Short records of what I did and how it turned out. Mistakes included — that part is usually the useful one.
Balcony weather station: second attempt
October 8, 2026
I built the first version a year ago: a board with a temperature and humidity sensor in a plastic box, powered from an old 5 V supply. Readings went to the home server once a minute.
The problem showed up in summer. In direct sunlight the box heated up and the sensor read four degrees above what it actually was. I blamed the sensor first and bought a second one — same story.
The fix was simple: moved the box under the eave and put a foil shield inside so the wall does not radiate onto it. Now it agrees with an outdoor thermometer to within half a degree. Humidity still lies when it rains, but that is down to the sensor, and I have not got around to it.
Watering system: what broke in a year
September 21, 2026
The system is plain: a ten-litre tank, a submersible pump, two drip lines and a relay that switches the pump on twice a day on a timer.
Over the year two hoses failed — they live on the balcony and cracked over winter. The pump started humming louder than usual; I took it apart, found scale inside, cleaned the impeller and greased the bushing. It runs quieter than new now.
I replaced the hoses with silicone ones: softer, and they do not stiffen in the cold. Next season I want to add a level sensor in the tank so the pump does not run dry.
Home server for photos
September 3, 2026
The photo archive passed a terabyte a while ago, and keeping it on a single drive stopped feeling comfortable. So I went simple: an SSD for working files, the old hard drive for nightly copies.
While I was in there I found the cause of the night-time noise. It was not the fans at all — the drive mount resonated with the case. Rubber pads under the mount killed the hum completely.
Copies run on a schedule, and once a week I check that they actually read. It already paid off once: I deleted a whole month of photos by accident.
Plant shelf with a light strip
August 14, 2026
Made from leftover plywood and finished with oil. The light is two strips along the edges, switched on by the same schedule as the watering.
The first version overheated: the strip was glued flat against the plywood. I redid it with an air gap and an aluminium channel to carry the heat away. Now the wood is barely warm.
Bicycle: overhauling the rear hub
July 27, 2026
The rear wheel started to wobble and there was a knock at speed. I took the hub apart: the grease had turned into something greyish and one of the cones was pitted.
Found a replacement cone at a workshop nearby, cleaned and reassembled the rest. The knock is gone and the wheel spins true. Next time I will not wait two seasons before servicing it.