Home Assistant Podcast

Phil and Rohan go deep on practical AI for Home Assistant. We cover LLM Vision for doorbell and perimeter alerts, HACS add‑ons like AI Agent and AI Suggester, and using GitHub Copilot to generate YAML automations. Rohan shares his Ollama + LiteLLM routing setup and why private cloud models might beat pay‑per‑token APIs. Phil battles OpenClaw (aka MoltBot/Claude Bot) to control lights via MCP Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA225 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:02 - Rohan’s AI stack today 00:09:00 - HA’s built-in AI + Copilot 00:18:00 - HACS: AI Agent & Suggester 00:26:24 - LLM Vision in practice 00:37:00 - OpenClaw, MCP, and gotchas 00:47:00 - Do we need agents? Use cases 00:51:00 - Costs, feedback, and outro This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Products Discussed Reolink AI Security Cameras: https://amzn.to/3OwwLH2 Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Breaking down Home Assistant 2026.3: map vacuum rooms to Areas for voice control, set HA as your default Android assistant with wake word support, SendSpin multi-room updates, Python 3.14 performance gains, and new integrations for Ghost, Proxmox, SwitchBot AI Art Frame, Trane HVAC, and NYC MTA. Mailbag: NFC dash buttons, Aqara FP300 presence tips, bed sensors, and listener automations for pets and babies. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA224 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:40 - News: Partners, Event, Merch 00:03:54 - Dark Sky Returns: Acme Weather 00:08:02 - Mailbag: AI, Accessibility, Pets 00:12:56 - Gear Talk: Aqara, NFC, Bed Sensors 00:19:09 - 2026.3 Release Overview 00:21:56 - Vacuum Room-to-Area Mapping 00:27:42 - App & Voice: Python, Dashboards, Assist 00:32:15 - SendSpin Sync & Visuals 00:36:30 - Matter, Docker, AI, Energy 00:41:30 - Devices & Integration Highlights 00:44:24 - New Integrations Roundup 00:51:48 - Breaking Changes To Note 00:55:30 - Wrap-Up & What’s Next This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Products Discussed HEIMAN smoke and CO alarms (Matter over Thread): https://amzn.to/4smRtrv Open Home Foundation merch (hat, hoodie): https://store.openhomefoundation.org/ Neakasa M1 automatic litter box: https://amzn.to/3NdtiNd Petlibro RFID pet feeders: https://amzn.to/4se0XFo Owlet Dream Sock: https://amzn.to/4b0kHFI Samsung Frame TV: https://amzn.to/3N40VAW SwitchBot AI Art Frame (color e‑ink): https://amzn.to/4u0qLXr Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Andrew joins Phil and Rohan to share how he outgrew Apple HomeKit and built a powerful multi-user smart home in Home Assistant. We cover presence detection with ESP32s and sensors, ditching MyQ for a Meross garage opener, Yale smart locks, bathroom humidity fan automations, and fun ESPN sports goal alerts. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA223 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 - Welcome, Sponsors, Intro 00:02:00 - Andrew’s Tech Beginnings 00:05:00 - From Apple Home to HA 00:08:00 - Breaking HomeKit Limitations 00:11:00 - Hardware: Pi to Proxmox 00:14:00 - Backups, Restores, Cleanup 00:16:30 - Multi-User Automation Challenges 00:19:00 - Presence Without Phone Tracking 00:22:00 - Buttons, Switches, Voice Balance 00:25:00 - ESP32 Presence And Motion 00:29:00 - Bathroom Humidity Fan Logic 00:33:00 - Sensor Health & Batteries 00:36:00 - Lighting Philosophy & Accents 00:39:00 - WLED, TV Backlights, Aesthetics 00:41:30 - Goals For The Year, Wrap-Up This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Notion Notion is an AI-powered, connected workspace for teams. Notion brings all your notes, docs, and projects into one space that just works. Try Custom Agents now at https://notion.com/homeassistant Products Discussed Meross Smart Garage Door Opener (with reed sensor): https://amzn.to/4ratgV5 Third Reality Smart Switch (Toggle/rocker add-on): https://amzn.to/4kupS4S Aqara Temperature & Humidity Sensor: https://amzn.to/4twysV1 Philips Hue Dimmer Switch: https://amzn.to/3MskUZN Philips Hue Lightstrips: https://amzn.to/465QhA5 Govee Floor Lamp: https://amzn.to/4rfMRDv Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Will joins Phil and Rohan to share how he tamed a period UK home and a remote Canary Islands vacation property with Home Assistant, ESPHome, and Zigbee. We dive into DIY pool chemistry control, fridge monitoring with a ‘strawtenna’, tactile dashboards, AI‑assisted heating, and why Shelly is everywhere Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA222 Special Thanks to Today's Guest Will Osborne-Kennedy Website Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome 00:03:30 Will’s origin story and tinkering 00:08:30 Finding Home Assistant and ESPHome 00:12:00 Hot tub and pool control projects 00:17:00 Remote Canary Islands setup 00:22:00 Zigbee vs Wi‑Fi in old homes 00:27:00 Antennas and fridge sensor hacks 00:32:00 Dashboards and tactile panels 00:37:00 AI and heating optimizations 00:42:00 Remote access: fiber and TailScale 00:46:00 Multi‑site management and ideas 00:50:00 Favorite automations and LLM Vision 00:56:00 Home lab, IPTV, and Channels DVR 01:00:00 2026 goals: energy, irrigation, WLED 01:05:00 Shelly scripts and local‑first 01:07:00 Community vendors This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Clean My Mac Get Tidy Today! Get 7 days free and use our code ASSISTANT for 20% off https://clnmy.com/ASSISTANT Products Discussed Shelly Bluetooth button/tile: https://amzn.to/4bJcvvy Orbit B‑Hyve irrigation controller: https://amzn.to/4bJcvvy HDHomeRun TV tuner: https://amzn.to/4klnoFU Philips Hue Outdoor Motion Sensor: https://amzn.to/4cf3r1p Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mike joins Phil and Rohan to share how he hides smart tech in a 1953 mid‑century home so it looks analog but works like magic. Plus: Roborock tricks, leak sensors that turn rooms blue, HomePod TTS vs Sonos ducking, Samsung Frame art‑mode headaches, and running full HA OS in a VMware Fusion VM on a Mac mini. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA221 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome 00:03:00 Lighting gateway and Hue hack 00:05:30 Sneaking tech and dance reveal 00:08:00 From HomeKit/HomeBridge to HA 00:10:30 Dashboards and camera setup 00:12:30 Bulbs vs switches in 50s home 00:14:30 Bathroom fan and comforts 00:16:30 Homelab and Zigbee backbone 00:19:00 LLMs and announcements 00:21:30 Laundry alerts and Mac lab 00:25:30 Presence sensing strategy 00:28:00 Leak sensors and water safety 00:31:00 Light signals around the home 00:33:00 Roborock automations and hacks 00:40:30 Bedroom presence routines 00:43:00 Bayesian sensors and design 00:49:50 Time Machine and Frame TV 00:54:30 Pool fountain control 00:56:30 Power and crawlspace cabling 00:59:10 Party trick and outro This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Products Discussed Philips Hue bulbs and lightstrips: https://amzn.to/4k7paur Aqara T2 wall switch: https://amzn.to/4jUTZm1 Samsung The Frame TV (43"): https://amzn.to/4t5mTnr Zigbee main water shutoff valve (generic): https://amzn.to/4aURldj Aqara water leak sensors: https://amzn.to/3Nest6A Aqara door/window sensors: https://amzn.to/49hmu9B Third Reality sensors: https://amzn.to/455ZR5F Ecobee thermostat with room sensors: https://amzn.to/4t4XYjO Bond Bridge (ceiling fan RF hub): https://amzn.to/3YAbHBm Aqara roller shade controllers: https://amzn.to/3O8ihwI Level Lock: https://amzn.to/3ZcU3Ug SwitchBot Lock (with keypad/fingerprint accessory): https://amzn.to/4a55H92 Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We break down Home Assistant 2026.2: the Home Dashboard is now default, the new Command‑K command palette, a dedicated Matter dashboard, and add‑ons renamed to Apps. Plus: CES 2026 highlights, the Open Home Foundation device database and a Google Home outage. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA220 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:00 CES Highlights and Shoutouts 00:06:00 Device Database and Open Home 00:11:30 Cloud Outage and Local Control 00:13:50 Listener Feedback and Tips 00:21:20 2026.2 Release Overview 00:23:20 Home Dashboard Becomes Default 00:26:45 Command Palette and Shortcuts 00:29:40 Matter Dashboard and Apps Rename 00:32:40 Automations, Cards, and Buttons 00:37:10 Music Assistant, Media, Sponsor Break 00:41:10 New Integrations Roundup 00:46:25 Breaking Changes: Groups, Tuya 00:49:38 Closing Thoughts and Predictions This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Miranda from the Open Home Foundation takes us inside the Works With Home Assistant program: how devices are tested, why the badge matters, and how vendors—from startups to big brands—can get certified. We cover Zigbee vs Z‑Wave vs Matter, badge misuse, regional device coverage, and Miranda’s own fun automations. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA219 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:20 Miranda’s path to HA 00:08:00 CES stories and community 00:14:30 Moving program to Foundation 00:22:30 Fees, pushback, endorsement? 00:29:30 Guidance, safety, and testing 00:36:30 Zigbee, Z‑Wave, Matter realities 00:43:00 Big brands, IKEA, relationships 00:50:30 Cloud integrations, Genie 00:55:30 Miranda’s home and automations 01:03:30 Blinds, garden, robots 01:10:00 Regional coverage and filters 01:15:30 Badge misuse and enforcement 01:20:30 2026 goals and wrap‑up This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Products Discussed Home Assistant Connect ZWA2 (Z‑Wave radio): https://amzn.to/3MfPzsP Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Aaron returns to share how his Home Assistant setup evolved from endless tinkering to a rock‑solid system that runs his family life. We cover Z‑Wave provisioning, ESPHome vs off‑the‑shelf reliability, RATGDO for garage doors, HA Green/Yellow, voice‑first routines, and the rise of AI‑powered helpers. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA218 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 - Welcome, guest intro 00:02:30 - Aaron’s Home Assistant dev journey 00:06:30 - Life change and HA evolving 00:10:30 - HA Green/Yellow setup ease 00:14:30 - Proxmox vs appliance hubs 00:18:30 - Remote radios and antennas 00:22:30 - AppDaemon to UI automations 00:26:30 - AI helpers and sensors 00:30:30 - Dashboards vs default view 00:34:30 - Voice and automation-first 00:38:30 - Community ideas and sharing 00:42:30 - Maintain vs rebuild strategy 00:46:30 - Vacuum and dishwasher flows 00:50:30 - Guest mode with Shortcuts 00:54:30 - ESPHome vs plug-and-play 00:58:30 - Z-Wave provisioning 01:02:30 - Local-first hardware wins 01:06:30 - Matter, cameras, standards 01:10:00 - Open-source continuity, advice This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Products Discussed Home Assistant Connect Z-Wave (ZWA2) antenna: https://amzn.to/48PrphT Ubiquiti Protect cameras: https://amzn.to/4asHXxt Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Rohan and Phil are here to break down the 2026.1 release. We’re talking Home Dashboard improvements, a new multi-room audio protocol from Music Assistant, and of course some Zigbee quirks thrown into the mix Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA216 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 - New Year, housekeeping, sponsors 00:03:00 - SendSpin: open sync audio arrives 00:10:00 - Cross‑ecosystem sync caveats 00:14:00 - Voice PE audio and DIY speakers 00:16:00 - Listener Q&A and AI log help 00:20:00 - 2026.1 mobile Home dashboard 00:24:00 - Purpose‑specific triggers expansion 00:27:00 - New integrations 00:31:00 - Labels/templates for presence 00:37:00 - Protocol hubs, Matter, graphs, devices 00:41:00 - Breaking changes, EcoWitt PSA, CES This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Products Discussed Roborock Q7 robot vacuum: https://amzn.to/4bkyEjo EcoWitt weather station: https://amzn.to/4jBcX0M Sonos One: https://amzn.to/4pmsz9H Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Josh from Josh’s Smart Home joins Phil and Rohan to unpack a 300-device Home Assistant setup running on Home Assistant Green. We dive into the move from SmartThings, building a reliable Zigbee mesh, energy automations with Tesla Powerwall and a smart pool pump and theatre room presence. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA215 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:22 - Meet Josh 00:02:18 - Early smart home missteps 00:04:12 - SmartThings and Lutron 00:05:54 - WebCoRE ends, HA begins 00:09:29 - Home Assistant Green setup 00:09:34 - Zigbee mesh with Aqara 00:12:55 - Theater gear quirks 00:14:18 - Theater automation philosophy 00:22:02 - Time-of-use energy automations 00:23:00 - Powerwall + solar in HA 00:26:31 - ROI and arbitrage 00:28:28 - Tesla automations 00:32:42 - Dashboards and voice control 00:37:19 - Washer/dryer and doorbell alerts 00:40:37 - 187 automations, time saved 00:44:20 - Motion and humidity control 00:48:56 - Measuring automation impact 00:50:02 - Smart blinds convenience 00:50:19 - Yarbo mower and snowblower 00:58:43 - Security and utility uses 01:06:59 - Starting Josh’s Smart Home 01:10:27 - Automation content plans 01:12:45 - Top new-build tips 01:15:56 - Designing and building 01:21:26 - Where to find Josh This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Products Discussed Reolink Video Doorbell: https://amzn.to/4a7LIId Apple TV 4K: https://amzn.to/4prsT7n Narwal robot vacuum and mop: https://amzn.to/3KgSaSK UV insect light traps: https://amzn.to/484CNEY Yarbo robotic core with mower/snow modules: https://amzn.to/3LOtOQV Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This podcast contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

YouTuber NetworkChuck joins Phil and Rohan to break down his real-world Home Assistant setup: migrating off Alexa, building a Home Assistant voice assistant (with a Terry Crews voice clone!), wiring Frigate to Reolink cameras, and using UniFi + AI to debug Wi‑Fi chaos. We also compare Node‑RED vs n8n, talk Plex vs Jellyfin and NAS headaches, inventory with Grocy, mmWave presence, ESP32 room presence, and how local AI stacks up against GPT/Claude for home automations. Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes for this episode are available at https://homeassistant.fm/HA214 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 - Welcome 00:02:30 - Network Chuck’s background 00:06:30 - Discovering Home Assistant 00:10:30 - Toilet paper saga automation 00:14:30 - From Alexa to Home Assistant Voice 00:20:30 - Frigate cameras and Reolink lessons 00:27:30 - Face and plate recognition ideas 00:32:00 - Local AI models vs cloud 00:39:00 - Family adoption and analog rebounds 00:43:30 - Presence, phones, mmWave, ESP32 00:48:30 - Halloween thunderstorm and Plex fun 00:52:30 - Node-RED vs n8n in automations 00:58:00 - Plex vs Jellyfin and NAS woes 01:05:30 - Grocy, inventory, and shopping hacks 01:12:00 - Air quality, energy, and next steps 01:18:00 - Enterprise talk and wrap-up This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Products Discussed NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPUs (dual GPU local AI rig): https://amzn.to/4a5Lf9w Smart locks: Nuki Smart Lock: https://amzn.to/47VH6nj Smart locks: Level Lock: https://amzn.to/3XtPdBz Smart locks: August Smart Lock: https://amzn.to/4id1ovK Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This episode contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We’re closing out the final Home Assistant release for 2025 with Frenck and a massive Home Assistant 2025.12. Home Assistant Labs, purpose‑specific triggers and conditions, a smarter automation UI, real‑time power flows in Energy, Android Auto/Widgets improvements, tons of new integrations, and more. Plus hardware talk: ZBT2, Zigbee 4, and Matter.js joining the Open Home Foundation. Watch this episode on YouTube https://homeassistant.fm/HA213 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome 00:03:30 Frenck’s streaming cadence and creator burnout 00:06:45 Moving houses: keep or strip the smart home? 00:10:46 EV charger dilemma & e‑waste perspective 00:12:50 2025 recap: guests, sponsors, community 00:15:50 Home Assistant ZBT-2 launch, Zigbee 4 headlines, migrations 00:19:10 Open Home Foundation structure & focus areas 00:22:59 Matter.js joins OHF and why it matters 00:24:59 Arduino policy changes & the ESPHome angle 00:25:34 2025.12 overview and Labs introduction 00:26:44 Home Assistant Labs: opt‑in previews, backups, feedback 00:31:55 Purpose‑specific triggers & conditions explained 00:40:50 New automation UI: target‑first and context‑aware 01:03:17 Home dashboard upgrades & the new For You sidebar 01:13:21 Energy dashboard: live power flows and water devices 01:19:40 Android: Add to Widgets & Android Auto favorites 01:23:13 ESPHome entity IDs standardized for new devices 01:24:17 Pet tech: Tuya litter boxes and assorted updates 01:25:10 OpenAI model update, SQL templates, UI card tweaks 01:27:49 New integrations roundup (Hue BLE, Victron BLE, more) 01:32:18 Template helper deprecation, repairs, migration path 01:35:38 Integration removals: Domino’s & Hive alarm changes 01:36:54 32‑bit/supervised deprecation & migration guidance 01:40:25 CES plans, upcoming episodes This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Products Discussed Home Assistant ZBT2 (Zigbee radio): https://amzn.to/4pLxykT Lutron Caseta light switches: https://amzn.to/48rNmSN Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This podcast contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We’re revisiting Courtenay, who was last spoke to on Episode 45 six years ago. She’s here to share six years of Home Assistant progress: moving from Raspberry Pi to Home Assistant Blue, mastering the Energy Dashboard with MQTT, surviving cloud outages on Tuya, and restoring from backups in minutes. Watch this episode on YouTube https://homeassistant.fm/ha212 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. https://homeassistant.fm/patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome 00:01:04 2019 setup recap 00:03:31 Hardware: Blue and N2+ 00:06:00 Real‑time energy tracking 00:12:00 Breaker chaos, disaggregation 00:16:30 Dashboards and thermostat 00:22:00 Tuya cloud lighting 00:27:30 Offline behavior, habits 00:29:30 Less YAML, more UI 00:33:30 Backups and restore 00:38:30 Z‑Wave LR range talk 00:41:30 LoRa and Meshtastic 00:42:00 Hubs, Matter/Thread woes 00:48:00 Voice assistants: then vs now 00:51:00 Everyday control patterns 00:55:00 Advice for new users 00:59:30 Recorder and data 01:03:07 Six‑year roadmap and robots 01:06:14 Wrap‑up and contact info This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to https://thesmartesthouse.com Products Discussed Raspberry Pi 2 Model B: https://amzn.to/43Dppq4 Ecobee Thermostat: https://amzn.to/3XtOTCR Shelly energy monitoring clamps: https://amzn.to/488TjDX Sense Home Energy Monitor: https://amzn.to/4re7oss Home Assistant Connect ZWA2 (Z‑Wave radio): https://amzn.to/3MfPzsP Meshtastic LoRa nodes: https://amzn.to/4ihcSyy Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee This video contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Go inside the Open Home Foundation with Darren, the web developer behind Home Assistant’s sites. From keeping the various Open Home Project websites online to automating his own home, we cover a lot in this one. Watch this episode on YouTube https://homeassistant.fm/ha211 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro, sponsors, Darren’s role 00:07:12 Community contributions beyond code 00:12:30 Remote culture at Open Home 00:20:30 Privacy, cloud devices, risks 00:27:30 Digital IDs and translation dilemmas 00:33:30 Early Home Assistant days 00:38:30 Frigate, cameras, smart automations 00:48:05 NSPanel Pro door previews 00:54:30 Zigbee, Z-Wave, and locks 01:01:00 mmWave presence and zones 01:06:30 ESPHome projects and wrap-up This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to thesmartesthouse.com Notion Notion brings all your notes, docs, and projects into one connected space that just works — it’s seamless, flexible, powerful, and actually fun to use. With AI built right in, you spend less time switching between tools and more time creating great work. Try Notion, now with Notion Agent, at notion.com/homeassistant Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Greg joins Phil and Rohan to share how he built a brewery control system with ESPHome and Home Assistant: Modbus PID retrofits, ESP32-based temperature control with one-wire probes and 24V valves, Bluetooth gravity sensors via proxies, pressure management, and full on-site HA installs with PoE satellites. Watch this episode on YouTube https://homeassistant.fm/ha210 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro, sponsors, and Greg’s background 00:05:30 From Modbus PIDs to ESPHome brewery control (gravity, pressure, 1‑Wire) 00:10:45 Turning it into a business: pilot installs, testbeds, and scale 00:15:45 Local-first architecture: on-site Home Assistant, PoE satellites, Bluetooth proxy 00:22:30 Hardware talk: Blue/Yellow/Green, mini PCs, RAM needs, migration plans 00:28:00 Home automations: locks, Reolink presence, candles, sump/dehumidifier monitoring 00:35:00 Water and power: AI-on-the-edge metering, overuse alerts, three-phase pumps & contactors 00:42:00 QoL automations: fish-feeding sensor, night stair lighting, backup ideas 00:49:30 Fun stuff: ESPN team goal lights, polling vs. streaming delays, event triggers 00:55:00 Data + reporting: Utility Meter, History Stats, InfluxDB, AI ideas, alerts, wrap-up This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to thesmartesthouse.com Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode Phil and Rohan break down Home Assistant 2025.11. We cover the revamped Automation UI with the new target picker, naming options on dashboards, the new Energy pie chart, update progress indicators, and an upgraded Home dashboard. Watch this episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha209 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 - Intro, sponsors, livestream 00:02:30 - Open Home news, GitHub 00:06:00 - Eltako joins works with program, Yellow retired 00:12:30 - LinknLink eMotion mmWave sensors hands-on 00:23:30 - AWS outage smart beds 00:27:00 - Plex debate, privacy 00:31:00 - Smart plugs and 3D printers 00:35:00 - Energy monitoring, CT clamps 00:38:30 - 2025.11 automation updates 00:44:30 - Smoke/CO relay project 00:47:30 - New integrations roundup 00:51:30 - Breaking changes, Python 00:54:00 - Neato cloud shutdown 00:56:30 - Wrap-up and outro This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to thesmartesthouse.com Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Podcaster Dave Slusher joins Phil and Rohan to share hard-won smart home lessons: building a reliable mesh, solving a 100m mailbox sensor with Z-Wave Long Range and the ZWA2, and retiring MyQ with RATGDO + ESPHome. We also cover using an e‑ink terminal as a Home Assistant dashboard. Watch this episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha208 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome 00:01:23 Guest intro: Dave Slusher’s podcasting origin story 00:04:59 Discovering Home Assistant 00:07:20 Hardware journey: Raspberry Pi 3/4, SD crashes, backups, staying on Pi 00:09:40 ZWA2 portable capability 00:11:10 Zigbee mesh realities 00:13:56 The mailbox quest 00:19:16 Power monitoring the lawnmower + adding Z‑Wave plug to the mesh 00:20:31 Beating peak electricity pricing with calendar‑driven automations 00:24:50 Buying for Home Assistant 00:31:26 Audi e‑tron HACS 00:33:00 ‘Terminal’ e‑ink display 00:41:11 Fun APIs: Domino’s throwback and accidental developer‑friendly brands 00:44:25 Update strategy + restoring from backups when an upgrade breaks boot 00:46:26 Entity naming conventions, device vs entity IDs, and maintainability 00:49:18 The router kill‑switch: renaming a plug and unintended automations 00:52:19 Ping watchdog automation for internet recovery (8.8.8.8) 00:54:58 Labels, documentation, and making a smart home family‑friendly 01:00:00 Selling a smart home: what stays, what goes, and account handoffs 01:02:16 First device nostalgia: Sonoff relay, app sprawl, and converging on HA 01:07:52 Next projects: buying with purpose, reliability over novelty 01:10:00 Mac mini (Linux Mint) homelab, Synology vs Docker, consolidating services 01:12:18 Package tracking with 17Track, long strings, and dashboard rendering This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to thesmartesthouse.com Notion Notion brings all your notes, docs, and projects into one connected space that just works — it’s seamless, flexible, powerful, and actually fun to use. With AI built right in, you spend less time switching between tools and more time creating great work. Try Notion, now with Notion Agent, at notion.com/homeassistant Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Chris joins Phil and Rohan to share a brutally honest smart home journey: starting with Philips Hue, hitting limits with multiple bridges, battling MyQ and RatGDO, and landing real energy savings with Home Assistant. Watch this episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha207 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00 Welcome 01:03 Meet Chris: the ‘reluctant Home Assistant guy’ (NZ/Canada background) 03:00 Hue as the gateway: GU10s, COVID mood lights, buying a house 04:39 Discovering Home Assistant; cost shocks and smart switch vs smart bulb decisions 06:30 Legal wiring quirks in NZ and scoring bulk Hue downlights 08:00 Hue motion/presence, bridge device limits, and Pro Bridge API exposure 09:50 Upgrade cadence, iOS/MacOS betas, and why Shelly bodies didn’t fit 12:00 Daily frustrations: a random red light, Roomba fails, Alexa vs Siri 14:36 Garage/gate saga: MyQ, RatGDO struggles, Grandstream Wi‑Fi, Meross HomeKit fix 20:00 Adaptive Lighting: Hue app vs HA integration; mixed CCT bulbs going ‘red’ 26:00 Three points of failure; behavior change, the cleaners’ switch, and one non‑motion room 31:40 Protocol choices: Wi‑Fi vs Zigbee vs Z‑Wave; Matter/Thread pain in practice 36:40 Energy saving wins: free ‘hour of power’, Bosch Home Connect, Hue Tap + TTS 47:06 Simple scenes that matter: spa lighting that won’t trigger floods 51:00 Biggest surprises, time sink, and the idea of HA consultants 53:40 Advice for newcomers: hobby vs lifestyle; draw the line 56:00 Dashboards: new layouts, family tabs, activity timelines, and to‑dos This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to thesmartesthouse.com Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Discover the origins of AirGradient, which began as a volunteer project in Northern Thailand during the harsh "burning season" of 2019. Learn how this effort evolved into a company focused on providing open source air quality hardware, measuring critical metrics like PM 2.5 and CO2 to safeguard classrooms Watch this episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha206 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00 Welcome 01:04 Meet Achim: From Siemens to Thailand and a Wildfire Crisis 03:20 Burning Season 2019: The School That Sparked AirGradient 07:50 DIY to Open Hardware: Arduino, ESP32, PM2.5 + CO2, and Dashboards 12:24 Values: Repairability, Ownership, and CC BY‑SA Licensing 16:40 Global Takeoff: Hacker News, Jeff Geerling, and the Kit Era 20:16 ESPHome vs Native: Building the Official Home Assistant Integration 32:26 Works with Home Assistant Platinum: Local‑First and Privacy by Default 36:40 Open Culture, Community, and Academia: Why Sharing Pays Back 41:45 UNICEF Laos: ML Air‑Quality Forecasts + Open Map Integration 44:55 Roadmap: Larger Displays, Portable Monitors, and More Pollutants 46:27 Safeguarding the Mission: Foundation Plan (Switzerland) 49:45 Achim’s Home Assistant Setup: Z‑Wave, ESPHome, Geofencing 56:16 Real‑World Use Cases: Factories, Schools, and Ventilation Control 01:01:58 Accuracy Matters: Calibration, Pitfalls, and Transparent Limits 01:05:19 Wrap‑Up and Where to Buy This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to thesmartesthouse.com Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We're joined by psychologist Josh Burg, who shares his unique journey from Google Home to a fully local Home Assistant setup. We get to see how he’s using some of the new Philips Hue zone capabilities to make his home smarter Watch this episode on YouTube https://hasspodcast.io/ha205 Support the Podcast Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon. Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon Share your story We wouldn't be able to do this podcast without community members and home automation enthusiasts sharing their stories. To register your interest to come share your home automation journey, head over to homeassistant.fm and click share your story. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:09 Introducing Josh 00:01:15 Josh's Location and Weather 00:02:41 Journey into Home Automation 00:03:40 Networking Challenges 00:06:14 Switching to Unify Networking Gear 00:09:10 Home Assistant Setup 00:13:16 Smart Home Integrations and Projects 00:17:25 Lighting Automation 00:27:20 Introduction and New Gadget Excitement 00:27:30 Home Assistant Update 00:27:52 Motion Aware Technology 00:28:38 Setup Challenges 00:29:39 Community Involvement 00:30:37 Sensitivity and Testing 00:31:36 Performance Comparisons 00:31:55 Hardware and Ecosystem 00:38:05 Hue Light Scenes 00:47:22 Randomized Notifications 00:51:45 AI Integration 00:53:49 Google Home Issues 00:54:26 Apple Ecosystem 00:54:35 Home Integration and Nest 00:56:22 Network Concerns 00:57:10 Privacy and Data Traffic 00:58:06 Local vs. Cloud Hosting 01:01:55 Community Support 01:06:17 Open Source Development 01:07:10 Supportive Communities 01:09:11 Conclusion and Farewell This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML. Zooz If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers. For the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to thesmartesthouse.com Hosts Phil Hawthorne Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @philhawthorne Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com Buy Phil a Coffee Rohan Karamandi Website Smart Home Products Twitter: @rohank9 Buy Rohan a Coffee Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy