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The battery level of my Bluetooth headphones was not displayed by default. To correct this, a simple change is all that is needed:

Adjust configuration file

In the file /etc/bluetooth/main.conf, an

Experimental=true

must be inserted in the section “[General]“. You can then restart either the entire computer or only the Bluetooth service with

sudo systemctl restart bluetooth

and the battery status is displayed in the settings under “Energy”, for example:

Show battery status in the top bar

So that I don’t have to take the diversions via the settings, I display the battery status of the headphones directly in the top bar next to the time. I use the following Gnome extension for this:

https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/5615/battery-indicator-upower/

This morning, I set to work on a problem I’ve had for a while: How do I get the data from “Solaranzeige” into Homeassistant? Or does it perhaps make more sense to use the Homeassistant SolarEdge Modbus integration and then send the data from Homeassistant to InfluxDB?

I decided on the first option. This resulted in a small PHP program. You enter an MQTT “block” and the result is a ready-made Homeassistant configuration that you only have to copy. A more detailed instruction on how it works is also included. (It’s in German, so use a translator)

Link: https://jojokorpi.ddns.net/solaranzeigetohomeassistant
Source Code: https://github.com/jjk4/solaranzeigetohomeassistant

My Bluetooth speaker (Tribit Maxsound Plus) would no longer charge after a more than 3 years. So I opened it with a screwdriver and soldering iron… Maybe there is a spare part.

After watching a few videos, I realized how easy it actually is. The protective grille can be opened with a screwdriver:

And then you can open the box with eight screws. (Yes, it got wet a few times. The white dirt is chalk).

You may then have to leverage a little with the screwdriver.

And already you can see the insides.

What was broken in my case?

Since the Tribit no longer charged, I first suspected the battery. After a few measurements on the battery and the circuit board, it turned out that the charging electronics must be defective. I could charge the battery with a 7.5V power supply and then everything worked again.

Except for the charging electronics. I still could not charge it via the USB socket. So I bought an 8V power supply and put the connectors of the battery and the connector on the PCB to the outside (At the place where the holding loop was). So I can run the speaker either in battery mode or in mains mode. I can also charge the battery in this way (ALWAYS measure the voltage to avoid overcharging the battery) without having to screw the box back on.

The loop just fit in:

Of course, the Tribit is no longer waterproof. But that’s better than throwing it away or leaving it in the drawer for years.

Links:

• Tribit Maxsound Plus: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B07LGKLFFW/
• Power supply 8V 3A: The power supply I use is unfortunately no longer available.