14 August 2020, a day in progress

Status: Sheltering in place, we have plenty of food and supplies.

Plans: Let the NodeMCU’s and the dehumidifier run until September.

  • 06:30 Spread “Weed-n-Feed” on the lawn while it was still wet.
  • 07:00 Up Sipp’n on coffee and talking with the wife.
  • 08:00 Need to come up with a better plan for the air conditioner,
    • (I am not happy with the heat from the dehumidifier.)
  • 09:00 Looking around the house for some thermostat wire.
  • 10:00 Nap time, been a long couple nights.
  • 11:00 Lunch, pulled some wire from the attic. Need a relay module.
  • 12:00 Wired up a current transformer to measure when the thermostat is on.
  • 13:00 Rewired my air handler with a four relay module in between the thermostat.
  • 14:00 Still working on it, had to look up the colors of the wires and what they do.
  • 17:00 Dinner, Salmon was terrific.
  • 18:00 Changing the programming of the NodeMCU.
  • 19:00 Changing the criteria in the Home Assistant software for the relays.
    • Locking out changing the thermostat power when the relays are in control.
    • Testing thermostat power cut out that I have used recently.

NodeMCU ESP8266 Wi-Fi SoC

NodeMCU Status: Our air conditioner is limping with a oil logged evaporator until we replace the unit in October. The thermostat is also limping along because of leaking batteries. I’m using these NodeMCU’s to measure the temperature and humidity throughout the house and turn on / off the power to the thermostat.

I am still having issues with the evaporator freezing.

Upgraded to a four relay module so that I can actually control the temp versus cutting the thermostat in and out when it goes awry.


DC Power generating and Inverter

Homestead DC Power

Homestead DC Power: The bottom section of the above picture is two 15A 24V power supplies that work alongside the solar panels and provide power for the 300W inverters on the right side. The idea is that during the day a relay connects my computers to the 300W inverter and run them on the solar power. The system doesn’t make as much power on a partly cloudy day, much less in fact. Today I made 300WH more power than I consumed. (like 4 cents)


Articles about our current racial climate

A medic, who gave the name Phoenix, confronted an officer she said had maced her and beaten her. She and a friend criticized the police for dispersing the entire crowd when only a few people had broken into PPA. “You are taking the actions of one person and you are punishing a movement,” Phoenix said. “One person did a fire and you think it’s OK to attack everybody here?”

“You’re all practicing group punishment,” the officer replied. “Because a few cops have done wrong things and you think we all need to suffer and be out here 69 days straight.” https://www.opb.org/article/2020/08/05/portland-oregon-protests-police/

Finally, let’s note that protests at private homes are strategically misguided. Such protests tend to turn off potential sympathizers. The goal of political protest should be to generate outrage and empathy among possible supporters. But a protest at a home or at a restaurant defeats that purpose by making the protestors appear to be vindictive bullies.  Public protests and civil disobedience are more effective at persuading others to see the justice of one’s cause.

Peeved protesters may get a thrill from demonstrating at a politician’ domicile. But their anger is misdirected. The official at home is not the problem. Rather the problem is what happens when the official is at work. These protesters would be more effective if they were informed by the history civil disobedience and by a more systematic conception of political power. The Problem of Protesting at People’s Homes


Feelings:

Tomorrow: Saturday.

Retirement: Need to build a budget, are spending is too close to our income.

Project Engineering: Need to test mom’s golf cart solar charger.

Purchases: Bought a dehumidifier on Thursday to assist our limping air conditioner.

Filled the bucket in 5 hours!

Repairs: None.

Religion: We were called to look in our dark corners and bring them into the light on Sunday.

Family News: Mom’s in a rehab center, hopefully she’ll get home soon.

Arts:

  • Health: 220Lbs, too heavy.
  • Went to the Doc today, he is sending me to a specialist to check on my intestines.

Travel: Florida travel looks within reach.

Taxes:

Pi News: I’ve been working with “Home Assistant” software, the Pi’s themselves are in good shape.

Media: No Instagram posts today and we’re off Facebook.

Injuries: No injuries.

Accomplishments: None.

From the book “Triggers” by Marshall Goldsmith
Did I DMBT make my wife feel loved? Yes
Did I DMBT help my wife today? Yes
Did I DMBT be happy? Yes
*Did My Best To