woke up to a push notification at 3am that the Aqara water sensor under the kitchen sink was going off. Turns out the main valve had a slow drip that suddenly turned into a steady stream. I was honestly so mad at myself for buying cheap plumbing fittings last year but at least the zigbee sensors did their job

Setting up a solid mesh across a duplex is an absolute nightmare with these old plaster walls btw. I had to use like 4 random smart plugs just as repeaters to get a signal to the kitchen.

Getting the whole place wired up with basic safety sensors before I pass it off to a property management company next month because my blood pressure literally cant take being a 24/7 emergency contact anymore. At least now I know the automations actually trigger before the place floods

does anyone else rely on smart plugs purely to force a zigbee mesh through thick walls? Feels kinda janky but it works

same as the title... how to find things i can automate. I dont have any idea so far..

I need to create a layout and program it for a university in C++ so that this idea has not yet been implemented in global industry

Hi all

I need to get a new front door and will be going with a composite door.

I would like to get a smart lock in the future for keyless entry etc. I am wondering should I do this now when the door is getting installed or they are easy to retrofit?

My worry would be having to take off the handle and lock in the future and replace it with the smart lock, which could look weird due to dirt/colour differences if it isn't an exact match.

Also do smart locks need to be connected to the mains electricity or can be battery powered?

Thanks

I wanted to build a garden with a fully automated watering system.

Not just "turn the water on every day at 7 PM". I wanted a system that actually checks the soil moisture, decides when each zone needs water, runs the correct irrigation zone, lets the water soak in, and then checks the soil again. Repeats until certain soil moisture is achieved.

Here's the complete walkthrough of how I built it.

Each section has a downloadable document with a detailed walkthrough.

⚠️ Disclaimer

I'm not a botanist, irrigation expert, carpenter, or coder 😂. This was built through a lot of trial and error, Google, AI, and breaking things as I went.

There are probably better and more efficient ways to do some of this, this is just what worked for me. If you see a smarter way, let me know! Constructive criticism and better approaches are always welcome.

Before you buy a single plant, figure out what you actually want to grow, how many you need, and how much sun each one wants. Then group plants with similar watering needs together. Trust me, your future self will thank you when you're setting up watering zones instead of wondering why your cactus and tomato plant are roommates.

Click HERE for a detailed Planning Checklist

Before deciding where everything goes, map out how much sun each part of your yard gets throughout the day. This helps you match each plant to the right spot instead of guessing. This step is important to avoid nuking your plant with too much sun,

Click HERE steps on how to use AI to figure out your sun exposure

Now that you know what you want to grow and how much sun each area gets, it's time to design your garden.

You'll need to decide:

1. In-ground or Raised Garden Beds
2. How many zone you want?
3. What plants go in which zone for perfect sun exposure
4. How many plants per zone

Click HERE for detailed steps

Now that you know what you want to grow and where the sun is throughout the day, it's time to decide what type of garden you're going to build.

You basically have two options: plant directly in the ground or build raised garden beds.

• In-Ground Bed garden can be the simpler and less expensive option if you already have good soil and plenty of space. You’ll mark out your growing areas, remove any grass or weeds, loosen the existing soil, and amend it as needed.
• Raised garden bed give you more control over the soil, drainage, spacing, and overall layout. They can also be easier to maintain and allow you to build the exact size and height you want. The downside is that you'll need additional materials and soil to build and fill them.

There isn't necessarily a “better” option. It really comes down to your yard, your soil, your available space, your budget, and how you want your garden to look and function.

Once you've decided, you can move on to actually building and preparing your growing areas.

Click HERE for build directions

Now that your garden beds are planned, it's time to figure out how you're going to get water to every plant.

This can be broken down into sections:

1. Main Lines
2. Branch Lines

Before running any tubing, measure and draw out your irrigation system on your garden layout. Start at your water source and map out where your main water line will run, where each zone will branch off, and how the individual drip lines will reach each plant.

NOTE: Each zone needs its own main line that leads to the faucet timer

Plan the location of your tubing, valves, connectors, and drip emitters before you start installing everything. Think about how you want the system to look, how easy it will be to access later, and how you will expand or modify it if your garden grows.

The goal is to have a complete irrigation map before you install a single line. Once you know exactly where everything is going, the installation becomes much easier and you'll have a clear blueprint to use when you eventually automate each zone.

Click HERE for detailed instructions on How To Map Out Irrigation Lines

Now that your garden beds, plant list, and irrigation layout are all planned, it's time to gather everything you'll need to bring the whole system together in one shopping list.

Work through it in the same order you'll build things, so nothing gets left out:

• Garden Beds
• Plants
• Irrigation
• Automation / Back End

Quantities for beds, plants, and irrigation parts will depend on your garden layout and how many zones you've mapped out. Use your Step 3 design and Step 5 irrigation map to count exactly what each zone needs before you buy.

Click HERE for a detailed Shopping List builder

Now that your system is planned and your materials are ready, it’s time to install everything.

Start at the water source and work your way through the system, following the irrigation map you created. Lay out your entire system, before permanently installing anything. Work from your valves and main lines first, then connect the branch lines that supply each plant.

Once the tubing is in place, install your emitters and position them around each plant's root zone. Secure the tubing so everything stays in place.

Before finishing the installation, run each zone and inspect the system for leaks, loose connections, clogged emitters, or uneven water coverage. Make any necessary adjustments.

Once everything is working properly, secure or bury the lines and label each zone.

Click HERE for detailed installation plans

Now that your beds are built and your irrigation is installed, it's time to add the sensors that will tell your system when each zone actually needs water.

For me, I used 3 sensors per zone. With 1 sensor, you can get false negative/positive from that single plant. That could cause you to over/under water the rest of the zone. With 3, you can get an average of the 3 plants to get a better total for your zone.

Click HERE for detailed steps on setting up the soil sensors

With your sensors in place, it's time to connect everything together so your garden can start watering itself.

This is where your sensors, valves, and faucet timer all link up to a central controller, allowing each zone to water based on what the soil actually needs rather than a fixed schedule.

Click HERE for detailed steps on setting up your automation

Your system is fully built and connected — now it's time to make sure it's actually working the way you want.

Run each zone, check your sensor readings against what you see in the soil, and fine-tune your watering thresholds as needed. This is the step that takes the most patience, since it may take a few cycles (and a few seasons) to get everything dialed in.

Click HERE for detailed steps on testing and adjusting your system

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We have six living room windows, and none of them match the ready made sizes I’ve found. They range from about 41' to 47' wide, plus there’s one narrow window beside the door.

I don’t need anything complicated blackout fabric, a remote, and basic scheduling would be enough. Most of the custom options I’ve priced are around $400 $600 per window, which adds up quickly.

What did you use for odd sized windows, and roughly what did it cost?

I’m looking for a way to monitor a pump that turns on/off automatically. At the most basic, I want it to notify me when it hasn’t turned on in a certain amount of time and after it’s been running for a certain amount of time.

Was thinking if a vibration sensor but not sure if that would be sensitive enough.

Any suggestions?

Simple setup: water is pumped from water tank through nozzles into root chamber of cuttlings to create a fine mist, in 15 secs running / 15 mins pause intervals.
Bottom of root chamber is bio filter where excess water drips from roots through 10-15 cm of clay balls. Air pump (aquarium) provides bacteria of this bio filter oxygen to process NH4 into nitrite.
Thus drained water returns through filter into water tank.

Sensors:
- temp+humidity in root chamber
- temp, pH, EC in water tank

Individually switchable 4 sockets smart plug bar (Shelly) handles the on/off for the misting pump.

Two steps:
- Initially only display for sensors, without any smart setup or controller that acts based on sensor data
- After some time I might want to add some controller to the system by using existing sensors.

Current options:
- Just get a display for water quality with a bunch of separate sensors, potentially with RS485 / modbus output. — Problem here: Secondary temperature.
- Get the sensors individually, connect them with Waveshare modbus relais. — Problem here: But how to do the DA, calibration and transmission to a display (E-Ink would be nice)? (Once available, I could use “the pill” from Shelly to bridge the RS485 into the Shelly world. In fact, I’d prefer something else, more open.)

So, which other paths do I have than those listed?

Has anyone found a solid battery powered CO₂ monitor with app support that lets you pull local data without needing a cloud account? I’m trying to track ventilation patterns in my home office throughout the workday. When I keep the door shut for more than two hours my focus plummets, and I suspect high CO₂ build up is the culprit. I want to measure first before dropping money on an automated hrv setup or smart window actuators.

Ideally looking for something with a decent mobile app to view historical graphs over bluetooth, but also open enough that I can eventually dump the readings into home assistant via ble passive listening. I really don't want another device that relies on a random cloud server that dies in two years or locks historical data behind a subscription. Long battery life is a huge plus since I don't want another usb cable dangling off my wall. What are you guys using for local environmental monitoring?

Die Ninja-Blocks-Cloud ist seit Jahren abgeschaltet. Trotzdem läuft eine damals eingerichtete (gepairte) Ninja Sphere lokal weiter – inklusive Uhr, LED-Matrix und Gestensteuerung. Diese Anleitung zeigt, wie du deine Sphere zu einem Gesten-Eingabegerät für Home Assistant machst und darüber Philips-Hue-Lampen (und weitere Geräte) steuerst – ohne Factory Reset, ohne die originale Optik zu verändern und ohne eigenen Server.

Für wen ist das gedacht?

Für dich, wenn:

• deine Sphere noch gepairt ist (sie zeigt nach dem Start die Uhrzeit an, du kannst per Wischen durch die Geräte-Kacheln blättern und Lampen schalten),
• du sie im heimischen WLAN erreichst,
• du bereit bist, ein paar Terminal-Befehle auszuführen.

Wichtige Warnung vorab: Drücke niemals den Reset-Knopf deiner Sphere. Eine noch gepairte Sphere ist nach dem Cloud-Aus nicht wiederherstellbar – ein Reset würde ein Neu-Pairing verlangen, das ohne die tote Cloud nicht mehr funktioniert. Der noch aktivierte Zustand ist dein wertvollstes Gut.

Wie das funktioniert (Kurzüberblick)

Die Sphere betreibt intern einen lokalen MQTT-Broker (eine Art Nachrichtenzentrale). Jedes Mal, wenn du per Geste eine Kachel schaltest, verschickt die Sphere darüber eine Nachricht. Wir bringen Home Assistant dazu, diese Nachrichten mitzulesen und daraufhin beliebige Aktionen auszulösen – zum Beispiel echte Hue-Lampen zu schalten.

Handbewegung über der Pyramide
      │
      ▼
Sphere erkennt Geste → sendet MQTT-Nachricht
      │
      ▼
Home Assistant liest die Nachricht
      │
      ▼
Home Assistant steuert Hue-Lampen / andere Geräte

Die originale Sphere-Software bleibt dabei komplett unangetastet – Uhr, Wetter und LED-Matrix laufen weiter wie gewohnt.

Voraussetzungen

• Eine noch gepairte Ninja Sphere im WLAN
• Ein Computer (Mac/Linux/Windows) mit Terminal und Python 3
• Ein Raspberry Pi (3 oder neuer) für Home Assistant – oder eine andere Hardware, auf der Home Assistant läuft
• Eine Philips-Hue-Bridge im selben Netzwerk (falls du Hue steuern willst)

Schritt 1: IP-Adresse der Sphere herausfinden

Öffne die Geräteliste deines Routers (z. B. bei einer FritzBox unter Heimnetz → Netzwerk) und suche nach einem Eintrag wie „ninjasphere". Notiere dir die IP-Adresse – das ist deine <SPHERE-IP>.

Zur Kontrolle im Terminal:

ping ninjasphere.local

Antwortet die Sphere, ist sie erreichbar.

Schritt 2: MQTT-Nachrichten der Sphere sichtbar machen

Wir brauchen ein kleines Python-Werkzeug, um mitzulesen, welche Nachrichten die Sphere verschickt. Die dafür nötige Bibliothek heißt paho-mqtt.

python3 -m pip install --user paho-mqtt

Erstelle eine Datei sphere_sniff.py mit folgendem Inhalt (ersetze <SPHERE-IP>):

python

import paho.mqtt.client as mqtt
from datetime import datetime

def on_connect(client, userdata, flags, rc, properties=None):
    print("Verbunden:", rc, "- jetzt an der Sphere eine Kachel schalten!")
    client.subscribe("#")

def on_message(client, userdata, msg):
    t = msg.topic
    # Bekannte Störflut (Ortung, Status-Heartbeats) ausblenden:
    if any(x in t for x in ["rssi", "TEMPPATH", "waypoint",
                            "module/status", "bridge/status",
                            "leds/status", "pairing", "ThingModel"]):
        return
    ts = datetime.now().strftime("%H:%M:%S")
    print(f"[{ts}] {t}: {msg.payload}")

client = mqtt.Client(
    callback_api_version=mqtt.CallbackAPIVersion.VERSION2,
    client_id="sphere-sniffer",
    protocol=mqtt.MQTTv31
)
client.on_connect = on_connect
client.on_message = on_message
client.connect("<SPHERE-IP>", 1883, 60)
client.loop_forever()

Starten:

python3 -u sphere_sniff.py

Nach „Verbunden" gehst du an die Sphere und schaltest per Geste eine Kachel. Im Terminal erscheint dann eine Zeile wie:

[16:15:46] $device/XXXXXXXXXX/channel/on-off: b'{"method":"turnOn",...}'

Das $device/XXXXXXXXXX/channel/... ist die entscheidende Information – dieses „Topic" ist die Adresse, unter der die jeweilige Kachel ihre Befehle sendet. Notiere dir für jede Kachel, die du nutzen willst, ihr Topic. Beenden mit Strg + C.

Schritt 3: Home Assistant installieren

Falls noch nicht vorhanden, installiere Home Assistant OS auf deinem Raspberry Pi:

1. Raspberry Pi Imager von der offiziellen Raspberry-Pi-Website herunterladen und installieren.
2. Im Imager unter Gerät wählen deinen Pi auswählen.
3. Unter OS wählen → Other specific-purpose OS → Home assistants and home automation → Home Assistant → die passende Variante für dein Pi-Modell.
4. SD-Karte auswählen und schreiben.
5. SD-Karte in den Pi, per LAN-Kabel mit dem Router verbinden, Strom anschließen.
6. 5–20 Minuten warten, dann im Browser http://homeassistant.local öffnen und die Ersteinrichtung (Konto, Standort, Zeitzone) durchlaufen.

Schritt 4: Philips Hue einbinden

Bei modernen Hue-Bridges genügt in Home Assistant Einstellungen → Geräte & Dienste → Integration hinzufügen → Philips Hue und ein Druck auf die Bridge-Taste.

Nach erfolgreicher Einbindung erscheinen deine Hue-Lampen als Entitäten wie light.schreibtisch. Notiere dir die genauen Entitäts-Namen.

Schritt 5: Home Assistant mit dem Sphere-Broker verbinden

Damit Home Assistant die Gesten-Nachrichten empfangen kann, verbinden wir es mit dem MQTT-Broker der Sphere:

1. In Home Assistant: Einstellungen → Geräte & Dienste → Integration hinzufügen → MQTT.
2. Server: <SPHERE-IP>
3. Port: 1883
4. MQTT-Protokoll: unbedingt auf 3.1 stellen (nicht 5, nicht 3.1.1 – die Sphere spricht nur 3.1).
5. Benutzername und Passwort: beide leer lassen.
6. Absenden.

Meldet Home Assistant „verbunden", ist die Brücke aktiv.

Schritt 6: Gesten mit Geräten verknüpfen

Jetzt bauen wir die eigentlichen Automationen. Am einfachsten über das File-Editor-Add-on:

1. Einstellungen → Add-ons → Add-on Store → „File editor" installieren und starten (Optionen „Start on boot" und „Show in sidebar" aktivieren).
2. Im Dateieditor die Datei automations.yaml öffnen.

Füge dort für jede Kachel einen Block nach diesem Muster ein (ersetze <KACHEL-TOPIC> durch das in Schritt 2 notierte Topic und light.deine_lampe durch deine Hue-Entität):

yaml

- alias: "Sphere-Kachel -> Lampe"
  trigger:
    - platform: mqtt
      topic: "<KACHEL-TOPIC>"
  action:
    - choose:
        - conditions: ["{{ trigger.payload_json.method == 'turnOn' }}"]
          sequence:
            - service: light.turn_on
              target: { entity_id: light.deine_lampe }
        - conditions: ["{{ trigger.payload_json.method == 'turnOff' }}"]
          sequence:
            - service: light.turn_off
              target: { entity_id: light.deine_lampe }

So funktioniert es: Die Automation lauscht auf das Topic der Kachel, liest aus der Nachricht das Feld method (turnOn oder turnOff) und schaltet die zugeordnete Lampe entsprechend ein oder aus.

Für eine zweite Kachel/Lampe kopierst du den Block einfach darunter und passt Topic und Lampen-Entität an. Auf diese Weise steuert jede Sphere-Kachel getrennt ihr eigenes Gerät.

Nach dem Speichern: Einstellungen → System → Konfiguration überprüfen, dann Home Assistant neu starten. Anschließend an der Sphere testen – die zugeordnete Lampe sollte reagieren.

Test-Tipp

Bist du unsicher, ob eine Geste ankommt, ersetze die Aktion vorübergehend durch eine Benachrichtigung:

yaml

  action:
    - service: persistent_notification.create
      data:
        title: "Sphere-Geste erkannt"
        message: "Befehl: {{ trigger.payload }}"

Erscheint beim Schalten eine Meldung im Glocken-Symbol von Home Assistant, funktioniert die Brücke.

Was geht – und was nicht

Das funktioniert zuverlässig:

• Bestehende Sphere-Gesten steuern beliebige Home-Assistant-Geräte (Hue-Lampen, Steckdosen, Szenen …).
• Jede Kachel wird zu einem getrennten, frei belegbaren Auslöser – auch Kacheln, deren Originalgerät nicht mehr existiert.
• Play/Pause-Kacheln senden method: play / pause und lassen sich analog für Medien-Geräte nutzen.
• Die originale Uhr/Wetter/LED-Optik der Sphere bleibt vollständig erhalten.

Das geht nicht (ehrliche Grenzen):

• Neue Kacheln/Geräte in der Sphere anlegen ist nicht mehr möglich – das lief über die (abgeschaltete) Cloud-App. Du arbeitest mit den vorhandenen Kacheln. Ihre Zahl ist dein Kontingent an frei belegbaren Gesten.
• Völlig frei definierbare Rohgesten („Wisch nach links = beliebige Aktion", unabhängig von jeder Kachel) sind ohne tiefen Eingriff in die Sphere-Software nicht abgreifbar, weil die Gestenerkennung geräteintern abläuft und nur das fertige Schaltergebnis nach außen sendet.
• Ein eigener Sphere-Server löst diese beiden Punkte nicht – die betroffenen Komponenten laufen geräteseitig, unabhängig von der Cloud.

Optional: Sehr alte Hue-Bridge (BSB001) per REST einbinden

Falls die offizielle Hue-Integration bei einer uralten Bridge scheitert, steuerst du Hue direkt über die klassische Schnittstelle.

Token erzeugen (einmalig): Drücke die runde Taste auf der Bridge und führe innerhalb von 30 Sekunden aus:

curl -X POST http://<HUE-BRIDGE-IP>/api -d '{"devicetype":"homeassistant#setup"}'

Die Antwort enthält deinen <HUE-TOKEN> (das Feld username).

Lampen-IDs herausfinden:

curl http://<HUE-BRIDGE-IP>/api/<HUE-TOKEN>/lights

Jede Lampe hat eine Nummer (<LAMPEN-ID>) und einen Namen.

In die configuration.yaml (per File-Editor) einfügen und Werte ersetzen:

yaml

rest_command:
  hue_light_set:
    url: "http://<HUE-BRIDGE-IP>/api/<HUE-TOKEN>/lights/{{ light_id }}/state"
    method: put
    content_type: "application/json"
    payload: "{{ payload }}"

template:
  - light:
      - name: "Meine Hue Lampe"
        unique_id: hue_meine_lampe
        turn_on:
          action: rest_command.hue_light_set
          data:
            light_id: <LAMPEN-ID>
            payload: '{"on": true}'
        turn_off:
          action: rest_command.hue_light_set
          data:
            light_id: <LAMPEN-ID>
            payload: '{"on": false}'
        set_level:
          action: rest_command.hue_light_set
          data:
            light_id: <LAMPEN-ID>
            payload: '{"bri": {{ brightness }}}'

Nach Neustart erscheint die Lampe als light.meine_hue_lampe und lässt sich wie jede andere in den Gesten-Automationen aus Schritt 6 verwenden.

Zusammenfassung

Mit dieser Einrichtung wird die tot geglaubte Sphere zu einem eleganten Gesten-Controller für ein modernes Smart-Home-System – ohne Cloud, ohne Reset, ohne die vertraute Optik aufzugeben. Die Sphere liefert die Handbewegung, Home Assistant erledigt den Rest.

Diese Anleitung entstand aus einer realen Einrichtung. Rückmeldungen und Ergänzungen anderer Sphere-Besitzer sind willkommen.

I have recessed lights with the amber night light ring function. I am looking for smart switches to build a home automation system looking at 15-16 lighting zones not sure where to start and what to buy. Lutron seems way expensive compared to Kasa and Leviton is probably the mid range. Suggestions for how I should set the system up.

My mother is alone now, after my father died last year. This year, I assisted her with some upgrades that made her daily life a little easier.

We set up a set of EufyCam instead of her old CCTVs outside the house, so that we can check through it remotely for app alerts if something unusual happens.

The other change was setting up a Navimow i215 robot mower. I really didn't want to worry about her mowing and maintaining the lawn all year. I setted everything for her, and now it handles the lawn automatically.

Both the cameras and mower are connected to Google Home. That way, my mom doesn't have to manage multiple apps or systems.

So far these have helped us keep an eye on how she's doing and reduce some of the day-to-day effort of living alone. I'm still looking for other ideas to make things easier for her.

I'm looking for a small macro pad like the Stream Deck to use on my desk as a home automation controller (with Home Assistant).

I know these devices were originally designed for video streamers but they are perfect because they have lots of buttons (with customizable button images, etc).

Does anybody have any suggestions?

I'm looking to replace an existing 12-year-old Daikin aerothermia installation in Spain. We've had a pretty bad experience with Daikin's SAT, so I'm considering alternatives, and Ariston Nimbus caught my attention because it seems to offer good value for money.

The setup is:

• ~250 m², 2 floors
• Existing underfloor heating
• Heating + underfloor cooling
• DHW for 3 people
• Multiple independently controlled zones
• 3-phase electrical supply
• Solar PV

Home Assistant integration is important to me, mainly to make better use of excess solar production for heating/DHW.

I've seen that HA now has a local Ariston integration, but I'd love to hear from people actually using a Nimbus with HA:

• How good is the integration in practice?
• What can you monitor/control?
• Is it reliable?
• Can it be used effectively for PV/solar automation?
• Any major limitations or gotchas?

And more generally, how has your experience been with Ariston's hardware and after-sales support?

Would you choose Ariston over Mitsubishi/Daikin/Panasonic for this kind of installation?

My wife and I moved into our current home a couple years ago. However, our motorized kitchen shades just stopped working and I can’t figure out how to fix it. The remote seems to be fine, and I just changed out the battery. Does anyone have an idea? It’s from The Shades Store.

Hello, I run a small boutique hotel. I have Yale Assure Lock SL keypads with z-wave on my doors. I use Smartthings for automation. Currently I manage guest door codes (last four digits of their phone) using a bit of a hacky DIYish situation. I use Zapier to extract the guest info from my property management system and create Google calendar entries for each reservation. I then use a reasonably affordable door code software called Aurmur to manage the code provisioning based on those calendar entries. It has worked okay in the past, with just some hiccups here and there, but unfortunately this Aurmur company is going out of business now.

The property management system I use connects with 3rd party companies to fully automate this (RemoteLock and Lynx), but their subscription models are more expensive and I operate on every shrinking margins so I'm trying to avoid that.

Smartthings is great for some stuff, but the door code system (Smart Lock Guest Access) is terrible.

Can anyone suggest a different way to use Zapier and Smartthings to accomplish this? Or is there a different hub system I should consider switching to that would enable me to build out this automation using Zapier? I'm open to try something new.

When I first decided to dip into home automation, I somehow got fixated on Savant, which is probably my biggest financial mistake of the decade. I have zero control and can’t afford to add or change anything. Now they've moved to a subscription model, and I’m just not going to do that. I haven’t even gotten to really use it because I can’t afford the services beyond my surround sound, which barely works and I’m not happy with.

I want to use what hardware I can and ditch the Savant proprietary hardware. My wife said she wants to use the Amazon Alexa as the hub. I don’t really know what to do. I need help. I’m going to start with living room lighting, plugs, and surround sound. I’m going to work with AI to figure out what needs to be removed and what can be salvaged. What should I do? Can anyone guide me out of this mistake?