Comments for Nifty-Stuff.com

Comment on Auto Coop Door II - Antenna by Bob

Bob — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:24:24 +0000

Hi Kit,

Since you are only drawing power from the battery when the antenna is in motion, a solar panel should do a fine job of keeping the battery up. I did not use a panel because I have 120AC at the barn so a simple float/charger works for me. Whatever panel you decide to use, make sure to periodically check the voltage on the battery to make sure it is kept up. Since the antenna will only run 2x a day, I bet a fully charged battery will run many days without needing any attention anyway.

Bob

Comment on Auto Coop Door II - Antenna by kit thomas

kit thomas — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:10:07 +0000

Has anyone done this with solar power to charge the battery? If so, how did that work out?

Comment on Auto Coop Door II - Antenna by Bob

Bob — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 07:52:28 +0000

Yep, I am a very bad business man. Others that I know would have put this in production by now. I’m sure it will happen soon. Maybe I would get lucky and a cut or at least make me an employee I tell you, if there is a big want for this, I could put together a complete product. But because of lack of mass producition, the time to build and parts may end up close to $200.00 or so. I think that must folks here want to try a “do it yourself” to save money. I thought I saw one for sale?

Mike, I attached the tip of the antenna to a solid piece of rod. The rod is a bit larger in diameter the antenna’s tip. Therefore I was able to drill a hole into the rod just big enough for the tip to sit in. Then I tapped a hole at the end of the rod so that I could screw in a “set screw” to hold the tip in place. The opposite end of the rod has a tapped hole so that I was able to screw the door to the rod.

I’m sure you could even do something similar with a piece wood too. Or, forget what I did and just tie a string to the antenna’s tip and to the door, and let the door’s weight drop the door as the antenna comes out.
Just use your imagination!

Comment on Auto Coop Door II - Antenna by Sue

Sue — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 01:30:00 +0000

OK so there’s about a zillion posts with several brllliant people working on designs for door opening and closing devices. I am overwhelmed! But glad this is still going on.

If any of you decides to build and market a device that’s reasonably priced, I’ll be first in line! Let me know because I’d really like to do this for the safety of my chooks!
BTW this could be a real money maker, since the backyard chicken hobby is BOOMING and growing by leaps and bounds!

Sue

Comment on Auto Coop Door II - Antenna by mike

mike — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:00:27 +0000

Bob can you give more detailon how you connected the antenna to the door?
Thanks

Comment on Auto Coop Door II - Antenna by Bob

Bob — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:08:37 +0000

You will need two appliance/lamp timers and two 12VDC voltage sources that will plug into your timers. This will eliminate the need for a relay.

The 12VDC power sources need to have enough amps to move the antenna. About 1-2 amps (1000 MA - 2000 MA) minimum or so. Just test it and see. Not sure what you are using to test with (maybe your car battery?) But batteries are not an option with this project anyway. Here is an example of what would work (x2)
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/PS-1256/12VDC-1.5A-SWITCHING-POWER-SUPPLY/1.html

First let’s set up the power sources. Connect one power source to the antenna, power it up and make it move out. Then unplug that power source, but do not disconnect the wires to the antenna. Now connect the other power source to the antenna the opposite way (reverse polarity) right on top with the other wires. Now plug that power source in. The antenna should move back in. Then unplug that power source.

So now you have one power source that moves the antenna out, and one that brings it back in when you plug each source in ONE AT A TIME BY ITSELF.

Now set one timer for the morning open time and the other timer for night close time. But have each timer’s “off” peg set so that the timer is on for the shortest amount of time possible. Probably 15 min or so. That way the 12V power source on each timer will not stay on the whole time.

That should do it. It’s easier than it sounds!

Let me know how you are doing.

Bob

Comment on Auto Coop Door II - Antenna by Duane

Duane — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:03:48 +0000

Yes, it stays open when you remove the wires.

Comment on Auto Coop Door II - Antenna by Bob

Bob — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:12:26 +0000

OK, I would assume then that it stays open even if you remove the the wires and will NOT go down after you remove the voltage indefinitly? (stays stuck open). If that is the case, let me do some bench testing for you before I tell you what to get.

Bob

Comment on Auto Coop Door II - Antenna by Duane

Duane — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:11:52 +0000

Yes you have to completely switch the wires for it to go down. It goes up. stops, and to bring it back down, you have to reverse the polarity. I dont know what to do.

Comment on Automatic Chicken Coop Door by building chicken coops

building chicken coops — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:02:20 +0000

I agree with Hank, Ken could you give us some more details?
Great article with some brilliant comments, thanks for sharing
Stevie