After much experimentation I finally switched over my home automation system to a Raspberry Pi running Home Assistant. My system is pretty simple as it just controls a few lights for now. When the house was built we had PIR sensors and door switches fitted along with X10 lighting control. The Comfort controller was good at the time (2003), but we now have access to small, cheap computers that can do far more. Home Assistant can connect to many of the available Internet of Things devices. It sees my Google Nest and Chromecast, but I'm deciding if I can use those for anything. It also works with Philips Hue, Amazon Echo, Sonos Audio and many more.
There's a web front end that I can also see on my phone. They have an iPhone app, but not Android yet. It's all open source so that anyone can contribute. I'll see if there's anything I can do. Advantages of the new system are that it will automatically adjust to changing sunset, it's more easily programmed and may actually use less power. You can even control things with voice commands, but it's a bit hit and miss.
I've just connected it using breadboards for now, but will get some more permanent connectors so I can tidy it away in the wall box.
The Pi is in a cabinet. That will get tidied up too. I just wanted to see it all working first and then I'll look at getting rid of the old system. I wonder if anyone would want to buy it.
