Smart home guides that actually work
Deep technical guides from a production Home Assistant system with 54 ELK M1 zones, UPB lighting, Piper TTS, and IP cameras. No affiliate fluff — just tested configs and working YAML.
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View all →Frigate NVR + Home Assistant: Local AI Camera Detection Without the Cloud
Set up Frigate NVR with Home Assistant for local AI object detection. RTSP camera configuration, person/car/animal detection, notification automations, and hardware recommendations. No cloud required.
Home Assistant Backup Strategy: Never Lose Your Config Again
Complete Home Assistant backup guide — automated snapshots, offsite storage, Git version control for YAML, database management, and tested recovery procedures. From someone running 60+ automations they can't afford to lose.
MQTT and Home Assistant: The Complete Beginner's Guide (2026)
Set up MQTT with Home Assistant from scratch. Install Mosquitto, configure sensors and switches, build automations that trigger on MQTT messages, and connect ESP devices. Complete YAML examples included.
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Tested. Packaged. Ready to deploy.
Skip the hours of trial and error. Each pack is built from a production system and includes everything you need to get running.
ELK M1 + HA Security Blueprint
Complete integration guide with tested automations, zone mapping templates, and alarm response YAML. Built from a real 54-zone production system.
- TLS configuration walkthrough
- Zone mapping spreadsheet template
- 5 production-tested automations
- Alarm response + notification YAML
- HomeKit bridge setup
- Troubleshooting guide
Jarvis Voice Pack for Home Assistant
Custom Piper TTS voice model + 9 ready-to-use automations. Give your smart home a voice without cloud subscriptions.
- Custom Jarvis Piper TTS model
- 9 voice automations (arm, disarm, welcome, etc.)
- Multi-room speaker setup guide
- Snapcast architecture docs
- No cloud subscription needed
Night Lights Automation Pack
Motion-activated night light automations with time-based brightness, zone awareness, and clean YAML you can customize.
- Plug-and-play YAML automations
- Time-based brightness curves
- Multi-zone motion support
- Configurable timeout + colors
- Works with any Z-Wave/Zigbee/WiFi lights
Built from a real system, not a lab
Everything on this site comes from a production smart home: 54 wired ELK M1 zones, 71 UPB lighting entities, 4 IP cameras with AI detection, Piper TTS with custom voice, and HomeKit integration. If it's here, it's been tested.