initial “First post on my new website!“… this is my second post… Yeah, I should feel ashamed… and actually, I am a little 🤭 So what happened? Well, multiple things blocked me a bit: I didn’t really enjoy using Hugo, which powered my initial site. While I do enjoy a static website, it isn’t really something you just...

First post on my new website!

F
Picture of a pavement having written "Passion led us here" on it

Here we go! This post marks the official launch of my website! 🚀

On March 24th of 2018, I have sent out a tweet on my Twitter account writing about my current plans for my personal home automation project. It included an image showing all kinds of IoT devices I’m planning to use in my project. It didn’t take long for Andy Cowan to reply to it…

Franck Nijhof

A Human. Being. Him/He. Dad. Open Sourcerer. Home Assistant developer. Passionate. Dedicated. Life motto: Make a positive difference every single day❤️ Be the change.

Follow Me