Posts

Volvo C70, Mk1, convertible tips and trix

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I own a 2003 C70 Volvo softtop convertible but at the age of 20 she got some problems with the softtop/cab.  So this post will be some problem solving and links to information which could be handy.  There is a private Facebook group which is active and helpful.
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Apple HomeKit doing Matter upgrade with Hombridge

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Matter is the the new standard making your smart home devices talking to each other and some Apple Home hubs can be updated. There is a nice article from "The Verge" which explains it all. Using Homebridge (HB) it could be nice to know what happens when you upgrade your HomeKit hub to the new standard so  his post will just give some quick tips Here is  a support article from Apple and please note that if you upgrade you will not be able to use an iPad as a Home hub anymore.
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Optimizing your energy, electricity, bill. NodeRed !

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In this post I will give some thoughts, high level, and methods for matching the hourly prices from your energy supplier. I will also list some gadgets and by using NodeRed ,  get the data, visualize it and control the consumption. So in that perspective there are some needed prerequisites.....
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Bluetooth and Node-Red

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Updated 2023-07-12 ! There are some Node-Red nodes, (NRN), that are dependent on the old Noble package which don't work on Node > v8.  One nice and simple NRN is the  node-red-contrib-noble  which have the same problem. I picked up the freshest source, dependent on  @abandonware/noble , forked it and added install instructions. It works with Node <= v18. 
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Teltonika router as security, burglar, alarm !

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The use case was that we on our yacht have a security alarm which is using 2 G, service terminating during 2024 ?, so it was time to check for some other solution.  Since several years we have used the very nice  Teltonika RUT 240 (TR) onboard which have served us very well. Knowing that this device have both a digital in and out I started to check if it could do the job ??  Googling didn't give any direct clues but the " Input/Output " handling together with " Profiles " changed with a SMS, " Mobile Utilities ", is doing the job. Please note that this setup could be done with any of the routers from Teltonika with I/O !!
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Teltonika router as security, burglar, alarm

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This post is made for test purposes and issues with Google indexing The "real" post is found  here  !! The use case was that we on our yacht have a security alarm which is using 2 G, service terminating during 2024 ?, so it was time to check for some other solution...........
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Bootable installer for "any" MAC OS, II

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In a former post I used a nice Python program to get the installers but as you know there are no Python installed in later Mac OS. The program used in this post is the fantastic Open Core Legacy Patcher . (No Python dependencies.) This patcher is made for supporting old Mac:s with new OS:s , which is not officially supported, but here we just use it for getting the USB installer.
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Teltonika router RUT 240 quick setup

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Updated 2023-06-01 ! My old boat/travel WiFi router didn't behave so I was forced to look for a new one with these  must functions;     Built in SIM 4G/LTE capabilities      WAN failover      Powered with 12V DC      Bridge public WiFi:s, or my phone, to LAN I did a lot of Googling and ended up with Teletonika RUT 240 (TR)..... This post will cover a setup summary for the RUT 240 model, but it's useable for other Teltonika models too since they have a common firmware. Check these posts ! Teltonika router as security, burglar, alarm !                                 Bridged Teltonika router as source for router or mesh network
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Shelly 1 quick install

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Updated 2023-05-04 ! This post focus on  Shelly 1 (S1), a really a nice automation device with great versatility, but much of the content is also valid for some of  Shellys other devices  using the gen1 API. Setup for the later version,  Shelly Plus 1 , is found here  !! S1 is a WiFi switch, 16 Amps, with dry contacts and t he function "without Internet" + that the S1 can use a 12V DC source makes it perfect for an "use case" in a  boat /mobile home. It's compatible with Alexa , Google  or HomeKit using HomeBridge  or as a "native" HomeKit device using  Mongoose firmware (Flashed via a standard WEB browser !)
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Shelly PLUS 1 quick install

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Updated 2023-05-03 ! In a  former post I made a writing about Shelly 1 (S1) and this post will handle about the successor Shelly PLUS 1 (SP1)  but much of the content is also valid for some of  Shellys other devices  which uses the same software/API. To keep it simple, SP1 is a WiFi switch, 16 Amps, with dry contacts but compared to the S1 the hardware and the software is updated.  The function "without Internet" + that the SP1 can use a 12V DC source makes it perfect for an "use case" i n a boat/mobile home .
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HomeKit bridge with Shelly/Shelly 1

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Updated 2023-05-01 ! I really recommend flashing, via WEB-browser, the device with Mongoose software to avoid Homebridge.   HomeBridge is used for this setup and to make it appear in the Apple Home app. The main advantage with the Shelly devices are that they are WiFi enabled and therefore You don't have to use a hub, this compared to z-way/zigbee and some other solutions.  First install Shelly1 (S1).
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Bootable installer for "any" MAC OS

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Updated 2023-06-11 ! The use case is that I had an old iMac, max OS is High Sierra, that crashed and it didn't work with an Internet or Time Machine restore. The other MAC:s I have are running Catalina or Big Sur and if you try to download and older OS , via app-store, you just get an error saying that the running OS don't accept the download of an old OS. The universal way to create an USB installer seems to be using the command " createinstallmedia ", requires OS X 10.7 Lion or later, but you need the respective OS install app ! A new, better ??, without Python dependences is found here .
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macOS Ventura on unsupported Mac

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In former posts, Big Sur (11.7) and Monterey (12.7),   I went through how to update an old MacBook Air 4.2, (mid 2011, SSD, 4 Gb memory) which has a Non-Metal GPU. In this post I will update a MacBook Air 6.2 with SSD, Mid 2013,  to Ventura(13.5) with the same patcher  but the latest version 6.2 !!  This is despite that  max OS  for this Mac is  Big Sur Awesome !! ! Supported models are found here .
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Node-Red on MCU:s, Raspberry Pi Pico W

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Since I'm not a programmer, and probably never will be 😉, I really like Node-Red(NR). NR is also a nice way trying to learn some JavaScript via the function nodes. I also appreciate hardware, MCU s, like ESP32 and Raspberry Pi Pico but find it a little hard to code in MicroPython or C++. Somewhere ?? on the WEB i found some applications that can export NR json code to C++ and run it on several MCUs. As you understand I had to check it out... 
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Upgrade from Buster to Bullseye, Raspberry

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Uppdated 2023-10-28 ! I have been running a Raspberry Pi 2(RPi) for several years with Buster and the applications; Homebridge(HB) Razberry , Z-way interface CUPS , printer software Node-RED (NR) When I started with the RPi it was Jessie, then Stretch and Buster. Every time I upgraded the SD card to the latest OS and it just worked. It should been said that I always waited a year or so and  I'm using the RPi headless without any GUI. Now it was time to go from Buster to Bullseye !
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Raspberry/Linux print server Windows/Apple, CUPS

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Updated 2023-03-12 ! When we upgraded our WiFi to a Mesh solution, TP-link Deco M9 , our old printer, WiFi connected, didn't want to "play" with us anymore. This was due to stronger encryption which wasn't supported. Since the printer just have WiFi or USB connection, no standard Ethernet, I was looking for another solution. We have no computer running 24/7 except a Raspberry Pi, RPi, which is handling our home automation, Homebridge . So the solution was to use CUPS  on that RPi. On the web there are several posts/manuals how to install CUPS on a RPi so this post will refer to one of these and then some additional hints regarding, Apple AirPrint, Windows Network Printer, scanning....
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NTP server on Raspberry & Linux(Offline)

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Uppdated 2023-02-01 ! The use case, creating an offline NTP , was that I'm on our boat sometimes don't have an Internet connection but always have a connected GPS. The GPS updates time on a  Raspberry(RPi)  running Signal K . The actual issue is that there are other devices on the LAN that needs to be updated and then you need an NTP server. Of course this setup is also valid for a RPi/server, with a RTC , acting as a NTP server in an isolated LAN.  
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Seatalk 1 and NMEA2000 combined

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Updated 2023-01-20 ! Our boat was delivered, 2006, with just Raymarine equipment using network Seatalk 1(ST1), and some NMEA0183(N1). Updates and additional equipment will use the newer NMEA2000(N2K).  We will keep the two well functioning Raymarine 12”, E120, and the radar.  In addition, for Navigation purposes, we use the iPad app iSailor . The easy way to combine ST1 with N2K is to use the Raymarine Seatalk 1 to Seatalk NG(STNG) converter, Raymarine E22158 . STNG and N2K is the same protocol, with some dialectal differences, but have different cabling. Don't miss  this post  where I'm presenting additional solutions, including a NMEA WiFi gateway, and add ons.
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OpenPlotter V2, install guide

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Updated 2023-01-02 ! OpenPlotter(OP), a Boat Navigation application, is really a nice and simple installation of OpenPlotter (OP) OpenCPN (OC) SignalK (SK)  and other supporting applications for Your boat. Please note that OP V2 is outdated use .......
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Calculate wind using U and V GRIB components, NodeRed, JS

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Updated 2022-11-28 ! In a former post I showed how to download and extract data from forecast GRIB files but avoided to handle if the wind direction and speed was declared as U and V components, vectors.  In this post I will extract wind data from a GRIB forecast file and use the U V components to calculate, and display, wind speed and direction at a chosen point. The data is visualized as graphs in a NodeRed dashboard. Normally, using charts in NodeRed, the timestamp is taken from the time when the input message is created but here I will use the timestamp from the forecast, loading the whole chart in one go.
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Speedtest LAN and Internet/WAN, iperf3

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Updated 2022-11-06 ! Sometimes I'm a little confused if it's the local network that is the bottleneck or if the ISP, Internet Service Provider, is slow. In a former post I used 2 applikations to get the information, from both the local LAN and Internet, but on the other hand it maybe hade been nice with a more lightweight approach.  From  this post  I got inspiration and discovered a nice little  application " iperf3 "  which  is available for several OS .
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Internet speed measure II

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New to Node-Red (NR) ? Maybe start with a simple application You direct can benefit from. This application is measuring Your Internet connection at chosen intervals using   speedtest.net  and showing the result in a graph. If the speed is under a set value it will send You an e-mail. Show the measured  Internet speed in Apples Home app ?
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Victron monitoring solution, Venus, on Raspberry

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Updated 2022-09-18 ! Victron have a  state-of-the-art monitoring solution used by the GX products. It can monitor their other system components  such as inverter/chargers, solar chargers, shunts, and batteries  both local and remote all over the world. If you have a smaller Victron solution it is nice to know that the same software, Venus OS(VOS), can run on a Raspberry Pi(RPi) instead of the more expensive and versatile GX products.
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macOS Monterey on unsupported Mac

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Updated 2022-08-16 ! In a former post I went trough how to update an old MacBook Air 4.2, (mid 2011, SSD, 4 Gb memory) to Big Sur and in this post I will update the Mac to Monterey with the same patcher !!  This is despite that  max OS  for the Mac is  High Sierra. This is done, among other things, due to that t he patcher  handles Macs with graphic cards from 2008 - 2011 which Monterey doesn't do natively. Since my former upgrade, to Big Sur, included a format of the SSD disk I here used the  patcher to do an upgrade from Big Sur  to Monterey. Awesome !!!
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RS-232 with displays & AV equipment

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The use case for this post is that a got a request from a customer where a commercial displays brightness, used for digital signage , should be put at a minimum when there is no people in the surroundings. After some checking I found that on most displays, even on our own TV set, there is a  connector for the  RS - 232 protocol  that accepts commands similar to the commands sent by the remote control. A nice explanation on how it works is found here .
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Popular posts, last 30 days

iCloud drive sync, or mount, with a Linux, Ubuntu, device

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Updated 2025-01-23 ! With my project to keep a MacBook Air 2011(MBA) alive , Ubuntu installed, i searched for a solution where my iCloud drive(iCD) was  continuous synced with my MBA. This must work both ways so even a file change made on MBA should be replicated to iCD. rclone now, 2025-01, works with iCloud !! Setup below !! Before "rclone" was working with iCloud I solved my sync between iCD and MBA with Syncthing (ST). Check below. ST doesn't sync with iCloud so the work around here was to use my MacMini, Mac OS, as the "Middle man". It's always on and synced with iCD.
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Raspberry Pi OS Lite with GUI, RDP, VNC, Chromium

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Updated 2025-10-02 ! I like the Raspberry Pi(RPi), with Raspberry Pi OS Lite (no Desktop is included), headless operation, and then adding the software You need. Until now I haven't had a use case where I needed a Desktop but now was time.  Why don't use the Raspberry Pi OS with Desktop ?? In that package there is a lot of software I don't need and I really want to optimize the RPi. I think that the less software You install the happier RPi will be... 😉
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Installing Ubuntu 24.04 or 24.10/25.04 on an old MacBook Air(2011)

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Updated 2025-05-20 ! I have done several posts Blogging about how to keep an old MacBook Air(MBA), mid 2011(A1369), with SSD disk "alive". I have used the fantastic software package OpenCore Legacy patcher to upgrade the Mac to the latest Mac OS.  A while ago i tested Mac OS  Sequoia (15.3), on the mentioned Mac, but I had to admit that it was to much for the 14 year old companion. I really like the Mac and everything works, after a battery change , so it ended up with installing  Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS  or if you want the latest scroll down and get Ubuntu 24.10/25.04. Ubuntu on  Mac Mini (2018) and MacBookAir (2010)  ?
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Home Assistant with VirtualBox or Proxmox or Linux KVM ???

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After testing Home Assistant (HA) for a while, I’ve realised it could improve my home automation, despite that I'm using Apple HomeKit. When I tested HA with Node-RED and some other "Add-ons", on a Raspberry Pi 3 (RPi), I found that its resources wasn’t enough. The following setup could be any computer but I recently bought an Apple Mac Mini M4, replacing my 2018 (M18) model, so the M18 was really a great candidate for my HA setup. The preferred method running HA is through the  HA Operating System (HAOS), which makes your "life" easier. 😉
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Waveshare CAN hat with Signal K & OpenPlotter

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Updated 2024-07-08 To get information from the NMEA 2000(N2K) network, to the RPi, I have been using  Actisense NGT-1 , for a long time,  and later also the  Yacht Devices YDWG 02  but now it was time for a Raspberry Pi(RPi) CAN hat(CH) from Waveshare(WS). WS have 3 different models but I picked the 2 channel isolated one . It's recommended to use an isolated one which also is demanded for those interfaces which can be approved by the N2K group.
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Clone the Raspberry boot disk

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Updated 2024-02-20 ! A very nice way to fix a backup is to make a copy, bootable, of the actual SD card You are using on the Raspberry Pi(RPi). This will be done even when the RPi is up and running ! This application can also be used to make a bootable SSD or USB drive !! You clone from the command line so You don't need the standard GUI, Pixel, and the " SD card copier "  function. It is also possible to set up a a scheduled job, cronjob explained later, which for example makes a clone every night at 1 o'clock.
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IVT, Bosch heat pump easy integration, Home Assistant

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Updated 2025-10-16 ! In search of the optimal solution on how to interface our IVT Heat pump,   first try here , I stumbled over   a nice integration   for Home Assistant(HA). A first quick setup is shown at the right. The first obstacle was that it was HA which I knew about but never used.  So it was "back too school" and doing  a blog post  about a HA Core install.
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Raspberry Pi 2, 3, 4, 5 USB SSD or USB drive boot

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Updated 2024-06-06 ! After having tested several methods creating a bootable USB SSD, or other USB drive, for Raspberry Pi(RPi) 3 4 and 5, I finished with this simple method Create the setup you want on a ordinary SD card(Or use existing) Make a bootable backup/clone of the SD card saving it to the USB SSD Remove the SD card and boot from the USB SSD Having a RPi 4, 5 ? Use this post on how to write the OS direct to the SSD.  
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IKEA Bäve dimmer hack II

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Updated 2025-01-10 ! Dimming not dimmable LED, IKEA Bäve, produced before 2019-11 and a new idea for later products ! In former post I used a  Fibaro Z-Wave RGBW controller  but in this post I will use an IKEA original or an external dimmer ?!
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SeaTalk1 to NMEA 0183 converter, DIY

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Updated 2024-08-30 !  !! Another SW solution is available for RPi 5 here !  using the same HW. Thanks to Thomas, (the guy with the nice marine interface board ) ,  it's now possible  to decode, one way, the SeaTalk1(ST1) sentences in a pretty simple way. You just  use OpenPlotter(OP) and/or SignalK(SK) and an  Optocoupler . The thing that made it, is that Thomas   has released a "how to" and  Python source code , that will read the data from a GPIO pin on the Raspberry Pi, (RPi), and format it so the standard parser in SignalK can translate it to SignalK delta format. It is then  available as NMEA 0183. It's even possible to send the data in to a NMEA 2000 network, with a proper hardware interface.
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