Make a Wifi Connected Pet Feeder For Home Assistant!

[@WADYNASTY77]

As a novice I am so very appreciative of your level of detail! Thank you so much

[@desparky]

Fun project. One suggestion is for the "Low Food" warning: For all my notifications like that, I set the trigger for a convenient time of day, and a condition that the food is low. That way you only get a notification at a time of day when you are awake and able to respond to the alert.

[@BauerPowerTech]

great idea

[@SmartSolutionsForHome]

Well done! I love the simplicity of your feeder! Can't wait to see more videos from you.

[@BauerPowerTech]

Thank You!

[@rachaelb9164]

If you don’t have an exhaust fan while soldering just use a regular fan to blow the fumes away from you. Thanks for this.

[@BauerPowerTech]

I'm honestly surprised it's still getting views. Thank you for the comment Rachael!

[@miguelavello7493]

Hello Bauer, Awesome job with the feeder! It’s so simple yet super effective. Your video is not just informative but also really inspiring. I'm all about using ESPHome and servos for DIY stuff too, so seeing your project is super cool. It's got me pumped to try out similar things. Can't wait to see more of your videos. Keep 'em coming - they're just perfect!"

[@BauerPowerTech]

Thanks Miguel! I really want to make a new version in the future because the servo shaft stripped out the "flappy wheel" and also the reservoir didn't seem big enough. But it was a fun project that taught me a lot. I took a break for a while because my computer was painfully slow for editing videos but I've got an upgraded video card now which has helped a lot. I'm also in the process of upgrading my CPU, RAM, and other components and plan to make a video about it. I plan to put out a lot more videos in the near future. Thanks for the support; I appreciate you!

[@miguelavello7493]

@@BauerPowerTech Hello Jason, Thank you for sharing some of the challenges so I can look into that area and improve it. Still this is one of my favorite projects. Awesome that you are coming back. I thought I read somewhere that you will try to make a video for your PC up-grade ? That is a good idea. Cheers !!!!

[@jay11512]

You saved me soooo much time! My dogs and I thank you very much

[@BauerPowerTech]

Anytime Jay! I just noticed recently that the food dispenser isn't available on Amazon anymore. What did you use? Or were you able to get it?

[@ericsorensen10]

Awesome work. I'm hoping to use what you taught me here to build a "Roomba Garage Door" under a kitchen cabinet. After watching your video, I wondered something. Can your cat hear the Ultrasonic sound? Assuming the Ultrasonic only triggers for a short time daily, perhaps the cat doesn't even notice.

[@GrantUchida]

this is actually really well done man! great job!

[@BauerPowerTech]

Thanks Grant! So much work! Lol. But glad you like it! I dig your Twitch channel!

[@GrantUchida]

@@BauerPowerTech you're welcome! You should try to Make more of these every so often, even if I might not need to make these devices I'd definitely watch them :) thanks so much for the support :D

[@1endell]

Loved it. I'm doing something similar, but the opening way is more like a sliding. Thanks for the help

[@BauerPowerTech]

Nice! Glad you found it useful! When you have it working, you should post a video of what you came up with. I'd like to see it and someone might find that solution useful. Thanks for watching (and subscribing) Wendell!

[@christianw.jensen1975]

We have a fat cat as well... but I really needed intructions on using a servo for flood lights hidden in bird boxes in the garden :-)

[@BauerPowerTech]

lol. Seems like a fat cat is the least of your worries.

[@simonburke6681]

Well done mate. I'm about to try automating vertical blinds using a servo, ESPHome and HA; this was helpful.

[@BauerPowerTech]

I'm glad to help. Servos are a challenge but they work so well once you get it configured!

[@MGamer44]

I’m having trouble creating an automation for the servo and I was hoping you could help. It’d be very much appreciated

[@eclecticlife]

Thanks for the video. I just wanted you to know that when I search for esphome your video is not on the search results.

[@BauerPowerTech]

Thanks for the heads up. It might be because the video (and my channel in general) is new. I'll double check my tags though (edit: sure enough, no esphome tags). I probably still have a lot to learn regarding search optimization. Thanks for watching John!

[@gergoschwahofer6647]

Do more videos mate, Thats perfect. Im also using ESPHome and Servos and waiting for my 3D Printer to arrive, I'll do one for my cats :)

[@BauerPowerTech]

I really want a 3D printer too but it's not in the budget right now. Thanks for the compliment. I'll produce more videos as much as I can; I have quite a few ideas yet. Thanks for the support Gergo!

[@Julio-fs1ui]

Are you using the esp32?

[@BauerPowerTech]

@@Julio-fs1ui I haven't yet but it after a quick search, it looks like another great, low cost, chip, with far better power management. I'll have to check it out! I am no expert and am learning as I go and trying to share as much as I can. I'm trying to answer the questions that I couldn't (easily) find the answers to. Tips like these are why I started this channel. Thanks for the tip Julio!

[@braxtonyoung]

Great Video!

[@BauerPowerTech]

Thanks Braxton!

[@tenchukdk]

You deserve more subscribers

[@MacDaddy5]

Have you considered designing a pcb to be purchased from pcb way? Seems like you could cut time of the electronics build portion in half. I’d design my own based on your video but I have no idea what I’m doing lol

[@BauerPowerTech]

Great idea. I've been looking into the PCB stuff lately. And none of us know what we're doing. That's the fun part....

[@vpsrj]

Well done job! Thanks for the idea!

[@BauerPowerTech]

if you make one, share it at www.bauerpower.tech/geekforums/share-your-projects/

[@lverlaek]

This is awesome! Thanks for the great video.

[@BauerPowerTech]

YOU are awesome.

[@TwanJaarsveld1]

Mine doesn't show a entitie for the servo, did i do something wrong i followed all your steps but didn't see you enter the entitie to lovelace

[@HandyKindaGuyUK]

Now can you please do a smart kitter litter tray? You'll see I've commented on another guy's build, but he's done it with an Arduino, hard to pull into home assistant.

[@BauerPowerTech]

I've considered it since the Litter Robot is so expensive but it would be a big project. Can you share the link to the other guy's build? I don't know how to view your other comments. Thanks!

[@anumsheraz]

Amazing work!

[@BauerPowerTech]

thank you!

[@bballer11241]

Thanks for doing this man, love it and have just built mine. I'm having trouble of the servo motor not making good connection with the plastic piece, and the servo motor just spins with the plastic rotator not spinning. How did you make it be a solid connection and not slip?

[@BauerPowerTech]

That's an issue I had a few months later too. I'm trying to figure out a good coupler idea.

[@KingofOdys]

Great Video! Thank you.

[@BauerPowerTech]

Thanks for watching!

[@nicholasutopia]

I like the last part. tq👍

[@BauerPowerTech]

I appreciate you. I read this a long time ago and it made me smile. Sorry I didn't respond sooner.

[@murrayschreiber739]

Great video! I think I'm going to have to make one of those. And I'll make one for my fish tank too. That was the reason I found your video! What is the buck converter for? Keep on going!

[@BauerPowerTech]

The buck converter handles more amperage. You can't run the servo through just the D1. too much current.

[@tempelton2700]

Super cool! I have junk drawers. Plural. lol

[@BauerPowerTech]

Right on! Gotta keep it somewhere! lol

[@rhendonceniza2757]

im goin to make these

[@4SquareHI]

Did you create a blueprint for your automation? I'm having a heck of a time to turn a pump on

[@BauerPowerTech]

I didn't. But I could. What are you having trouble with? Controlling the servo?

[@4SquareHI]

@@BauerPowerTech Yes I can't seem to get home assistant to talk to it. It's a 12V bilge pump and I have an external 12v power supply. Testing it manually it works fine, made the changes to configuration.yaml and automations.yaml as the specs say but I have something wrong and I can't find a good way to debug it. I'm just trying to extend our wonderful Wisconsin growing season. The slider is there and I changed it to 0 to plus 100 and that's all fine. I'm using a BTS7960 43A High Power Motor Driver Module with a NodeMCU and I have the R_PWM wired to D2. I also have 3 flow meters attached to D6, D7, D8 and those readings are logging fine at 0 for now until I get the pump to work.

[@BauerPowerTech]

@@4SquareHI My pet feeder didn't work either at first. I feel ya. Troubleshooting sucks. I really wish I could tell you to do this or that but I don't know without seeing it. Where in WI are you?

[@jagadeeshv2763]

Nice nice ... when I got time I have to make 2 feeder for my pond and birds. It’s looking like simple and easy. While making these types of video include your prototype and failed models also, so that we will avoid😀

[@jagadeeshv2763]

And about the junk drawer ... no no Not have only that .. I’m I am having whole working table full junk.

[@BauerPowerTech]

When I mess something up or something stumps me I have been trying to include that too to help others avoid it. Thanks for the comments! And regarding the junk drawer, in my area it seems like every home has a drawer designated the "junk drawer" in the kitchen. It's where all the random items are put (pens, tape, screw drivers, matches, etc.) Mine is getting pretty full. lol.

[@GMguy0013]

Also from MN/WI... also have junk drawer... we must be long lost relation

[@BauerPowerTech]

Must be! Lol. Thanks for watching cuz!

[@jagadeeshv2763]

Bro can u make one proper step by step video for installing home assistant through OVA in Virtual application for windows. There is no proper Guide for this. ( yes there are some videos but those a year old ) everyone from the form is recommending OVA but no one had made the video on this.

[@BauerPowerTech]

I have my Home Assistant running on VirtualBox and restored OVA backups of my install in the past but it's been a while. I'd have to refresh my memory. I will add it to my list of video ideas and see if I can put something together for you when I have the time in the next couple weeks or months.

[@BauerPowerTech]

Jagadeesh, that's going to be my next video. Been working on it. Hope you are doing well lucky 13!