Concrete Driveway Expansion Joint Sealant

Thu Aug 21 16:18:06 EDT 2025

Here are the tools and sealant to caulk concrete driveway expansion joints to prevent erosion of the soil under the driveway. This is recommended for any concrete driveway that has a slope. Self leveling is ok even for some reasonable slope. If the slope is too steep the same product can be used in a non-leveling sku.

Light grinding of the expansion joint will clean out the dirt and bits of concrete. Cracks should be opened with a grinder also. Probably a narrower grinder blade would be appropriate.

• Sikaflex Self-Leveling Polyurethane Sealant
• Grinder
• Crack Chaser Grinding Blade

Under Eave Exhaust Vent Hoods

update: Wed Mar 5 08:24:43 EST 2025

Use these products to replace builders flush exhaust grilles under eaves. Backflow damper will prevent insect and bird entry.

• Primex Larger 4" duct (preferred Model Number: SV4-01)
• Lambro Small 4" duct

2025 Federal Government Activities

Revised: Mon Oct 6 16:15:58 EDT 2025

We the People

Consider the two well known phrases that alude to the United States of America having a goverment that serves its citizens. Not a government to make the President powerful, not a government to make the President rich, not a goverment to instill fear in the population, not a goverment that shakes down corporations for the benefit of the President. Not a goverment that caters to the billionaries. Not a goverment that vilifies half the population because they are not Republicans. What has the Trump admistration actually done for the benefit of the common citizens?

From Google AI:

U.S. Constitution: The U.S. Constitution begins with "We the People" to affirm that the government exists to serve its citizens. It establishes the principles of democracy and self-government but does not contain the specific wording of Lincoln's famous quote.

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address: This speech, delivered by Abraham Lincoln in November 1863, contains the full phrase: "...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth"

Using Shelly BLU Devices with Home Assistant

updated: Sat Mar 8 08:29:04 EST 2025

Using Shelly BLU Motion and Shelly BLU Door/Window Switches with Home Assistant

Shelly BLU Motion Sensor

• Home Assistant
• Added BLU Motion directly to Home Assistant via BTHome Integration
• Device name showed up in Home Assistant BTHome as "BTHome sensor XXXX" with new firmware
• Some device names showed up as as SBMO-003Z XXXX in Home Assistant, deleted and re-added
• useful stanza from an automation
  - wait_for_trigger:
entity_id: binary_sensor.bthome_sensor_49a1_motion
from: "on"
to: "off"
trigger: state
  
• Don't know for sure what settings to use in HA, Active or Passive.
• Don't know for sure which settings to use in the Shelly web Settings, Enable Bluetooth (for sure needed), Enable RPC and/or Enable Bluetooth gateway (version 1.5.x does not have gateway option).
• Firmware
• Update firmware on BLU Motion by adding to Shelly iOS app
• Initial firmware was probably 1.0.9, updated to 1.0.21
• opened device and used small black button when asked to push button
• Home Assistant show version as Firmware: BTHome BLE v2
• Could not find a way to update firmware from Home Assistant, had to add to Shelly iOS app.
• Two BLU Motion devices do not show a Firmware Version in Home Assistant Device Info, maybe different hardware?
• Operation in Home Assistant
• No binary_sensor state change occurs after the initial change from clear to motion until motion clears.
• Per Shelly BLU Motion Sensor Modes of Operation there are two modes of operation.
• Settings in the Shelly iOS App
• Regular mode - the Device broadcasts the motion detection status, illuminance, and battery status each time the motion-detection status changes (motion is detected or no motion is detected during the blind time).
• Beacon mode - the Device broadcasts the motion detection status, illuminance, and battery status every 30 seconds. This is noted to significantly reduce battery life.
• Blind Time - Default is 60 seconds to clear after motion ceases.
• Motion sensitivity - Low, Med, High. Default is Medium.
• LED - enable or disable
• See "How Shelly BLU Motion Works" in DreadVenomous post in this thread (its not a very technically accurate description but its what Shelly offers through support tickets)
• Issues
• big Reddit thread about how luminance does not report valid values
• big Home Assistant thread about Door/Window not reporting
• Did not want to have to add all devices to iOS app but maybe will have to do that to keep firmware updated
• Deleting device from Home Assistant BTHome and adding back changes the entity names but not the device name, odd.
• Mounting
• Printable Mount (also see related prints at bottom of page)

Shelly BLU Door/Window Switches

• Home Assistant
• Added BLU Door/Window directly to Home Assistant via BTHome Integration
• Shows in Home Assistant at BTHome sensor XXXX
• Some show in Home Assitant as Shelly BLU Door/Window XXXX
• Firmware
• Need to update firmware
• updated from version 1.0.6 to 1.0.21
• Use the square button on the face of the device when asked to push button
• Some show as "Shelly B XXXX"
• Settings in Shelly iOS App
• Regular mode - the Device broadcasts the current open/closed state, illuminance, and battery status each time the open/closed state changes (door/window opened or closed). If a door or window, which tilts and turns is opened, the Device immediately broadcasts information about the event, the illumination, and the battery status at the time of the opening detection. Two seconds later, it broadcasts inclination angle, the illumination, and the battery status at the moment. Then every 8 seconds the Device checks the inclination angle. If a change is detected, the Device broadcasts the new angle value.
• Beacon mode - the Device broadcasts the current open/closed state, illuminance, and battery status every 30 seconds. This is noted to significantly reduce battery life.
• Issues
• Deleting device from Home Assistant BTHome and adding back changes the entity names but not the device name, odd.
• Door and Window sensors do not show version in Home Assistant Device Info

DAC and SFP+ RJ-45 and UniFi USW-Enterprise-8-PoE Switch

Thu 30 Jan 14:12:53 EST 2025

DAC Cables That Work

• Cable Matters 10Gbps DAC Twinax
• QSFPTEK QT-SFP+-CA-P0.5M 10G SFP+ DAC

DAC cables that do not work

• 10Gtek CAB-10GSFP-P0.5M SFP+ DAC Twinax Cable, 10G SFP+ (note same part number as HiFiber)
• HiFiber CAB-10GSFP-P0.5M SFP+ Cable, 10G SFP+ DAC (note same part number as 10Gtek)

SFP+ Copper RJ-45 Transceivers that work

• Unifi UACC-CM-RJ45-MG RJ-45 Copper SFP+
• Ipolex RJ-45 Copper SFP+

SFP+ Copper RJ-45 Transceivers that do not work

• XZSNET 1000BASE-T SFP Transceiver, SFP to RJ45

The DAC cables that do not work cause the USW-Enterprise-8-PoE Switch to constantly reboot.