Apollo Automation's Second Annual Holiday Ornament Combines Smart Home Technology with Charitable Giving for 2025
Apollo Automation is proud to announce the Apollo H-2 Annual Holiday Ornament, a festive smart home device that brings holiday cheer while giving back to the community. This second edition holiday ornament represents more than just a seasonal decoration. It's a celebration of an incredible year and a commitment to supporting vital causes in Kentucky and beyond.
A Fun Holiday Project with Purpose
The Apollo H-2 is a passion project for the Apollo Automation team, combining our love of smart home technology with the spirit of giving back. As a Kentucky-based smart home manufacturer, we wanted to create something special that celebrates the holiday season while supporting organizations that align with our values of community support and open-source innovation.
100% of profits from every H-2 sold go directly to charity. This isn't a marketing gimmick or a small percentage. Every dollar of profit supports two incredible organizations that are making real differences in people's lives.
Supporting Two Vital Causes
When you purchase an Apollo H-2 holiday ornament, you're supporting:
CASA of Lexington: Provides volunteers and resources to advocate on behalf of the best interest of children in the family court system due to abuse or neglect. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) volunteers serve as the voice for vulnerable children in Central Kentucky, ensuring their needs are heard and their rights are protected in family court proceedings.
Open Home Foundation: Apollo Automation is proud to back the Open Home Foundation. A portion of profits from every H-2 sold helps protect the values of privacy, choice, and sustainability in the smart home by supporting open source projects like Home Assistant and open connectivity standards.
These charities represent our dual commitment: supporting vulnerable children in our local Kentucky community through CASA of Lexington, and advancing the open-source smart home movement that makes our products possible through the Open Home Foundation.
The Apollo H-2: More Than Just a Holiday Ornament
The H-2 is the second edition of Apollo Automation's annual holiday ornament, and it's packed with festive features that make it a unique addition to any smart home enthusiast's holiday collection.
Instant Holiday Music at Your Fingertips
The Apollo H-2 ships pre-flashed with basic firmware featuring four classic holiday tunes. Simply press any of the four buttons on the back to play:
- Button 1: Jingle Bells
- Button 2: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Button 3: Let it Snow
- Button 4: Blue Christmas
Each song comes with unique LED lighting effects that dance along with the music, creating a festive display with 58 brilliant RGB LEDs.
What's New for 2025
The H-2 represents significant upgrades over the original H-1 ornament:
- Four dedicated song buttons: No more multi-click confusion. Each holiday tune gets its own dedicated button.
- Upgraded ESP32-C6 processor: More powerful processing with 8MB flash memory for enhanced capabilities.
- 58 RGB LEDs: Nearly triple the LEDs compared to the H-1's 22, creating more impressive lighting displays.
- USB-C charging: Modern, convenient charging for the rechargeable battery.
- Logo light: Enhanced visual appeal with illuminated Apollo branding.
Power Options for Every Setup
The Apollo H-2 offers flexible power options to fit your holiday display needs:
- USB-C powered: Plug it in for continuous operation during the holiday season.
- Battery powered: Uses a 16340 or RCR123A rechargeable battery for cordless freedom.
- Built-in charging: The device can charge the battery directly via USB-C for convenient power management.
Smart Home Integration: Unlock Advanced Features
While the H-2 works perfectly out of the box with its pre-loaded holiday tunes, Home Assistant users can unlock even more capabilities by flashing custom firmware.
Integration with Home Assistant enables:
- Custom songs and LED effects: Beyond the four classics, create your own holiday soundtracks.
- Bluetooth proxy: Extend your Home Assistant Bluetooth coverage.
- Bluetooth tracking: Use the H-2 as part of your presence detection setup.
- Wi-Fi connectivity: Full smart home integration and remote control.
Visit the Apollo Wiki's How to use the H-2 guide for complete setup instructions and firmware flashing details.
Scan the QR Code: Apollo Automation's 2025 Year in Review
Each Apollo H-2 includes a special QR code that takes you on a journey through Apollo Automation's incredible 2025. Scan the code to discover:
- Product launches and innovations: All the new sensors and devices we released this year.
- Community achievements: The amazing projects and integrations built by our users.
- Milestones and growth: How Apollo Automation expanded in 2025.
- International presence: Our first appearance at IFA Berlin and preparations for CES 2026.
- Partnership highlights: Works With Home Assistant certification and ecosystem growth.
- Manufacturing expansion: Growing our Kentucky-based production capabilities.
This year-in-review showcases not just what Apollo Automation accomplished, but what our incredible community built, shared, and created together. From innovative Home Assistant automations to creative sensor applications, the Apollo community has been the driving force behind our success.
A Thank You to Our Community
The Apollo H-2 is our way of saying thank you. Thank you for supporting a Kentucky-based manufacturer. Thank you for believing in open-source smart home technology. Thank you for being part of a community that values privacy, local control, and innovation.
Every person who chose an Apollo sensor over a cloud-dependent alternative made a statement about the future they want for smart home technology. Every community member who shared their setup, contributed to our GitHub, or helped another user in Discord made Apollo Automation stronger.
This ornament celebrates that community spirit while giving back to causes that matter.
Three Ways to Give: Choose Your Impact Level
When purchasing the Apollo H-2, customers can choose from three charitable donation tiers. All three tiers include the same H-2 ornament, but each tier allows you to contribute an additional amount directly to CASA of Lexington and the Open Home Foundation beyond the base profit donation.
Whether you choose the standard option or increase your charitable contribution, 100% of Apollo Automation's profit goes to charity. The tiered system simply allows customers who want to give more the opportunity to do so.
Perfect for Smart Home Enthusiasts and Holiday Gift-Giving
The Apollo H-2 makes an excellent gift for:
- Home Assistant users: A festive addition to any smart home setup with optional advanced integration.
- Smart home enthusiasts: A collectible ornament that combines technology and holiday spirit.
- DIY makers: An ESP32-C6 development platform disguised as a holiday decoration.
- Apollo Automation fans: A limited edition keepsake from a Kentucky tech company.
- Charitable givers: A meaningful purchase where profits support important causes.
At $17.99, the H-2 represents incredible value for a fully functional smart device with charitable impact included.
Made in Kentucky, Supporting Kentucky
True to Apollo Automation's commitment to local manufacturing, the H-2 is designed, engineered, programmed, assembled, and shipped from our facility in Versailles, Kentucky. Every ornament represents Kentucky jobs, Kentucky innovation, and support for Kentucky children through CASA of Lexington.
By keeping production in-house, we maintain the quality control and attention to detail that Apollo Automation customers expect, while supporting the Central Kentucky economy and creating high-tech manufacturing jobs in Woodford County.
Limited Edition: A Collectible Annual Tradition
The Apollo H-2 is the 2025 edition in what we hope will become an annual tradition. Like the H-1 before it, the H-2 is a limited production run. Once they're gone, they're gone. These annual ornaments become collectibles for Apollo Automation supporters, marking each year of our growth and our community's achievements.
Future years will bring new designs, new features, and support for new charitable causes, but the 2025 H-2 with its 58 LEDs, four song buttons, and ESP32-C6 processor will remain unique to this holiday season.
Open Source Philosophy Extends to Holiday Ornaments
In keeping with Apollo Automation's open-source commitment, the H-2 firmware and integration guides are freely available on our GitHub and Wiki. The Home Assistant community can modify, improve, and share their H-2 customizations, creating an ecosystem of holiday creativity.
This open approach means the H-2 isn't just what we ship. It's what the community makes of it. Custom songs, unique LED patterns, creative automations, and innovative uses we never imagined. That's the power of open-source smart home technology.
Join the Apollo Automation Community
The H-2 represents more than a product. It represents a community of makers, tinkerers, and smart home enthusiasts who believe in local control, privacy, and open standards.
Join the conversation:
- Apollo Automation Discord: Get support, share your H-2 setup, and connect with other Apollo users at dsc.gg/apolloautomation
- Apollo Wiki: Complete documentation, setup guides, and community projects at wiki.apolloautomation.com
- GitHub: Explore firmware, contribute code, and access CAD files at github.com/ApolloAutomation
Order Your Apollo H-2 Holiday Ornament Today
The Apollo H-2 Annual Holiday Ornament is available now at apolloautomation.com.
Remember: 100% of profits support CASA of Lexington and the Open Home Foundation. Every purchase makes a difference in the lives of vulnerable children in Kentucky and supports the future of open-source smart home technology.
Celebrate the holidays. Support important causes. Add a unique piece of smart home technology to your collection. The Apollo H-2 delivers all three.
About Apollo Automation
Apollo Automation is a Kentucky-based smart home technology company building high-performance, open-source sensors and devices for Home Assistant and ESPHome. Founded in 2023 and headquartered in Versailles, KY, the company is committed to privacy-first design, in-house manufacturing, and supporting the local community. All Apollo products integrate locally with Home Assistant, requiring no cloud services or subscriptions.
About CASA of Lexington
CASA of Lexington provides volunteers and resources to advocate on behalf of the best interest of children in the family court system due to abuse or neglect. Learn more at casaoflexington.org.
About Open Home Foundation
The Open Home Foundation protects the values of privacy, choice, and sustainability in the smart home by supporting open source projects like Home Assistant and open connectivity standards. Learn more at openhomefoundation.org.
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