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Latest entry
Wiring the hallway motion lights — what actually worked
Read the log: Wiring the hallway motion lights — what actually workedThree sensors, one stubborn breaker, and a 2am fix. The full play-by-play of getting motion lighting that never leaves you in the dark.
Recent entries
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Wiring the hallway motion lights — what actually worked
Three sensors, one stubborn breaker, and a 2am fix. The full play-by-play of getting motion lighting that never leaves you in the dark.
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Choosing your first sensor protocol
Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, Wi-Fi — picking the one you won’t regret.
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Mapping the house, room by room
Where I started, what I planned, and the order I’m tackling it in.
One house, going fully automated — documented honestly
No sponsor scripts, no spec-sheet worship. Just a working log of every room as it gets wired, what broke, and what I’d do differently. If it didn’t earn its place, it doesn’t make the site.
Read the full storyGear I actually use
Zigbee PIR Sensor
Fast trigger, two-year battery, and rock-solid local control. The one in every room.
Local Automation Hub
Runs everything on-device. No cloud, no monthly fee, no mystery outages.
Dimmable Smart Bulbs
Warm-to-cool tuning that actually holds state after a power cut. Worth the extra.
The newsletter for people building it themselves
One email when a new build log lands — plus the small wins and dumb mistakes that don’t make the site. Free, weekly-ish, no spam.