Don't make the same mistake I did when buying your smart devices that you want to run on your own network away from the cloud.
Make 100% sure that the devices you buy can be flashed with your own firmware or tasmotised

BNETA devices which are being pushed all over SA at all the major retailers are NOT flashable, they are now using the new tuya proprietry chips which cannot be flashed with your own firmware or tasmotised.
Ask your retailer if the devices you are interested in are using TUYA chips and if they are, walk away

These companies want to force you onto their cloud systems so that they can sell your usage data to big tech and who knows else.
If TUYA provide the devices for free then sure, collect the data 🤣 if the user is comfortable with that.
But TUYA are not getting my data for free to sell on to whoever.

For now stick with sonoff They are friendly to the diy community and actually make it easier for you to re-flash their devices to get off the cloud

If you know other brands that are tasmota friendly in SA then please drop them here.

Tasmota website does have a list of supported devices but not all those devices work since some have upgraded to the new tuya chips. And many on those lists are not available in SA anymore

Stay Away From TUYA devices, they are bad news!!

BE CAREFULL OF ANY COMPANY THAT WANTS YOU TO USE THEIR CLOUD SYSTEMS.

Edited June 11, 20224 yr by WannabeSolarSparky

It is actually possible to write your own firmware or install an equivalent of Tasmota firmware on some of these devices. It depends on the chip they use.

Many now use either a BK7231T or BK7231N chip. There is a tutorial on how to write your own code and how to flash a ready built Tasmota equivalent here WB2S/BK7231 Tutorial - writing custom firmware - UDP/TCP/HTTP/MQTT (elektroda.com)

I have tested this out on a Nous smart socket and have successfully changed it to the Tasmota build.

It's not the Arduino environment but is certainly possible to do.

Visia 16amp Power monitoring Plug/socket tasmotized success
Another one to add to the list that works if you are into this sort of thing.
I bought one from takealot yesterday to test tasmotizing it.
Works great.

Visia 16amp power monitoring plug in action.

Second Vizia power monitor added, this one is for my office.

On 2022/07/03 at 1:08 PM, WannabeSolarSparky said:

I bought one from takealot yesterday to test tasmotizing it.

😂

38 minutes ago, MKRandburg said:

😂

You only need minimal soldering skills
And a bit of an understanding of how to use an esp8266 as a passthrough programmer

SHout if you need need help

 

Hi, what APP are you using to display those graphs of the Vizia plugs ? I really want to get a plug that displays usage graphs for the last 24 hours.

9 hours ago, AndreBam said:

Hi, what APP are you using to display those graphs of the Vizia plugs ? I really want to get a plug that displays usage graphs for the last 24 hours.

I use Node-red, gathering data via mqtt and modbuss from the tasmotised devices and then graphed onto my local thingsboard server.

Guys,
I date from the bc (before computers 😂) generation so be patient please.

Why do you convert the Sonoffs to Tasmota? 
And then you use Node-red?
Some explanation to put all of this into perspective wil be appreciated.

I have Sonoffs and they work ok’ish. The only nuisance for me is when Ewelink needs login. And the consumption stats for the power monitoring is not so hot and up to date historical.

Edited October 21, 20223 yr by Johandup

1 hour ago, Johandup said:

Guys,
I date from the bc (before computers 😂) generation so be patient please.

Why do you convert the Sonoffs to Tasmota? 
And then you use Node-red?
Some explanation to put all of this into perspective wil be appreciated.

I have Sonoffs and they work ok’ish. The only nuisance for me is when Ewelink needs login. And the consumption stats for the power monitoring is not so hot and up to date historical.

Most generic smart devices need the internet to work because the master server is in the cloud (in china or europe somewhere). If they can't reach it then the smartness is negated. So people flash tasmota because it allows local control - even if the internet is down your devices are still smart because you essentially control them from your own LAN. It also helps if you are more privacy focused as your data wont go to the corporations that made the devices

Node-red is used to sequence actions based on a number of inputs and outputs, so you create an automation that checks the solar forecast for tomorrow, if this is above XkWh then perform certain functions, else don't do those functions, do another set of functions

I also have a couple of Sonoffs that work as-is - but i definitely see the benefit of something like tasmota - i just don't have the skill to do it

I guess it all boils down to what are your use cases and how do you want to achieve them

On 2022/09/27 at 9:08 AM, WannabeSolarSparky said:

You only need minimal soldering skills
And a bit of an understanding of how to use an esp8266 as a passthrough programmer

SHout if you need need help

 

I'm officially in this game now! haha. I have ordered an ESP32 - load cell - amplifier thingy and other bits and bobs and when it arrives I will be making a little scale to sit under the kettle, so I can check if it has enough water before I turn it on! I might be taking you up on this offer! 

Hi @WannabeSolarSparky

I found a new firmware flash project which is designed for a number of the new Tuya non-Tasmota compatible chips

OpenBK7231T/OpenBeken is a Tasmota/Esphome replacement for new Tuya modules featuring MQTT and Home Assistant compatibility. This repository is named "OpenBK7231T_App", but now it's a multiplatform app, supporting build for multiple separate chips:

• BK7231T (WB3S, WB2S, WB2L, etc)
• BK7231N (CB2S, CB2L, WB2L_M1, etc)
• T34 (T34 is based on BK7231N)
• XR809 (XR3, etc)
• BL602
• W800 (W800-C400, WinnerMicro WiFi & Bluetooth), W801
• W600 (WinnerMicro chip), W601

https://github.com/openshwprojects/OpenBK7231T_App

 

A lot of guides/teardowns to flashing different devices with it here 

https://www.elektroda.com/rtvforum/forum507.html

Edited October 31, 20223 yr by Sc00bs
added link to teardowns

1 hour ago, Sc00bs said:

I found a new firmware flash project which is designed for a number of the new Tuya non-Tasmota compatible chips

Hey @Sc00bs thanks for that find
Will check it out during the week, if that works it will open up my list of usable devices.
I have a bneta smart power meter plug running latest tuya chip with the "unhackable wifi" so will sacrifice that one to test
It's just gathering dust due to not being tasmotisable.

4 hours ago, WannabeSolarSparky said:

Hey @Sc00bs thanks for that find
Will check it out during the week, if that works it will open up my list of usable devices.
I have a bneta smart power meter plug running latest tuya chip with the "unhackable wifi" so will sacrifice that one to test
It's just gathering dust due to not being tasmotisable.

Also have one of the BNETA ones from Builders I think with the same issue, will be interested to find out

 

2 hours ago, Sc00bs said:

Also have one of the BNETA ones from Builders I think with the same issue, will be interested to find out

 

That's also where I got mine will let you know for sure.

I also have some Qualitel ones that I got from Takealot, Theyu have the WB2S chipset in them so looks like I will be able to reflash all of them as well 🙂 

@WannabeSolarSparky I'm wondering if you've bought one of these to "try" yet? https://www.geewiz.co.za/smart-home-products/183747-tuya-1p-40a-smart-wifi-circuit-breaker.html

 

Looking for a replacement for my cbi astute so I can control it from node-red.

2 hours ago, MKRandburg said:

@WannabeSolarSparky I'm wondering if you've bought one of these to "try" yet? https://www.geewiz.co.za/smart-home-products/183747-tuya-1p-40a-smart-wifi-circuit-breaker.html

 

Looking for a replacement for my cbi astute so I can control it from node-red.

I try avoid TUYA devices as their new wifi chips are not that easy to hack. There is some info online to hack them, but its not that simple.

If you need something that can handle more amps then get a nice decent 40amp+ AC relay from ACDC or your favorite supplier and then simply control it with a tasmotised sonoff wifi switch through node-red.

14 hours ago, WannabeSolarSparky said:

decent 40amp+ AC relay from ACDC or your favorite supplier and then simply control it with a tasmotised sonoff wifi switch through node-red.

Cool. This will work for the geyser.
How do I do the pool? - currently I have a cbi Astute in the db.

 

14 hours ago, WannabeSolarSparky said:

I try avoid TUYA devices as their new wifi chips are not that easy to hack

I knew this - I actually just posted the wrong link 🤦‍♀️
It's this Vizia one: https://www.takealot.com/vizia-smart-wifi-geyser-with-energy-consumption-monitoring-geyse/PLID90884974?gclid=Cj0KCQiAmaibBhCAARIsAKUlaKSwTaFmBVsF61tvXzpZ-Ayh6w-X79HNUpc0YDKlcXDS2HBh8lavvKIaAhGCEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Edited November 9, 20223 yr by MKRandburg

16 hours ago, MKRandburg said:

@WannabeSolarSparky I'm wondering if you've bought one of these to "try" yet? https://www.geewiz.co.za/smart-home-products/183747-tuya-1p-40a-smart-wifi-circuit-breaker.html

 

Looking for a replacement for my cbi astute so I can control it from node-red.

 

16 hours ago, MKRandburg said:

@WannabeSolarSparky I'm wondering if you've bought one of these to "try" yet? https://www.geewiz.co.za/smart-home-products/183747-tuya-1p-40a-smart-wifi-circuit-breaker.html

 

Looking for a replacement for my cbi astute so I can control it from node-red.

I bought one to control a pump with. 
It was too far from my house and unreliable Ewelink connection. 

For geyser control the Geyserwise system is tops. Especially as it is soon available with a wifi board. 

1 hour ago, Johandup said:

For geyser control the Geyserwise system is tops. Especially as it is soon available with a wifi board. 

I have one already. I want to be able to flash it with tasmota. The new board will come with a tuya chip - which is likely unhackable. 

I might resort to using node red to control the devices via google home. But I'm getting into electronics and would like to flash things with tasmota and have more control over the device and program it to work they way I want it to. 

 

4 hours ago, MKRandburg said:

Cool. This will work for the geyser.
How do I do the pool? - currently I have a cbi Astute in the db.

You should be able to do the same with the pool pump circuit