Recently, our DSC alarm system started showing a low battery warning. On our keypad, you can scroll through the different warnings item by item. I found that two of our door sensors had low battery conditions. It was clearly time to perform a DSC sensor battery replacement. Which Battery to Use Normally when I replace…
Category: Home and Tech Projects
Tesla Model 3 – Integrated SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Tesla SiriusXM Satellite Radio – Ditch the Portable A few years ago, I wrote detailed instructions on how to install SiriusXM Satellite Radio in your Tesla Model 3. The downside was that this was accomplished via an add-on portable tuner. As of August 2022, you can now install SiriusXM Satellite Radio into your Model 3…
Installing a Genie 1055 Garage Door Opener
The Genie 1055 garage door opener is a 3/4 HP opener that we purchased from Home Depot. We installed it to replace our old Genie 2024. The installation was surprisingly much easier than I expected. Background: Our opener died! On Halloween night, shortly after we arrived home, Lora noticed that our garage door wouldn’t open….
Unlocked Galaxy S20 WiFi Calling Issues
I purchased my unlocked Galaxy S20+ for use on the T-Mobile network in late July. While I do love the phone for the most part, as of late there has been an issue where the unlocked Galaxy S20 WiFi Calling Preferences are randomly changed by the system. I have used Android phones for almost a…
Channels DVR: Remapping Channel Numbers
We’ve been using Channels DVR to allow us to record and pause/rewind/fast forward live TV associated with our Locast, AT&T TV Now and Philo streaming accounts for the past two years. The one thing we weren’t really happy with was the numbering scheme that Channels uses. I had hoped to be able to re-map the…
Home Assistant: Updating with Custom Components
A few months ago, I wrote a tutorial on modifying Home Assistant to allow for customizing Ecobee hold modes. Today, I’ll explain how to upgrade HASS once you have this (or any other customization) in place. It’s a little more complicated than just a straight upgrade as described in their documentation. For the original tutorial…
Adding CYA to a Pool
Adding CYA (Chlorine Stabilizer) Up until a few weeks ago, on the rare occasion when I’d need to add CYA (CYanuric Acid / chlorine stabilizer / conditioner) to our pool water, I would go to Leslie’s and get their liquid conditioner. It is pretty much instant mixing. No need to wait a few days for…
Ecobee: Customizing Hold Modes in Home Assistant
Ecobee: Customizing Hold Modes in Home Assistant For more than a few years, I’ve been using Home Assistant to run our home automations and smart home devices. I’ve always loved pretty much everything about it. However, one of the few things I disliked was their integration of Ecobee thermostats – of which we have two….
SiriusXM Satellite Radio: Tesla Model 3 Install
SiriusXM Satellite Radio – Enhancing Your Tesla Experience Disclaimer: These instructions work for me and have worked well for me for an extended period of time while having SiriusXM Satellite Radio installed in my Model 3. I am not responsible if you attempt this install and botch something, and end up causing damage to your…