(YT)Andreas Spiess

#165 Longest Mailbag ever Part 1: ESP32 and other cool stuff

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:45:11 GMT

A new Mailbag with the following parts:

00:40 ESP32 TTGO/OLED/Battery: http://bit.ly/2yQJQCf
00:40 ESP8266 OLED/Battery: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/f2vznma
04:45 X-Shields set ESP32: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/QNrFQNR
06:11 HiGrow: http://bit.ly/2yR8cf2
10:40 Xiaomi Plant Sensor: http://bit.ly/2h8p0V1
11:30 Load Cell Set: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/f2vZJmq
Video about Load Cells: https://youtu.be/iywsJB-T-mU
12:32 OPA2365: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/UrJAY3b
13:28 Geekcreit Doit V1: http://bit.ly/2sOMR3E
14:36 LOLIN32 LITE (Micropython): http://bit.ly/2yI03dc

https://www.higrow.tech/it/
https://github.com/lucafabbri/HiGrow-Arduino-Esp

ESP32 boards: https://github.com/SensorsIot/ESP32-Board-Test/blob/master/ESP32 Pins %26 Boards.xlsx

Second Part video: https://youtu.be/iyOpdEBAlUE

Supporting Material and Blog Page: http://www.sensorsiot.org
Github: https://www.github.com/sensorsiot
If you want to support the channel and buy from Banggood use this link to start your shopping: https://bit.ly/2jAQEf4 (no additional charges for you)
Official Wemos Store: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/jUzBiIq
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013947273409
https://twitter.com/spiessa
https://www.instructables.com/member/Andreas Spiess/
Please do not try to Email me or invite me on LinkedIn. These communication channels are reserved for my main job
If you want to buy me a coffee: https://www.paypal.me/AndreasSpiess

#166 Longest Mailbag ever Part 2: ESP32 and other cool stuff like a Cardiac Monitor

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:43:38 GMT

Second Part of the biggest Mailbag I ever did with the following parts:

Part 1 Products:
ESP32 TTGO/OLED/Battery: http://bit.ly/2yQJQCf
ESP8266 OLED/Battery: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/f2vznma
X-Shields set ESP32: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/QNrFQNR
HiGrow: http://bit.ly/2yR8cf2
Xiaomi Plant Sensor: http://bit.ly/2h8p0V1
Load Cell Set: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/f2vZJmq
Video about Load Cells: https://youtu.be/iywsJB-T-mU
Geekcreit Doit V1: http://bit.ly/2sOMR3E
LOLIN32 LITE (Micropython): http://bit.ly/2yI03dc
OPA2365: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/UrJAY3b

Part 2 Products:
00:35 Load Cells: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bmqBemE
03:10 Geekworm: http://bit.ly/2yQ6Np1
03:10 ESP32 Dev Board: http://bit.ly/2yPohSp
04:44 Dual Base for ESP shields: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/Mr7aUNz
07:54 VEML6070 UV-Sensor Module: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/eeqZVZz
08:50 ESP32 Bases: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/F6AUFaa
10:19 Touch Sensors : http://bit.ly/2yZ9N2B
10:48 Touch Sensors w. LED: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/iIq37Y3
Peter Scargill: https://tech.scargill.net/cheap-as-chips-touch-switch/
12:14 Switch assortment: http://bit.ly/2yZtyXK
13:11 Step drills: http://bit.ly/2z1k5yX
13:51 Red heat-shrink tubes: http://bit.ly/2z14VKo
14:56 ESP32 pico boards
17:16 Heart Rate Monitor: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/IAa6e6y

First Part video: https://youtu.be/JVJKePhYpAk
https://www.higrow.tech/it/
https://github.com/lucafabbri/HiGrow-Arduino-Esp

ESP32 boards: https://github.com/SensorsIot/ESP32-Board-Test/blob/master/ESP32 Pins %26 Boards.xlsx

#159 Big ESP32 Boards Review and Test

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:42:10 GMT

Over the last few month, a lot of new ESP32 boards appeared on our usual marketplaces. It is time for a closer look. That you can save your money and buy the board you really need.
Here I have most of the current “made in Asia” boards and I will give you an overview of their features and functions:
• Number of pins available for the user
• ESP32 Module and ESP32 chip revision used for the board
• Is the board breadboard-friendly?
• Does it have special features like OLED or a LiPo battery charging circuit?
• Does it have a flash button, and a USB connector?
• I will measure the current for the different
- idle
- Bluetooth active
- Wi-Fi active in STA, AP, and both modes
- Wifi and Bluetooth active
- Deep Sleep
• I will also measure the current during charging for the boards with a battery
• And I will comment positive and negative features and experiences with these boards

Board with 18650: http://bit.ly/2eZAp8j
WeMos® LOLIN32 Board http://bit.ly/2t2zXeW
TTGO Module: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/QbqFa6i
ESP32 (NodeMCU type) Board: http://bit.ly/2eZ1s3u
White OLED: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/6Eu7q3j
Wemos OLED: http://bit.ly/2tosirM
Yellow: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/RR7Em6U
Geekit (similar to Yellow, not tested): http://bit.ly/2sOMR3E
X-Board: http://bit.ly/2vXimql
Mini board: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/MH-ET-LIVE-D1-mini-ESP32-ESP-32-WiFi-Bluetooth-Internet-of-Things-development-board-based/32816073234.html
Arduino like Board: http://bit.ly/2tUZVnC
ESP32 programmer: http://bit.ly/2vXsJue
WROOM-32 Module: http://bit.ly/2vXQouD
ESP32 PCB: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/jaqNzF6

Github: https://github.com/SensorsIot/ESP32-Board-Test

Supporting Material and Blog Page: http://www.sensorsiot.org
If you want to support the channel and buy from Banggood use this link to start your shopping: https://bit.ly/2jAQEf4 (no additional charges for you)
Official Wemos Store: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/jUzBiIq
https://www.facebook.com/SensorsIOT/
https://twitter.com/spiessa
https://www.instructables.com/member/Andreas Spiess/
Please do not try to Email me or invite me on LinkedIn. These communication channels are reserved for my main job

#185 ESP8266 - Google Calendar Reminder: How To Make Your Wife/Girlfriend happy (Arduino)

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:40:44 GMT

Forgetting your duties is not good. Forgetting things which are asked by your wife or your girlfriend is even worse. Today we will solve this issue and make our women happy. And, as my grandfather said: Happy woman, happy man.
Many tasks are recurring or can be planned. Most of us use calendars for that. These calendars also offer notifications which pop up on the Smartphone. Good, if you do this task in the next minute. If not, the chance it gets forgotten is significant, primarily if I am working on an exciting project. This is why I desperately need the small device we will build today. Its momentary name is “Reminder Device”. It stores all notifications until they are confirmed. And because it is cheap and small, we can place several of them where the action has to take place.

What are the required features of such a “reminder device”?

Remind me as long as I did not confirm “Job done”
Get the tasks from Google Calendar
If confirmed “job done,” the same job must not reappear
Single and multi-task versions
Powered by a USB charger
Arduino IDE

UPDATE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/ZFgh2KFLeGA

Links:
Google Calendar Library: https://github.com/wilda17
Sketch: https://github.com/SensorsIot/Reminder-with-Google-Calender
LED buttons: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/NbUjYV7
Wemos D1 mini: http://bit.ly/2oXSx5X
Boxes (stl files): https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2806384

Supporting Material and Blog Page: http://www.sensorsiot.org
Github: https://www.github.com/sensorsiot

My Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/AndreasSpiess

If you want to support the channel, please use the links below to start your shopping. No additional charges for you, but I get a commission (of your purchases the next 24 hours) to buy new stuff for the channel
For Banggood https://bit.ly/2jAQEf4
For AliExpress: http://bit.ly/2B0yTLL
For ebay.com: http://ebay.to/2DuYXBp

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013947273409
https://twitter.com/spiessa
https://www.instructables.com/member/Andreas Spiess/
Please do not try to Email me or invite me on LinkedIn. These communication channels are reserved for my primary job

Equipment in my lab: http://www.sensorsiot.org/my-lab/

#168 ESP32 Dual Core on Arduino IDE including Data Passing and Task Synchronization

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:40:34 GMT

The new ESP32 has three cores. Two of them are very fast; the third is ultra-low power. The Arduino IDE typically only uses one of the fast cores. Today:

We will take full advantage of the second core of the ESP32
We will test if it really increases the capacity of our microprocessor
We will also compare its dual-core speed with the speed of an Arduino UNO
We will try to synchronize tasks, even if they run on two different cores
We will also try to use the same data on both cores
These two mechanisms are mandatory if you want to use the two cores in a productive fashion
And we will not leave the Arduino IDE. Promised

Links:
Sketches: https://github.com/SensorsIot/ESP32-Dual-Core
Base for my video: https://techtutorialsx.com/2017/05/06/esp32-arduino-using-freertos-functions/
About Semaphores: https://exploreembedded.com/wiki/RTOS_Basics_:_Semaphore

Some ESP32 boards from my last mailbag video:
ESP32 TTGO/OLED/Battery: http://bit.ly/2yQJQCf
X-Shields set ESP32: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/QNrFQNR
HiGrow: http://bit.ly/2yR8cf2
Geekcreit ESP32 Doit V1: http://bit.ly/2sOMR3E
LOLIN32 LITE (Micropython): http://bit.ly/2yI03dc
Geekworm ESP32: http://bit.ly/2yQ6Np1
ESP32 Dev Board: http://bit.ly/2yPohSp

#198 Laser Speed Gun Project with Range Finder and ESP32 (Distance Meter)

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:40:25 GMT

Laser range sensors can measure long distances with high precision. Today we try to build not only such a range sensor. We want to use it also as laser speed gun. Will it better than our radar sensor?

In video #181 we tried to measure speed using a cheap radar sensor. This project is still in the lab, and I expect an update in the next month or so. In the meantime, I started experimenting with another technology we already encountered in video #119: Time of Flight sensors used in LIDAR systems. This was one of my longtime wishes, and it became reachable when I saw these new rangefinder modules pop up on AliExpress. They have no display but a digital interface. Exactly what we need for our hack.

Links:
Range Finder: http://bit.ly/2Fnpwb9
Golf Range Finder: HTML Code:
http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/n6EEMZB

Supporting Material and Blog Page: http://www.sensorsiot.org
Github: https://www.github.com/sensorsiot

My Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/AndreasSpiess
My Bitcoin address: 19FSmqbBzb5zsYB1d8Bq4KbxVmezToDNTV

Equipment in my lab: http://www.sensorsiot.org/my-lab/

#162 Build your own 50$ connected Geiger Counter (ESP32)

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:40:15 GMT

When I showed you our Atomic Shelter in video #151, I thought, the cold war is over and these shelters are a thing of the past. Just a few days later I had to learn that this is not true anymore.
Is it necessary again that we own our own Geiger counter to alarm us if radioactivity is in the air? If you think yes, it is necessary, you will find how you can build one for about 50 dollars
In tis video we will:

Build a Geiger Counter with long-term monitoring capabilities using Thingspeak
Make it send alarms to our Smartphone using IFTTT notifications
Understand how it works (incl diagram)

Links:
Geiger Counter: http://bit.ly/2v3LVH8 or http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/q37mIMR or https://amzn.to/3qtksfm
ESP32 (added later, not tested): https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007531980796.html
Nylon spacers: http://bit.ly/2fOJe58
Sketch and diagram: https://github.com/SensorsIot/Geiger-Counter-RadiationD-v1.1-CAJOE-
Publication about accuracy: https://www.davidpublisher.org/Public/uploads/Contribute/59362348f32fd.pdf
What is fall-out: http://undergroundbombshelter.com/radiation-fallout.htm

Counter Board: RadiationD-v1.1 (CAJOE)

This episode is based on this work: https://github.com/mkheck/ArduinoGeigerCounter

Supporting Material and Blog Page: http://www.sensorsiot.org
Github: https://www.github.com/sensorsiot
If you want to support the channel and buy from Banggood use this link to start your shopping: https://bit.ly/2jAQEf4 (no additional charges for you)
Official Wemos Store: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/jUzBiIq
https://www.facebook.com/SensorsIOT/
https://twitter.com/spiessa
https://www.instructables.com/member/Andreas Spiess/
Please do not try to Email me or invite me on LinkedIn. These communication channels are reserved for my main job
If you want to buy me a coffee: https://www.paypal.me/AndreasSpiess

#170 Enhanced Nextion HMI Tutorial incl. ESP32, ESP8266 and Arduino support

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:40:01 GMT

Nextion HMI displays are great. But the documentation and the support is not very good, and the library currently does not work with the ESP32. Today I will show you the five most important features of the enhanced version and how to use them.
In the end, you will have a small keypad which can be used as a control center for your home automation. And of course, the library works now with the ESP32, not only with the Arduino.

I did already some videos about Nextion displays. They are the basis for this video and worthwhile to watch because I will not cover these details again. You will find links in the description.

Today we will:

Build a small device using a Nextion display with 6 Softkeys
When one of these keys is pressed, the beeper on the extension board will beep. You will learn how to achieve this by programming the display itself
Each key triggers an MQTT message. This message can be used to switch devices in your home-automation system
The device can receive MQTT commands and switch a relay accordingly
The enhanced version has a Realtime clock aboard. We will synchronize this clock once using internet NTP time. From then on, the display updates the time itself

Links:
My Nextion videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3XBzmAj53RlXES3erPR4F0Zk08Hx1YdA
Code: https://github.com/SensorsIot/Nextion-Enhanced
Another library: https://github.com/darrenjcosborne/NextionSerialString

Enahced Nextion displays:
Different sizes: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bBVLEfQ0
3.5" Enhanced Nextion Banggood: http://bit.ly/2zSlqGI
7.0" Enhanced Nextion: http://bit.ly/2zQPfHY
ESP32 Board: http://bit.ly/2sOMR3E

#160 40 Cent Do-It-Yourself Li-Ion Protection for 18650 Cells (Tutorial) and how they work

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:39:48 GMT

Li-Ion batteries are very useful, but dangerous products, if we do not pay attention.
I will show you a simple method to protect your existing 18650 Li-Ion batteries. And all for 40 cents!
We will build protectors which:

Interrupt charging if the cell voltage is above about 4.2 volts
Interrupt discharging if the cell voltage is below about 2.5 volts
Limit the maximum current to a few amperes
I show you in detail how you can integrate protection boards in the battery itself

Link:
Battery protector kit: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/mqZ7yf2
TP4056 module: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCFxkOf

Supporting Material and Blog Page: http://www.sensorsiot.org
Github: https://www.github.com/sensorsiot
If you want to support the channel and buy from Banggood use this link to start your shopping: https://bit.ly/2jAQEf4 (no additional charges for you)
Official Wemos Store: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/jUzBiIq
https://www.facebook.com/SensorsIOT/
https://twitter.com/spiessa
https://www.instructables.com/member/Andreas Spiess/
Please do not try to Email me or invite me on LinkedIn. These communication channels are reserved for my main job

#161 Measuring weight using an ESP32, a strain gauge, and a HX711

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:39:29 GMT

Let’s build a connected scale, which alarms us when the food bin is empty. Of course, we will be able to use the same principle to measure the weight of any other good like the honey in remote beehives, or even your own weight to visualize it somewhere in the cloud…
So, today we will:

Measure quite small weights with an Arduino like Microcontroller
We will need some tricks to do that
Then, we will build a bowl for our cat which is capable to detect if no food is available anymore
And we will send a Twitter alarm to our Smartphone

We will also slow down the clock rate of the ESP32 to fit the timing of the HX711chip, and will use an OLED display and an MQTT library.

Links:
Sketch: https://github.com/SensorsIot/Weight-Sensors

HX711 library: Based on https://github.com/bogde/HX711. Please use the one in my Github. Otherwise, you will get a compilation error
HX711 module: http://bit.ly/2fBZ82W
Strain Gauges: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/Jqb2biU

Supporting Material and Blog Page: http://www.sensorsiot.org
Github: https://www.github.com/sensorsiot
If you want to support the channel and buy from Banggood use this link to start your shopping: https://bit.ly/2jAQEf4 (no additional charges for you)
Official Wemos Store: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/jUzBiIq
https://www.facebook.com/SensorsIOT/
https://twitter.com/spiessa
https://www.instructables.com/member/Andreas Spiess/
Please do not try to Email me or invite me on LinkedIn. These communication channels are reserved for my main job

Who is the first to buy me a coffee? https://www.paypal.me/AndreasSpiess

#169 LoRa one-to-one Connection for a Mailbox Notifier with an Arduino and a Wemos Shield

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:39:16 GMT

You might have heard about LoRaWAN, a network of connected nodes with gateways, brokers and more. If this is too complicated for you, you do not have an internet connection, or if you do not want to depend on other’s infrastructure this video is for you: Today, we will build a point-to-point connection using two plain LoRa modules. And of course we will check out the range of this connection. In the end, I will know when the postman put the nice packets from China into my mailbox. Without going into the freezing winter weather.

Today

We will build two lovely LoRa nodes, one with an Arduino and one with an ESP8266
The Arduino LoRa node will be the sender of sensor data
The Wemos node will act as a receiver of the data.
It will also get an MQTT connection to node-red
We will take some precautions against lousy communication conditions and implement a feedback mechanism
We will do some range testing of this LoRa connection
We will learn about reducing the power consumption of Arduino boards using the sleep mode
I will use “precompiler directives” to ease a programmer’s life
At the end, you will also know what LoRa has to do with drones

If you want to support this channel at your 11.11. Shopping Spree:
Start your shopping with this link: http://bit.ly/2zAFJbD and I will get a small comission. This comission is payed by Banggood

Links:
Sketches: https://github.com/SensorsIot/LoRa-Point-to-Point
Wemos LoRa Shield: https://github.com/hallard/WeMos-Lora
PCB Wemos: https://pcbs.io/share/4Q1Z4
Other Wemos PCB: https://github.com/marcobrianza/Lora_Node_1.3
Arduino Pro Mini LoRa Shield https://github.com/hallard/Mini-LoRa
PCB Pro Mini: https://pcbs.io/share/8AGb2
Investigation into power consumption: https://www.iot-experiments.com/arduino-pro-mini-power-consumption/

#182 ESP32 Lora Boards: What you need to know before you buy (incl. Antenna knowledge)

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:39:04 GMT

LoRa and ESP32 are everybody’s darlings, and when a combination in the form of these small boards appeared on our platforms, it seemed they are a perfect combination. Is this true? Let’s test them.

A 433 MHz Heltec
An 868-915MHz Heltec
An 868-915 TTGO
And as a reference the Hope RFM95 868 MHz

These boards can be used as LoRa nodes and as TTN gateways.
In this video we have a closer look at these features:

The ESP32
The LoRa transceiver
The antennas
And the power management part

Links:
TTN Forum: http://bit.ly/2GFo0TN
ESP32 LorRa Boards: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/2FyRn2n
LoRa32u4: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/vnUFmAy
Whisper Node Lora: http://bit.ly/2GCB0td
dB vs VSWR: https://ww2.minicircuits.com/app/DG03-111.pdf
Antennas: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/23vnqzb

Supporting Material and Blog Page: http://www.sensorsiot.org
Github: https://www.github.com/sensorsiot

My Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/AndreasSpiess

Equipment in my lab: http://www.sensorsiot.org/my-lab/

#197 Cute and versatile DIY Volt, Ampere, Power, efficiency and Capacity Meters

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:38:54 GMT

Multimeters are suitable for many purposes. But usually, they only measure one value at a time. If we deal with power or capacity measurements, we need two multimeters, one for volt and the second one for ampere. And if we want to measure efficiency, we need four multimeters. In earlier videos, I used small all-in-one meters for that purpose and got the request to show how I built them.
So today we will build small and cheap meters which measure volt, ampere, power and capacity at the same time. For around 15 dollars each.

Links:
3D Box: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2789890 or
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2884676
33V/3A Meter: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/J6yzrVz
or http://bit.ly/2HPZUXt
Banana plugs: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/7UVZr7Y
Switch: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/e6QjYVv
9V battery connector: http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bAqB6mi
Reamer: http://bit.ly/2HMfhzT
"Naked" Connectors: http://bit.ly/2HQ1uZp
Instructable: https://www.instructables.com/id/Versatile-Volt-Ampere-and-Power-Meter/

Supporting Material and Blog Page: http://www.sensorsiot.org
Github: https://www.github.com/sensorsiot

My Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/AndreasSpiess
My Bitcoin address: 19FSmqbBzb5zsYB1d8Bq4KbxVmezToDNTV
If you want to support the channel, please use the links below to start your shopping. No additional charges for you, but I get a commission (of your purchases the next 24 hours) to buy new stuff for the channel
For Banggood https://bit.ly/2jAQEf4
For AliExpress: http://bit.ly/2B0yTLL
For ebay.com: http://ebay.to/2DuYXBp

Equipment in my lab: http://www.sensorsiot.org/my-lab/

458 The second Part of My Long Mailbag

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:36:27 GMT

This is the second part of my long mailbag video. It contains some products, some explanations, and experiments. And it shows a bit of my side projects.

My second channel: https://www.youtube.com/HB9BLAWireless

Links:
UPS:
AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DDSklIz (it seems that shipping cost increased)
eBay.com: https://ebay.us/aSw2uF
eBay DE: https://ebay.us/OUXDI4 (18W version)
Amazon.de (without PoE): https://amzn.to/3PiLVxO
The "SVC ECO PLUS 8100" was also proposed by a viewer

Hi-Link power supply: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DmmaOQv
Effortless Extruder: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DB2fux3
Daly BMS to MQTT: https://github.com/softwarecrash/DALY-BMS-to-MQTT

Chapters:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:22 Versatile and cheap UPS
00:04:28 Small insulated power supply (with lots of explanation)
00:09:22 Effortless Extruder for flux etc.

Patreon supporter companies:
https://passiv-energie.gmbh/
https://www.welectron.com/
https://yosmart.com/
YouTuber Patreon: https://www.youtube.com/@MakersMashup/

The links above usually are affiliate links that support the channel (at no additional cost to you).
Supporting Material and Blog Page: http://www.sensorsiot.org
GitHub: https://www.github.com/sensorsiot
My Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/AndreasSpiess
Discord: https://discord.gg/JfgDSa8
If you want to support the channel, please use the links below to start your shopping. No additional charges for you, but I get a commission on your purchases to buy new stuff for the channel
My Amazon.com shop: https://www.amazon.com/shop/andreasspiess
For Banggood https://bit.ly/2jAQEf4
For AliExpress: For AliExpress: bit.ly/3MtXUY8 (just go on from here to your product)
For Amazon.de: http://amzn.to/2r0ZCYI
For Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2mxBaJf
For ebay.com: http://ebay.to/2DuYXBp

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013947273409
https://twitter.com/spiessa
https://www.instructables.com/member/Andreas Spiess/
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429 NRF52 Bluetooth (BLE) Tutorial. Does it consume less than the ESP32? (Feather, XIAO, ItsyBitsy)

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:36:09 GMT

The NRF52 chips from Nordic should be much better for Bluetooth Low Energy projects than the ESP32. Is this true? Can we use them with the Arduino IDE? And which boards are available? Let’s have a closer look.

My second channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwyP4Yd0-O49e05kMUJgQQ

Links:
Example code: https://github.com/SensorsIot/NRF52-video
Adafruit BLE introduction: https://learn.adafruit.com/introducing-the-adafruit-nrf52840-feather?view=all
XIAO BLE: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AsR6JV
Makerdiary: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_9JvUA7 or https://amzn.to/3Mtbybd
ItsyBitsy: https://amzn.to/3sJaFDl
Feather: https://amzn.to/3Lx46dW

The links above usually are affiliate links that support the channel (no additional cost for you).
Supporting Material and Blog Page: http://www.sensorsiot.org
Github: https://www.github.com/sensorsiot
My Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/AndreasSpiess
Discord: https://discord.gg/JfgDSa8
If you want to support the channel, please use the links below to start your shopping. No additional charges for you, but I get a commission on your purchases to buy new stuff for the channel
My Amazon.com shop: https://www.amazon.com/shop/andreasspiess
For Banggood https://bit.ly/2jAQEf4
For AliExpress: http://bit.ly/2B0yTLL
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For Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2mxBaJf
For ebay.com: http://ebay.to/2DuYXBp

457 Mostly Around Power for Projects. And More

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:35:55 GMT

A typical mailbag video with some explanation and experiments. Because it was too long for one, a part two will follow next week.

My second channel: https://www.youtube.com/HB9BLAWireless

Chapters:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:29 PD cables for 9 and 12V
00:03:22 Printable Heat shrink tubes
00:03:58 Risc-V board
00:05:57 DC 100A solid-state relay including explanations
00:11:47 Home-made 7kW LiFePo4 Battery incl. accessories
00:12:27 300Ah LiFePo4 Battery
00:13:22 MHP30 Mini Hotplate

Patreon supporter companies:
https://passiv-energie.gmbh/
https://www.welectron.com/
https://yosmart.com/
YouTuber Patreon: https://www.youtube.com/@MakersMashup/

#425 GitHub Tutorial without using the Command Line

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:35:30 GMT

Today, working with GitHub is a fundamental skill. Most libraries and projects reside on GitHub, and we have to know how to use them. GitHub can also enhance our work procedure, and a lot of employers will ask you for your GitHub account or will check it out before they invite you for an interview. So GitHub seems to be at least as important as LinkedIn for a professional developer’s career.
This video will teach you the basics to start with GitHub and use it for your Arduino projects. And I promise: We will avoid the command line!

My second channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwyP4Yd0-O49e05kMUJgQQ

Links:

452 The definitive Guide to Zerotier VPN and why it is "better" than Wireguard (Tutorial)

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:35:15 GMT

Today, we will strike back! Not with a commercial of NordVPN or similar. No, the VPN we will build is free of charge! And it can be built by everybody in minutes. Very different from Wireguard, which is
complicated. Sounds like a deal? In addition, you will learn a lot about the internet.

My second channel: https://www.youtube.com/HB9BLAWireless

Links:
Raspberry Pi 4: https://amzn.to/3nlHfvc
Cheap Proxmox server: https://ebay.us/h7WmoB
Proxmox Mini PC: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DnL8Fxb
IOTstack Zerotier Wiki: https://sensorsiot.github.io/IOTstack/Containers/ZeroTier/
Proxmox Video: https://youtu.be/rXc_zGRYhLo
IOTstack Video: https://youtu.be/a6mjt8tWUws
Remote Station video: https://youtu.be/Rgd5WTGdwZ8
Zerotier Wiki Article: https://bit.ly/3JWXyGm
RUTX14: 4G RUTX14:: https://teltonika-networks.com/products/routers/rutx14?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=teltonika-networks-rutx14-layer-2-bridge-over-zerotier&utm_content=video

Patreon supporter companies:
https://passiv-energie.gmbh/
https://www.welectron.com/
https://yosmart.com/
YouTuber Patreon: https://www.youtube.com/@MakersMashup/

The links above usually are affiliate links that support the channel (at no additional cost to you).
Supporting Material and Blog Page: http://www.sensorsiot.org
GitHub: https://www.github.com/sensorsiot
My Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/AndreasSpiess
Discord: https://discord.gg/JfgDSa8
If you want to support the channel, please use the links below to start your shopping. No additional charges for you, but I get a commission on your purchases to buy new stuff for the channel
My Amazon.com shop: https://www.amazon.com/shop/andreasspiess
For Banggood https://bit.ly/2jAQEf4
For AliExpress: bit.ly/3MtXUY8 (just go on from here to your product)
For Amazon.de: http://amzn.to/2r0ZCYI
For Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2mxBaJf
For ebay.com: http://ebay.to/2DuYXBp

443 I found an Excellent Raspberry Pi Replacement for Home Assistant / IOTstack (incl. Proxmox)

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:35:02 GMT

Raspberry Pi boards are hard to get, but probably also next year. So, we have to have a strategy to survive without new Raspberry boards. Sometimes, a problem can be a chance. This is what we will see today. Stay tuned if you want to get a cheaper, faster, and prettier Raspberry replacement. Spoiler alert: It will be “Back to the Future.”

Links:
Fujitsu: https://ebay.us/VyIeAz
I5 Lenovo: https://ebay.us/ZtXI7G or https://amzn.to/3gj6MlH
I7 Lenovo: https://ebay.us/j0R7sl
i3 Lenovo: https://amzn.to/3Aoae5p
mSATA Adapter: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DeYJ9lz (not tried)
HA Installation: https://youtu.be/1Un4zJJWUTE
Debian installation: https://youtu.be/OUC7DMBfR3Y

The links above are usually affiliate links that support the channel (at no additional cost to you).

Commands and links:
Debian Live
https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current-live/amd64/iso-hybrid/debian-live-11.5.0-amd64-gnome.iso
Home Assistant
https://github.com/home-assistant/operating-system/releases/download/9.3/haos_generic-x86-64-9.3.img.xz

sudo apt-get update -y
sudo apt-get install -y efibootmgr
sudo efibootmgr -c -l /EFI/BOOT/BOOTx64.EFI -L HomeAssistant
su
sudo usermod -aG sudo pi
sudo service ssh start
exit

~/PiBuilder/boot/scripts/01_setup.sh
~/PiBuilder/boot/scripts/02_setup.sh
~/PiBuilder/boot/scripts/03_setup.sh
~/PiBuilder/boot/scripts/04_setup.sh
~/PiBuilder/boot/scripts/05_setup.sh
cd ~/IOTstack
./menu.sh

lsusb
ls /dev/ttyA*
nano ~/IOTstack/docker-compose.yml

https://github.com/Paraphraser/PiBuilder
Proxmox helpers: https://tteck.github.io/Proxmox/

Patreon supporter companies:
https://passiv-energie.gmbh/
https://www.welectron.com/
https://yosmart.com/
YouTuber Patreon: https://www.youtube.com/@MakersMashup/

Supporting Material and Blog Page: http://www.sensorsiot.org
GitHub: https://www.github.com/sensorsiot
My Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/AndreasSpiess
Discord: https://discord.gg/JfgDSa8
If you want to support the channel, please use the links below to start your shopping. No additional charges for you, but I get a commission on your purchases to buy new stuff for the channel
My Amazon.com shop: https://www.amazon.com/shop/andreasspiess
For Banggood https://bit.ly/2jAQEf4
For AliExpress: For AliExpress: bit.ly/3MtXUY8 (just go on from here to your product)
For Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/shop/andreasspiess
For Amazon.de: http://amzn.to/2r0ZCYI
For Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2mxBaJf
For ebay.com: http://ebay.to/2DuYXBp

#420 ATmega4808, The New Arduino Chip?

(YT)Andreas Spiess — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:34:49 GMT

The chip used in the Arduinos is old. Recently a replacement with more features appeared on Aliexpress. Does it really outperform the grandpa Atmel 328P? How compatible is it? And what is its most significant advantage?
I am a proud Patreon of @GreatScott!, @ElectroBOOM , @Electronoobs , @EEVblog , and others.

My second channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwyP4Yd0-O49e05kMUJgQQ

Links:
4808 Nano Clone: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_APJxVV
Atmega4809 Chip: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AdJKRl or https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ApdJ95
"Old" Nano Clone: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ApDZHN
Arduino Uno: https://amzn.to/3hWigJb
Arduino Nano Every: https://amzn.to/36aQMfY
UPDI Programming: https://youtu.be/yWb7qHI0YN4
Atmega Datasheet: https://bit.ly/3vTnQnM
Core for Atmega4808/4809: https://github.com/MCUdude/MegaCoreX
LowPower Library: https://github.com/rocketscream/RocketScream_LowPowerAVRZero
Bootloader flashing: https://mp1993.de/mega-4808-and-optiboot-bootloader/
UPDI programmer (Tindie): https://www.tindie.com/products/MCUdude/microupdi-programmer/
Tweezers soldering Iron: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AW97AF

Link collection (AemmeNet): https://bit.ly/3w3slMu

The links above usually are affiliate links that support the channel (no additional cost for you).
Supporting Material and Blog Page: http://www.sensorsiot.org
Github: https://www.github.com/sensorsiot
My Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/AndreasSpiess
Discord: https://discord.gg/JfgDSa8
If you want to support the channel, please use the links below to start your shopping. No additional charges for you, but I get a commission of your purchases to buy new stuff for the channel
My Amazon.com shop: https://www.amazon.com/shop/andreasspiess
For Banggood https://bit.ly/2jAQEf4
For AliExpress: http://bit.ly/2B0yTLL
For Amazon.de: http://amzn.to/2r0ZCYI
For Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2mxBaJf
For ebay.com: http://ebay.to/2DuYXBp