As much as I would like to avoid it there is a need to install technology no matter where you are. I’m not against technology, just the entshittification tech bros have prioritised to rake in as much cash as possible through data collection. Technology can be good, it can also be fun to play with. All my technology energy these days goes toward open source, privacy based solutions. So as much as I can I have selected and bought using these values (it’s not always possible to avoid extractive technology).
Ambient Weather WS 2902 Smart Weather Station
Selected because it allows more sensors to be connected specifically the WH31SM soil moisture sensor which the lower model did not support.
Eufy Solocam E30 Outdoor Camera
Chosen mainly due to an already existing setup and because data can be stored locally so no cloud required.
Will be used to spot visiting wildlife to the dam. And thieves.
TP-Link TL-MR100-Outdoor 4G 300Mbps Outdoor WiFi Router
Selected after much research into outdoor routers that support the 4G 700MGz band most prevalent in rural Australia. There is a newer model but it had no features needed and this rated better for durability.
Will be used with the smallest Telstra Data Plan available.
Renogy 50 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Solar Panel
After a long discussion with a LLM (I shall not name names), this was chosen as it is a good balance between price, size and features.
Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75/15 Controller
Selected because it was donated to me and it does the job controlling the voltage from the solar panel to the battery so it doesn’t get fried or die in a year.
LiTime 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 Lithium Deep Cycle Battery
Picked after same long conversation with LLM and mainly cause of price. Batteries are expensive!
March 17, 2026
[…] you want the nerdy shopping list, that’s in an earlier post. This one is about the glamorous world of cables, connectors, and blown fuses. This was the plan […]