https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog Project write-ups from Bastelix-Lab: ESP32, LoRa, Home Assistant and DIY smart home. en-US Sun, 12 Jul 2026 09:13:25 GMT https://bastelix-lab.com/brand/favicon-192.png https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog/smarte-katzentraenke-frigate-esp32 https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog/smarte-katzentraenke-frigate-esp32 Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Camera / AI / Home Assistant My cats only drink from the faucet — and I kept forgetting to turn it off. Now an ESP32 camera with Frigate recognizes the cat in the sink, and Home Assistant opens the valve automatically. https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog/holzbackofen-esp32-touch-steuerung https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog/holzbackofen-esp32-touch-steuerung Sat, 02 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Touch HMI How I developed a WiFi controller for direct-fired wood-fired ovens — ESP32-S3, two K-type thermocouples in dome and floor, 2.8" touch display and a web UI with live chart. Plus the story of why the cheap MAX31855 clones need a custom SPI routine before they produce usable readings. https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog/raeucherschrank-esphome-selbstbau https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog/raeucherschrank-esphome-selbstbau Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT ESPHome / Smoking Why I built my own smoker controller instead of buying a ready-made one — ESP32-S3 with ESPHome, PID control, adaptive max-power to prevent overshoot, servo damper, PT1000 on the smoke generator and Home Assistant integration. https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog/jk-bms-dashboard-multi-bms https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog/jk-bms-dashboard-multi-bms Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Energy / BMS Two JK-BMS connected to a single ESP32-S3 via Bluetooth, data published via MQTT to a Node.js dashboard with live view, history, energy counting and a Telegram bot for alerts and remote control. Overview of the setup, hardware and feature scope. https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog/energie-dashboard-solar-batterie https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog/energie-dashboard-solar-batterie Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Web Dashboard How much power does my solar system generate? What does grid consumption cost me? My self-built energy dashboard shows energy flows in real time — with Victron, Shelly and JK-BMS. https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog/bbq-thermometer-ble-gateway https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog/bbq-thermometer-ble-gateway Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT BLE / Gateway / App My BBQ thermometer only has Bluetooth — limited range, app needs constant connection. My solution: An ESP32 as BLE gateway that pushes temperatures via MQTT into the network. https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog/lora-gartenueberwachung https://bastelix-lab.com/en/blog/lora-gartenueberwachung Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT LoRa / Radio How do I measure fill levels, soil moisture and temperature in the garden without WiFi? With GaFuBi — a LoRa sensor network of ESP32 nodes with Home Assistant integration.