News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Send text messages for free using Python.

Re:Send text messages for free using Python by acidburnNSA on Wednesday January 12, 2022 @09:45PM (#29916170)
In 2009, I could send and receive text messages though SMS gateways that would control my arduino-controlled hot tub that my friends and I got for $100 on Craigslist. I could adjust the temperature and it would acknowledge and tell me when the programmed temperature would be reached based on the time derivative. This was useful as a grad student in Ann Arbor winters.

I had a python script running on a handmedown computer running Ubuntu 8.10 that just periodically checked an email account, parsed the command, flipped the relay as necessary, read the temperature rise, and replied.

Writeup: https://partofthething.com/thoughts/hot-tub-controller/

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Send text messages for free using Python by furyg3 on Thursday January 13, 2022 @04:16AM (#29918538)
For a second I thought you were one of my roommates, because we had a very similar setup for our (free) hot tub. Ours was a few years earlier and using older hardware.

We had an actual server in the garage, with a X10 firecracker on one serial port and a temperature sensor on the other. We used a 220V relay with a 110V pull, hooked up to a normal X10 switch controller. So from an X10 remote in the house, or via an sms gateway, we could turn on our hot tub remotely.

This had a few advantages including: 1) this setup was more accurate than the ancient thermal sensor/control on the hot tub 2) we never again had a large electric bill because someone forgot to turn it off and 3) really nice for when a date is going well and you can turn on the hot tub ahead of time :)

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Send text messages for free using Python by TimD1 on Thursday January 13, 2022 @01:00AM (#29917327)
Would have been a nice addition to the BBB bubbler [1]. - a current UM grad student

[1]https://www.beyster.com/blog/?p=303

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Send text messages for free using Python by excitednumber on Wednesday January 12, 2022 @10:27PM (#29916463)
You are a hero. This made me chuckle. Thank you for existing, human.
[ Parent | on HN ]