A single source of truth for the renovated backyard: every piece of gear traced to its receipt, organized by zone, plus a three-phase roadmap from "use what you have" to fully automated. Two projectors compared, and a one-tap Movie Night build for Home Assistant.
Reconciled from Amazon, the Govee Store, Woot, Walmart, and MorningSave order history. Prices reflect what you paid where known.
Four backyard listening zones built from gear you already own, plus the protocol map that keeps Apple, Amazon, Sonos, and Bose from stepping on each other.
Permanently wall-mounted under the covered porch — the everyday backbone for music and TV audio over the lounge and green.
Waterproof + kidproof — splash-safe pooltime music that shrugs off a toss in the water and a drop on the deck.
Wheeled out beside the court for basketball & soccer sessions.
The same Move 2, repositioned below the projector screen for outdoor movie nights.
Whole-backyard sound = the Citation 200 pair + the roaming Sonos Move 2, synced over AirPlay 2 into one group so the porch, green, court, and cinema all play in lockstep.
The Bose SoundLink Flex (gen 2) stereo pair stays off the fixed map — a grab-and-go Bluetooth option for indoors, the backyard, or away-from-home premium sound whenever you need it.
| Protocol | What it unifies | Devices | Grouping rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple AirPlay 2 | The whole-house bridge — Family Room, Playroom, Bedroom HT & Backyard | Apple TV 4K + HomePods · Bose 550 · Sonos Beam (gen 1) + One SL surrounds · Citation 200s + Sonos Move 2 | Groups every Wi-Fi speaker below into one synced stream |
| Amazon Alexa | "Alexa Multi-Room Music" — synced whole-house via ~15 Echo devices | Echo devices only | Closed — can't natively group the Citation, Sonos, Bose or HomePod speakers |
| Sonos | Its own closed Wi-Fi network | Move 2 (portable hi-fi) · Bedroom Beam + One SL | Bridges to the house over AirPlay 2, or pairs with the bedroom home theater |
| Bose | Bluetooth, where Wi-Fi won't reach | SoundLink Flex (gen 2) pair | Bose Party Mode stereo-pairs the two outdoors (the Bose 550 itself rides AirPlay 2) |
Both are budget units that look their best after dark — but they're not interchangeable. Here's where each one earns its keep.
| Spec | ELEPHAS W1K | Roconia 1080p |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Primary | Secondary / spare |
| Price | $216.49 (Woot) | $75.76 (MorningSave) |
| Resolution | 1080p-class, 4K input | Entry 1080p |
| Brightness | Higher | Lower |
| Best screen size | 100"–120"+ | ~60"–100" |
| Best environment | Outdoor, after dark | Dark indoor room |
| Portability | Less portable | Grab-and-go |
| Movie Night automation | Yes — the anchor | Not needed |
The ~400-gallon EVAJOY frame pool stays up all season. The play: a protected base, light chemical micro-dosing, and a simple weekly rhythm — no draining every week.
An Ozark Trail 6'×8' tarp straight on the turf, topped with CAP ½" EVA tatami mats (96 sq ft on hand — cut to the pool's footprint). The mats spread the load, block infill abrasion, and protect both the liner and the turf pile.
Within about an inch of level, or the frame overloads on the low side — a genuine blowout risk, not just cosmetics. Check before filling and again once it's full, since the base settles a hair.
HTH 1" chlorine tabs (with built-in clarifier) ride in a Hydrotools mini floater to dose the small volume slowly; nudge pH with Clorox pH Up and verify with EASYTEST strips. Small water rewards little, frequent corrections over big dumps.
The 2000 GPH sand pump is rated for pools up to 8,000 gal — ~20× oversized for ~400, so it clears the water in minutes and only needs short daily runs. It uses the Haeaqtar reusable filter balls instead of sand (lighter, easier); every couple weeks, pull the balls and machine-wash them to keep flow and clarity up.
Under that weight all summer the pile mats down in a rectangle and may not fully bounce back. The EVA base limits it; plan to keep the pool parked in one spot for the season.
A secured cover when the pool isn't in use handles both the standing-water / mosquito issue and safety with the little ones — no draining required.
| Cadence | Task | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Skim the surface | Leaves & bugs out before they sink and stain |
| Daily | Run the sand pump ~30–60 min | At 2000 GPH it turns the ~400 gal over in ~12 min, so a few cycles circulate the tab + clarifier; add time after heavy use |
| Weekly | EASYTEST strip check | Chlorine + pH in range; correct with tabs / pH Up |
| Bi-weekly | Machine-wash the filter balls | Restores flow and water clarity |
Deploy what you own, then lock in the safety upgrades, then take on the high-end automation and luxury builds.
One trigger sets the whole scene, built around gear you already own. The full Home Assistant config is tucked into the accordion below.
# ---------- SCENE: dim Govee for movie ----------
scene:
- name: Backyard Movie Dim
entities:
light.govee_outdoor_strip:
state: "on"
brightness_pct: 5
rgb_color: [255, 170, 90] # warm amber glow
light.govee_deck_lights:
state: "off"
# ---------- SCRIPT: Movie Night ON ----------
script:
movie_night:
alias: Movie Night
sequence:
- service: switch.turn_on # mains power to the ELEPHAS
target: { entity_id: switch.projector_plug }
- delay: "00:00:25" # let it boot
- service: remote.send_command # IR via Broadlink/ESPHome
target: { entity_id: remote.backyard_ir }
data: { device: elephas_w1k, command: power_on }
- delay: "00:00:03"
- service: remote.send_command # select the right input
target: { entity_id: remote.backyard_ir }
data: { device: elephas_w1k, command: source_hdmi1 }
- service: switch.turn_on # screen DOWN (Shelly dry-contact)
target: { entity_id: switch.screen_trigger }
- service: scene.turn_on
target: { entity_id: scene.backyard_movie_dim }
- service: media_player.turn_on
target: { entity_id: media_player.sonos_move_2 }
- service: media_player.volume_set
target: { entity_id: media_player.sonos_move_2 }
data: { volume_level: 0.45 }
- service: media_player.turn_on # wake the Fire TV
target: { entity_id: media_player.fire_tv_backyard }
# ---------- SCRIPT: Movie Night OFF ----------
movie_night_off:
alias: Movie Night Off
sequence:
- service: remote.send_command
target: { entity_id: remote.backyard_ir }
data: { device: elephas_w1k, command: power_off }
- delay: "00:00:02"
- service: remote.send_command # budget units often need 2x to confirm
target: { entity_id: remote.backyard_ir }
data: { device: elephas_w1k, command: power_off }
- service: switch.turn_off # screen UP
target: { entity_id: switch.screen_trigger }
- delay: "00:00:30" # fan cooldown before cutting power
- service: switch.turn_off
target: { entity_id: switch.projector_plug }
- service: scene.turn_on # back to normal evening lighting
target: { entity_id: scene.backyard_evening }
- service: media_player.media_pause
target: { entity_id: media_player.sonos_move_2 }
# ---------- AUTOMATION: Govee button -> Movie Night ----------
automation:
- alias: Govee Button Movie Night
trigger:
- platform: state
entity_id: event.govee_smart_button
attribute: event_type
to: single_press
action:
- service: script.turn_on
target: { entity_id: script.movie_night }