Sorry if this is a newb question; I’m coming in cold. I’ve had HAOS running on an RPi4 for months, but I haven’t invested in any smart devices to connect yet.
I’d like to start with some (ideally open source) smart gauges just to check the temp out front and back. Any recommendations?
Thanks!
Outdoor, Indoor? Wifi, Zigbee? mains power, battery?
Outdoor. I assune wifi-enabled, but I’m a newb and looking for advice. Zigbee keeps getting mentioned, so I guess I’ll be looking into that. thanks!
The thing with wifi is that it drains a shit ton of energy. A WiFi temperature sensor might last a few weeks or months but ZigBee devices can last years. Of course this depends on what kind of batteries were talking about.
WiFi also usually means an internet portal, which impacts responsiveness, potentially violates privacy, and leaves you at the mercy of a company continuing to provide the service.
Zigbee is not just cheaper and uses less power, but it’s open and local so there’s not some company accumulating your data to sell and you’re not at their mercy
Yup, all valid points which contributed to me either using ZigBee or designing my own things for WiFi.