Modernization – Page 3 – Modern Anachronist

Smart home platforms & protocols

When you finally start looking at home automation, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of technology, platforms, protocols, and marketing hype. The goal is to make sure that you spend money on equipment that will work together and continue to be supported in the future.

As of January 2021, there are three major platforms – Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit. There are probably hundreds of manufacturers who support some combination of these platforms. Personally, I use HomeKit with equipment from probably a dozen manufacturers.

Adding smarts to an old house

This summer, as I invoked Siri to light up the dinner table on the patio, my father-in-law’s girlfriend said, “You have a smart house?”

I’ve never really thought about it, but I suppose I do. I’ve got lights that are tied to sunset & sunrise. I’ve got lights that turn on if the wife or I come home after dark. I can control the HVAC system from anywhere in the world.

It’s not something that I consciously set out to do, it just slowly happened over a course of several years. In this post I’ll describe some of the lessons about “smart homes” that I’ve learned the hard way over the years.

Tow mirrors (part 1)

I replaced the factory paddle mirrors with some eBay special towing mirrors this weekend.

The stock mirrors had power and heat when Fessick left the factory. By the time he came into my life, the heat was completely non-operational. The left mirror moved correctly, but the right only moved left to right. It wouldn’t move up and down.

The replacement mirrors have marker lights and turn signals behind a smoked lens as well as turn signals mounted in the glass. Additionally, I can pull the mirror further away from the truck to increase the view when I’m pulling a trailer

New mirror above with built in blind-spot mirror and marker light & turn signals.
Old mirror below — Look at all that space for (viewing) activities!

Network cabinet

Or, What to do with that stupid cabinet above the fridge.

Brake Lights

The easiest job that requires two people.

One of my co-workers informed me that only one third of my center brake light was working.

Time for an upgrade.

New Peepers

When I went to look at Fezzick, I thought the headlamps looked great.

Blacked out. LEDs.

Pretty snazzy for a truck almost old enough to drink.

Unfortunately, as headlamps, they were absolute garbage.

Top - headlamps installed when Fessick was purchased. Middle - year correct factory headlamps. Bottom - current headlamps, 2003 lamps with aftermarket turn & marker lamps — Headlamp options

Continue reading “New Peepers”

Phone install

Earlier I mentioned that the Excursion is far from a modern vehicle.

I, however, am “the very model of a modern major-general”

Not really, I’ve never served. But I do like my modern communications devices. Two things had to be installed, USB ports for charging and a mount to keep my iPhone visible and stable while driving.