It warms my heart to hear from people who were about to build their own thermostat from scratch and then found out about the #HestiaPi project. Now they can get a leg up on their #thermostat and just focus on the thermostat rules instead of the #hardware, #software and so forth. Meanwhile, we get another collaborator and hopefully can integrate the new code that implements the additional features they want. win-win! #OpenSource is awesome.

Today I built and tested 4 thermostats and it took me well over 4 hours. Usually I'm faster, but an hour per unit is probably still a fair estimate. Off the top of my head, I'd say it's somewhere around 130 solder joints. The new board design allows using Pi Zero 2 boards with pre-soldered headers. That that'll cut out 40 pins that I have to do by hand once I'm through my current stock. If I sold more devices, I'd try creating a 3D printed jig to hold all the parts in at the same time. It just doesn't make much sense to do that when I sell so few units per year.

Just made a breakthrough in getting the v1.5-dev image created. It's now fully functional out of the box! Next I need to manually poke around and make sure the unnecessary services have been turned off. After that I'll send it to the community for review and testing. Once any issues identified are fixed, then it will be sent to the project creator for final approval. To people who expect software producers to dictate what users will get, this process may seem bureaucratic, but it's democratic!

Getting close to an updated firmware image based on bookworm. I have a #thermostat running with it, but I want to make sure the build process can be replicated in an automated fashion. When I die, I want others to be able to easily pick up my work. Plus, it'll be handy for the next O/S upgrade. After it's reproducable, it will still need to go through community testing. If everything goes smoothly, I should have a final release in the next few weeks.

Next month, Google is going to make some Nest thermostats not-so-smart.

Tom

Google is cutting off support for these older Nest Thermostats — what you need to know

Devices will work but smart features will be shut down this fall

This can never happen with a #HestiaPi. It's not even possible because it doesn't depend on some third party cloud service. Everything is run inside your home, and it's yours, forever. ❤️ The HestiaPi is also #repairable and #upgradable. In summary, it's better by design. #OpenSource #hardware #OpenHardware #FOSS #diy #electronics

Once the current batch of components arrive, I plan on running the numbers to see if I can make a permenent price reduction. I've been getting killed on shipping prices, but ordering in larger quantities helps mitigate that. The other persistent problem is finding components in stock within 5-10% of the regular price. Building out a bigger inventory helps here too. I'm optimistic. My goal is to get down to $150. Stretch goal is to hit $129.99 (the same price as Google's cheapest Nest)

I'm about to place an order for $700 in thermostat components. Weee. Stocking up like this always makes me a little nervous. What if people stop caring about open source thermostats? What if I just spent all this money on parts that will just sit on my shelf? On the flip side, what if I don't buy these parts? Then nobody can buy a pre-assembled HestiaPi, which means anyone isn't willing & able to make their own gets left behind. And that's why I keep doing it. Leave no one behind! #FOSS #OpenHardware #hardware #OpenSource

I'm working on a new release, based on bookworm (Debian 12). Looks like I might be making some contributions to the turnkey project soon. The wifi setting aren't sticking after a reboot. Not sure if it's related to NetsorkManager or not, still investigating.

The #HestiaPi is a #prime alternative to the corporate smart thermostats that you can buy on #Amazon. It's also on sale from July 8-11, because I want people to invest in a #sustainable #thermostat instead of #PlannedObsolescence.

Tindie

HestiaPi ONE (Silent) by Eternal Sunshine on Tindie

Open source smart themostat

I'd like to try to support this #bitcoin circular economy thing. Is there anyone who sells things like SD cards, Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W boards, the little 3.5" LCD touchscreens, and other components I might need?

The latest release of the #AirGradient firmware removed the code that phones home to the company servers even when you check the to to explicitly tell it not to do so. This is a big win for #privacy and #SelfHosting!

GitHub

Release Release 3.2.0 · Open-Air-Foundation/arduino

What's Changed Fix invalidate value check for getAverage function by @samuelbles07 in #275 Fix display 0 measurements value on boot by @samuelbles...

I plan on flashing this onto my device and testing it to verify nothing was missed. #tcpdump and #wireshark are my friends. 😄 #security #cybersecurity #infosec #OpenSource #OpenHardware #electronics

This doesn't have anything to do with the #HestiaPi (yet 😉), but AirGradient is one step closer to fixing their compilation instructions. This is exciting news because once their code is modified to stop phoning home to the company's server, I plan on adding documentation to the HestiaPi project on how to configure the #AirGradient ONE to act as a remote temperature and humidity sensor. If you've ever had a #thermostat mounted too close to the door, you understand why this is important.

Here are some lesser known differences between an open source #IoT project and a commercial IoT appliance: 1. Support - #OpenSource projects field questions. Actual humans, taking the time to understand your questions and answer them! 2. Repair - Again, people will help you fix things 3. Less #environmental impact - Fewer things ending up in the landfill on account of the repairability, often times they have more localized production, less shipping, etc. 4. Customizability - that's something rarely found in commercial offerings

I have one clicky edition #HestiaPi left and I'm having a blowout sale. If you were on the fence, now is a good opportunity to pull the trigger.

Tindie

HestiaPi ONE (Clicky) by Eternal Sunshine on Tindie

Open source smart themostat

#OpenSource #IoT #hardware #OpenHardware #electronics #diy #foss #floss #freedom #tech #FreedomTech

It requires hardware modifications to both the HestiaPi and the LCD, and a little Bash script, but it's possible to have the backlight turn completely off when not in use. Tapping the screen causes it to turn back on. There's a writeup on the community forum which I will be including in the owner's manual. #OpenHardware should be #hackable like this. I also plan on making this possible to do without hardware modification to the #HestiaPi on the next #hardware revision of the PCB. #OpenSource

hestiahacker - I've been trying to recreate another person's work with a more expensive LCD touchscreen that is able to turn off its backlight. They are using different #hardware and #software, but have been very helpful in posting about their work and sharing scripts. I think it will be possible to get it working with the #HestiaPi if I do one small hardware modification. Can't really be sure until it's tested, but I'm hopeful. If I get it, instructions will be added to the owners manual. ❤️🙂 #FOSS #IoT #OpenSource #OpenHardware