About J-Rat Techworks

Hey, I’m Kane, the guy behind J-Rat Techworks.

I put together real-world smart home and electronics builds, from sensors to custom lights and little boards with brains, and show you exactly how I wired them, programmed them and tied them into the rest of the system.

What this site is about

J-Rat Techworks is where I document the projects I’m already building for my own home, things like water tank level sensors, smart LED light bars, outdoor weather sensors and other little boxes that quietly talk back to Home Assistant.

Most tutorials online either stay super high-level or skip the annoying details that actually matter, like deep sleep current, wiring oddities or why your sensor only works when it’s on USB power. My goal here is to show the full build:

  • The hardware I used and why
  • Wiring diagrams and PCB/board choices
  • ESPHome configs and code snippets
  • 3D-printed parts and enclosures
  • The stuff that went wrong and how I fixed it

If you’re into ESP32 boards, ESPHome and practical smart home automation, you’re in the right place.

Who this site is for

This site is for you if:

  • You use Home Assistant and want DIY sensors, switches or lights that fit your setup.
  • You like ESP32 / ESP32-C3 / ESP32-C6 and want real examples, not just “blink an LED.”
  • You care about things like battery life, deep sleep and solar power, not just plugging everything into USB.
  • You enjoy seeing the behind-the-scenes: mistakes, workarounds, and “I wouldn’t do it this way again” notes.

You don’t need to be an engineer, just comfortable following a guide, copy-pasting some YAML, and doing a bit of troubleshooting.

What you’ll find here

On J-Rat Techworks, you’ll find:

  • Step-by-step build guides for real projects I use at home
  • ESPHome configs and code snippets you can copy and adapt
  • Parts lists with links to where I bought everything
  • 3D-printed enclosures and STL files for certain builds
  • Deep-dive posts on things like ESP32 deep sleep, power usage and sensor choices
  • YouTube video builds embedded alongside the written guides

I try to keep everything as practical as possible: enough detail that you can build it, without turning every post into a textbook.

Stay in the loop

If you want to keep up with new projects:

  • YouTube: J-Rat Techworks
  • Contact: If you’ve got a project idea or question, you can reach me at jrat.official@gmail.com
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