Matt Knight (KN6HTM)

https://mastodon.knight.fyi/@matt

Self-hoster, engineer, RVer living in Vermont building our own energy-efficient, sustainable and healthy Passive House.

Personal Website: https://www.mattknight.io/
GitHub: https://github.com/abstractvector
Adventurous Way Blog: https://www.adventurousway.com/
Adventurous Way YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adventurousway

Public Key

npub1elfrmpjh8k4ntrrzca846jp3ryvktaceaathk24f25pngynhg2pspvsff8

NIP-05 Address

matt_at_mastodon.knight.fyi@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsvl53asetnm2e4333vwn6afqc3jxt97uv774mm92542qe5zfm59qcpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dstexxxd

Publishing to

nostr.wine

Author Public Key

npub1elfrmpjh8k4ntrrzca846jp3ryvktaceaathk24f25pngynhg2pspvsff8

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Last Notes

2026-06-23 22:37:13 UTC

It may not look like much, but I’m really proud of this. I wanted a mounting plate for our silcock and the ones I found were uninspiring - bare steel, multiple holes to fit different silcocks, etc. $15 + tax.
So I decided to design my own. I designed this in Fusion, then sent it off to SendCutSend who laser cut it from 3/16” 316 stainless steel, tapped the holes and powder coated it. $66 for 2, so $33 each. I’m very happy with that! First such project for me.
#fusion #cad #maker #sendcutsend
https://media.knight.fyi/media_attachments/files/116/801/809/114/038/008/original/48da1c6d5b526b17.png

2026-01-14 00:36:18 UTC

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well that's very kind of you both to say! We have a lot of footage for parts of the build that we never edited, and I know Diana is interested in publishing them one day so never say never!
But for now you'll have to make do with my ad hoc and infrequent posts on here instead 🤣

2026-01-13 22:06:36 UTC

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sadly probably not. At least not any time soon. Filming everything, not to mention editing the footage, was incredibly time consuming and we just couldn’t keep it up and make progress as we wanted to.
I keep toying in my head with different ways to share what we’re doing because I think there is value in that. But I would imagine a blog or similar might be more likely than video.

2026-01-13 21:09:14 UTC

On Sunday I finished painting the our new mechanical room, which means I can finally finish up all the wiring - both electrical and networking. There are over 20 power outlets, and just about as many CAT6 ports in this one small room. I have a second patch panel on the way so I can get the rack tidied up too.
#building #networking #electrical #selfhosting #server

2025-11-28 14:34:29 UTC

We're at the stage in our build where we're starting to look at specific kitchen appliances to buy. So about 6 weeks ago I started manually tracking prices of the specific models we were interested in on BestBuy and HomeDepot, to see how prices would change in the Black Friday sales.
Since October 10, 2 have gone up by ~$100, 2 have gone down by ~$100, and 3 have stayed the same.
Needless to say, we aren't rushing out to buy today.
#shopping #bestbuy #homedepot #blackfriday #building #sale

2025-10-29 14:58:55 UTC

Our energy-efficient guest house is working well so far - we haven't heated it yet, and despite several freezing nights (last night got down to 27°F), the temperature inside is currently 68°F. The air sealing and insulation are doing their job.
We're really only in there a few days a week working on it, with lights, a few power tools, etc. Otherwise there's a dehumidifier keeping the humidity at ~45% to help the drywall mud dry.
#energy #energyefficiency #passivhaus #passivehouse #building

2025-07-01 23:52:21 UTC

Does anyone know of a self-hosted tool that creates a heat map of all the places you’ve been? Specifically for walking / running / cycling, like Strava’s feature but fully local. I want to use it to set myself goals to walk all the streets in an area.
#selfhosted #cycling #hiking #data #strava #heatmap #geography

2024-12-31 22:22:01 UTC

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I'll try to check all of that stuff before I wipe the ESP.

2024-12-31 21:49:25 UTC

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I had assumed it did that already with NTP, no? If not, then yes, I would add that!

2024-12-31 21:38:54 UTC

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nothing specific in mind at this point, beyond it's just an easy way to manage the ESPHome firmware. Although it'll be interesting to see what capabilities the ESPHome has. For example, I could use it to change timezone (e.g. for a world clock) or even use it as a giant stopwatch for timers (a la Countdown). 🤷

2024-12-31 21:16:26 UTC

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my hope is to put ESPHome on it and integrate it with Home Assistant. I’d also like to power it with PoE instead of batteries I think.

2024-12-31 20:02:34 UTC

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I found the spot, all good. For the price point, plastic gears is to be expected I’d think. I can’t see any traces coming from the IO pins towards the mechanism, and I doubt the ESP is keeping time because it’d be too battery intensive. I’m taking a break now but when I come back to it, I think I’ll need to hook up my scope and start probing to see what hidden traces are there and how the ESP updates the time.

2024-12-31 19:27:55 UTC

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gear replaced. ESP located.and it has exposed and labeled pads.
https://media.knight.fyi/media_attachments/files/113/749/082/846/025/088/original/9e5d842a3b5ad0b8.png

2024-12-31 19:22:25 UTC

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the good news is I’m in. The bad news is this gear fell out. And I’m still not down to the PCB yet.
https://media.knight.fyi/media_attachments/files/113/749/063/361/972/318/original/1873abaa8b7a9767.png

2024-12-31 19:09:30 UTC

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these tabs are a PITA
https://media.knight.fyi/media_attachments/files/113/749/010/333/545/399/original/5a4fa9a8d64e8f15.png

2024-12-31 18:42:42 UTC

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😂 it doesn’t tell me how to disassemble it though. I *think* I have to remove the hands from the front….

2024-12-31 18:34:29 UTC

@npub1lq6…nf7e it’s arrived…
https://media.knight.fyi/media_attachments/files/113/748/872/945/426/087/original/cf339fed5a4aa4f3.png

2024-12-30 09:00:47 UTC

Just spotted this beauty while taxiing on the runway before takeoff at LHR.
#flying #planes #planespotting #concorde #britishairways #lhr #london #heathrow #airport
https://media.knight.fyi/media_attachments/files/113/740/952/217/586/204/original/3fa7178e7da6ca1a.png

2024-12-23 19:58:34 UTC

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I’ve added one to my cart. Should arrive next week. I’m really most interested in the actual motor mechanism. Will definitely let you know what I find, but any more observations you have in the meantime would be very interesting!

2024-12-23 18:29:48 UTC

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can you share more about the specific model you bought? I’m interested in a PoE model using an ESP32 so I can replace the firmware.

2024-11-04 19:38:22 UTC

Finally finished our standing seam roof. This was a tough project. Once we found a routine, each panel took about 30 minutes to prep and install. But morning frosts and shorter days gave us little time. Our record was 9 panels in a day.
Versus quotes we had to do the job we saved about $1k. But we’re glad we did it. Learned a bunch of new skills and acquired some new tools. Working with metal seems less daunting now. Working on a roof is hard!
#building #roofing #construction #vermont #diy
https://media.knight.fyi/media_attachments/files/113/426/371/119/153/139/original/87147370b49e0a8d.png
https://media.knight.fyi/media_attachments/files/113/426/371/297/147/523/original/40446b0fd6b9e090.png
https://media.knight.fyi/media_attachments/files/113/426/371/525/420/841/original/d7abd53eb2d19714.png

2024-10-28 11:49:30 UTC

First snow of the year here in Vermont. Just a light overnight dusting.
We’re going to have to wait for this to melt before we start roofing today. Fortunately it’s warm (well, above freezing) and the sun should melt it off fairly quickly once it hits the roof🤞
#vermont #snow #roofing #building #diy
https://media.knight.fyi/media_attachments/files/113/384/889/417/565/759/original/9f0ab66e758f13c8.png

2024-10-14 17:10:37 UTC

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eurgh, I'm behind on episodes again. Must catch up! With our fiber on the horizon now, it's time for me to jump seriously back into a lot of self-hosted projects - they've been a lower priority while we've been working on the building, but the weather will turn cold soon.
Starting work on the standing seam roof this week, and hoping to get exterior insulation done before winter truly sets in.

2024-10-14 17:01:17 UTC

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I can imagine provisioning a VM with managed network access, and ZFS storage pools containing some spinning rust and / or NVMe drives.

2024-10-14 16:27:10 UTC

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yeah, absolutely! Or maybe even a VM?

2024-10-14 15:40:52 UTC

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I know right?! We first ordered service in July but it's taken a while to get to this point because of the length of the fiber run they needed for us.
At some point we should discuss a mutual off-site server share system....

2024-10-14 15:17:07 UTC

Our fiber internet installation will be completed next week. After 6+ years running on cellular, we're a little bit excited!
Now I just need the new router box to arrive so I can get it set up ready.
#fiber #internet #homelab #selfhosted #opnsense

2024-10-09 17:57:37 UTC

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at some point though I may need to upgrade from my Baofeng. 🙈
I’m actually finding it really hard to find a ham community to help me learn more though. I got my technician license 6+ years ago but haven’t done anything with it and am almost lost as to where to start. There doesn’t seem to be a very active community in central Vermont, but I probably just need to look a little further afield.

2024-09-24 23:24:08 UTC

I wish there were a small, street-legal EV here in the US that would work for me. It would need a range of at least 30 miles in cold weather, be safely operable on roads with speed limits of up to 55mph, have space for 1-2 people with some small cargo (laptop bag, groceries, etc), be enclosed to protect from weather, and be sufficiently rugged to handle Vermont’s snow and mud on unpaved roads. That would be enough for 90% of my journeys and probably well over half my miles driven. #ev #cars

2024-08-26 22:07:26 UTC

How have I never heard about #meshtastic ?! Thinking this could be a really good mode for critical out of band alerts from my home automation system when other connectivity modes are unavailable.
#selfhosted #HomeAutomation

2024-08-21 00:00:38 UTC

Not what you want to find sitting on your cabin air filter. We managed to remove 3 mice but we think there’s at least one more in there. Traps are primed.
It’s going to be an expensive repair though - let’s just say the blower fan needs replacing at the very least.
#mice #mouse #nest #truck #ford #f150
https://media.knight.fyi/media_attachments/files/112/997/062/623/844/640/original/58d7ad86f34cf0b9.png

2024-08-18 16:26:51 UTC

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pretty sure they are yellowjackets. Got a photo of one (after being thwacked with a slipper).
They’re quite small, maybe 3/4” long.
They pack a punch though!
https://media.knight.fyi/media_attachments/files/112/983/956/430/730/570/original/46f2631c8898b46f.png

2024-08-18 15:52:22 UTC

Just went for a little walk in the forest, only 30ft or so from the driveway. Must have stepped on a Yellowjacket nest or something. Got stung on my leg, realized what was happening and we ran away.
13 stings total and I’m not getting my mug back any time soon!
It was about 45 minutes ago and no serious reaction other than localized pain and swelling but they really do hurt!
#yellowjackets #stings #forest
https://media.knight.fyi/media_attachments/files/112/983/822/538/919/742/original/13ed3f4b39b80135.mp4