Thinking of fabbing JeeNode's

29 replies [Last post]
brett
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Providence, United States
Joined: 9 Jan 2010

I've been chatting with Derek and we think we can FAB a jeenode for less money than you can buy them from the Jeenode shop.  As all the designs are opensource we are allowed to do this.

Tentatively we are thinking we can ship them for about 15 GBP ea inc postage withing the UK.  Which is about a 3.50 GBP discount on the cost from the JeeNode shop.

At that price its equivalent to the jeeNode shop selling you 4 and giving you 1 for free!

So we can size up the initial run we where wondering how many folks would be interested?

Either way we are going to do a small initial run for our own usage as HAH remote sensor units.

Brett

g7pkf
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United Kingdom
Joined: 11 Jan 2011
Put me down for 2, i really

Put me down for 2, i really think they are expensive for functionality.

but hey ill give 2 a go if they are at a reasonable price

garrydwilms
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United Kingdom
Joined: 31 Mar 2011
Me too

I would certainly take at least one to play with initially. Thanks

davidnewton
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Shrivenham, United Kingdom
Joined: 23 Nov 2010
Me also

I'll take at least a couple. Thanks

BodgeIT
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London, United Kingdom
Joined: 10 Jun 2010
I love the sound of these...but...

I think I just need to understand a little more about what I can do with them.  Could I use one to transmit IR for example?

I'm still trying to think of other things I can do with my little CC breakout boards, at the moment I'm only using one as a roving light switch.

Also an issue for me is having to go through the process of programming for them. 

While I love learning LUA, I am finding it time consuming and I don't think I'm making a very good job of it.

 

What I would prefer to do is pay a little more for a prebuilt module like an light sensor or a motion detector.

This module could then also include an applet to enable it's functionality(it may of course require a little tweaking for my setup).

Is this something that could be done?  I think this would open up the HAH to those a little less technical.

This would also need the WebGui to be expandable I guess...maybe you guys don't want to go down that road?

BoxingOrange
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United Kingdom
Joined: 11 Jun 2010
JeeNode

I'd have one, something else to play with.

EJ-Ambient
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Ringwood, United Kingdom
Joined: 5 Aug 2011
Are they available?

Hi Brett

Have you got any further with fabbing the Jeenode?  Are thay available yet?  Can't see them in the Shop so I presume they're coming 'real soon now'?

If you need more impetus - please put me down for 3, for now.... if my project works out i'll want more....

Thanks in advance

 

EJ

derek
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Glasgow, United Kingdom
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
Nearly ready ...

I've been working to source parts for the first run of these. PCBs are in and the first samples built. RFM12B modules are in too.

Brett has worked hard to make the HAH software support for these as seamless as is possible. 

Our initial run of PCBs was limited to 12parts - I hope to have something up on the shop soon. 

Then, we will get a bigger run sorted out.  The price will be very competative.

The 'attach' cable for these is already on the shop. You probably have found this link already, but here is the wiki support page for the units ... http://www.dbzoo.com/livebox/hah_jeenode

Derek.

EJ-Ambient
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Ringwood, United Kingdom
Joined: 5 Aug 2011
Let me know

Thanks for the update, Derek.... it's great to hear that things are progressing.

 

Can you give us a 'Heads Up' when you put the kits into the shop - I'd hate to miss the opportunity to get my hot sweatys on a couple....

 

Cheers and hope to hear from you soon...

 

EJ

brett
Offline
Providence, United States
Joined: 9 Jan 2010
Pre made RoomNodes

Bodge, The Jee boards don't require much work to solder and I know Derek was thinking about a pre-fabbed unit, however you still need to configure each with a unique ID to suit your environment something that current we can't do for you.  So a little work on your side is required.  Adding the temp sensor and LDR is trivial thou.

I too would like the webserver to be more extensible.  I was thinking that each plugboard applet could hook into a lua based webserver and provide a custom interface for controlling its functions - however this requires a LOT of work, I'd need to scrap the existing webserver and write a new one from scratch in LUA (as all that I've found are rather heavy) and then make it extensible and available as an API to applets.  Yes all doable but I haven't got that much time to invest just at the moment.

Brett

derek
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Glasgow, United Kingdom
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
RoomNodes in beta testing

The RoomNodes are out with a couple of folks to see how things went. We've found (and fixed) a few issues and misunderstandings. The JeeNode Wiki page is being filled out with info as we go along. So, a little behind 'hoped for' schedule but nothing too bad.

The final step is to properly document the way to hookup the Airwick PIR. Note that Airwick seem to have stopped making the PIR based units and have replaced them with an 'odour detect' unit. You might pick up some old stock being sold off cheaply (I certainly did) ... and of course, eBay still have them.

Derek.

EJ-Ambient
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Ringwood, United Kingdom
Joined: 5 Aug 2011
Real soon then?

Hi Derek

Thanks for all the work you and the team are putting into these projects.... HAH rocks!!

I can't wait to get my hands on a couple of JeeNodes, and I'm hunkering down and reading all the available info etc on them.... looks like there'll still be a chunk of user intervention tho'.... oh well! more late nights trying to learn another language, I suppose...

I tried my local  Tesco's but they'd sold out days before, so I missed the cheap Airwick stuff... and the products on eBay are still showing the full retail - bugger!!!  Do you have any spare, or know where a stock of them might still be available (that's the Scot in me - always keen for a bargain!)

Can you give us a bit of a warning as to when the kits might be available in the 'Shop'?  I'd hate to miss out .....

Again, thanks for all your efforts..we really appreciate it (on behalf of the HAH community).

EJ

derek
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Glasgow, United Kingdom
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
Shop around

I wandered around some 'pound shop' style places (you won't find these in actual Pound Shops) but discount stores. Best I saw was at a B&M store - £2.99 - didn't get to buy them out as SWMBO was there too! Tesco did reduce them to £1.50 - but all gone now.

Yes, some Lua scripting is needed to do anything worthwhile with the values from all those new endpoints. We will, over time, have an increasing number of examples. The annoying thing is that it takes me an hour to write a sad piece of Lua that Brett could knock out (properly) in two mins.

It will take a little while before the PCBs hit the shop. I need to do one more 'trial revision', adding a few improvements, before we can get a 'big' run done. Turnaround time from the Chinese fab shop isn't terribly fast.

Cheers,
Derek.

 

 

 

BoxingOrange
Offline
United Kingdom
Joined: 11 Jun 2010
B&M is the place to go

I got three more from B&M this morning, they had plenty in.  I could perhaps get some for anyone who wants them. (Am I going to regret saying that?!)

EJ-Ambient
Offline
Ringwood, United Kingdom
Joined: 5 Aug 2011
Yes Please!

Hi Boxing! (BO just doesn't sound right!!!)

Can you put me down for 3 please - what about shipping - do you PayPal?

Let me know....ta!

EJ

derek
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Glasgow, United Kingdom
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
Go long on Airwicks

My test Airwick based Roomnode is working well with my HAH. I've written up some details of howto prep & wire the Airwick to a RoomNode board.

http://www.dbzoo.com/livebox/hah_jeenode?&#airwick_roomnode

Derek.

BoxingOrange
Offline
United Kingdom
Joined: 11 Jun 2010
JeeNode Air Freshners

HI EJ,

Yea I know, BO just doesn't work! 

I'll send you my paypal e-mail address, I'll have to get the postage cost from the post office, based on sending ebay stuff I'd guess £3-£5, but I'll let you know.

 

Karl

Alanmh
Offline
Reading, United Kingdom
Joined: 7 Jul 2010
Any news on the Jeenodes?

I think this will be great for outside temp and dawn/dusk detection. 

I am gradually replacing my x-10 HA with HAH and love the wireless element. Full CH control here we come.

derek
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Glasgow, United Kingdom
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
Still playing

Well, let's be clear on our nomenclature. Work is ongoing to see if a HAHnode can be offered - JeeNodes come from JeeLabs!

There are a couple of beta testers on the go. The xAP-Serial connector firmware, together with Bretts Lua code that exposes the BSC endpoints for the LDR/PIR/DS18B20 is rock solid.

Further, Brett just added support for a 2nd DS18B20, so each Airwick can now take a couple of readings.

It's really a logistics thing to get a decent offering available at a very competative price.

All in the fullness of time.

Alanmh
Offline
Reading, United Kingdom
Joined: 7 Jul 2010
I take your point

about nomenclature, but I was following the thread title.

I guess that means not before Christmas then. So, I think I will get started with the more expensive (and only available) option. Unless of course you need another beta tester. I am able to help with documentation.

 

Alan

Lawrencezarb
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Joined: 7 Mar 2012
Hi Derek,Any new update if or

Hi Derek,

Any new update if or when these will be available?

aivo
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Tallinn, Estonia
Joined: 2 Mar 2011
HAHnode status

Hello Derek, Brett,

If you could give us a fresh update on subject ;) ?

Kind regards,
Aivo

kevin9
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Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
Joined: 24 May 2010
Testing, testing, testing

I wouldn't want you to thiink that things are not progressing with the HAHNode, the  Jeenode derivative.

Derek has blessed me and another with a bit of testing which has been going well.

I have posted some flickr photo sets which illustrate the progress being made:-

What I think of as the HAHNode prototype -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/netcompsys/sets/72157629392573973/

Putting an HAHNode into an Airwick

http://www.flickr.com/photos/netcompsys/sets/72157629453603127/

And more recently, the pre-production version

http://www.flickr.com/photos/netcompsys/sets/72157629483719430/ (must add an as built photo...)

I have tried to give meaningful captions and comments to the photos and will be using them to update the wiki

Currently I am running a network of a single HAHCentral talking to the HAH Livebox on one side and 4 wireless 'roomnodes' on the other, two of which are HAHNodes and one of these is in a repurposed Airwick.

The problems I had experienced earlier  seem to have gone away now that we have some extra logging facilities (!) and the setup has been running reliably, unattended, for a couple of weeks.

I have passed some comments on to derek and hopefully he will incorporate them into the production pcb.

You might regard this post as a bit of a tease, and in some ways it is, but do remember that derek and brett do this in their spare time...

kevint

edit - corrected 3rd link above

andy
Offline
United Kingdom
Joined: 17 Mar 2012
Lodging my interest

Derek/Brett,

 

Please add me in for  1*HAH-C and 2*HAH-N when you are ready.

 

ps: whats their power lifespan using your reference sketches - have you been able to test?

(what power source testing with?) - The eneloop XX's seem great and I am sure cost effective over say 12months.

derek
Offline
Glasgow, United Kingdom
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
Spoilers

Well, it has taken me sooo long to get this thing moving. Kevint and his nice (spoiler :-) photos did kinda make me think about getting back to it.

I've concentrated pretty much exclusively on the 'airwick enclosure' idea. This is powered by 3xAA cells. After about six months of operation, I still have no 'low battery' signal from my soaktest unit.

Of course, the basenode is powered via the 'attach cable' to the HAH, so that doesn't feature in any 'power use' testing.

The good news is that kevint has been testing with not only multiple nodes, but a hugely busy xAP bus in his environment. 

Anyway, the next order is for 100off the HAHnode PCBs & there are sufficient other parts in store to populate most all of these.

Derek.

g7pkf
Offline
United Kingdom
Joined: 11 Jan 2011
Pictures here of boards being

Pictures here of boards being populated, i found the wiki pretty easy to follow :)

 

http://www.packetradio.co.uk/gallery/index.php/HAH?page=6

 

Dean

derek
Offline
Glasgow, United Kingdom
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
PCBs arrive

So there are now a load of the V1.3 HAHnode PCBs stored in my basement. As soon as I get home & have time to check one of these out, the HAHnode offering will (finally) go onto the Shop.

It's been a while ... but in the interim, the HAH support framework for these has been thoroughly proven.

Derek.

g7pkf
Offline
United Kingdom
Joined: 11 Jan 2011
Come on Derek you know it makes sense.

I can confirm jeenode/wireless is the way forward.

 

how much are they going to be? go on teease us a little longer.

 

Dean

brett
Offline
Providence, United States
Joined: 9 Jan 2010
HAH Nodes are now available

HAH Nodes are now available in the shop.

Brett

andy
Offline
United Kingdom
Joined: 17 Mar 2012
Waiting for the postman then...

Waiting for the postman then...;)

 

--andy

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