# Automatic Chicken Coop Door



## LibertyorDeath (Oct 24, 2016)

I'm thinking of diving into my first solar powered project that will be used to automatically control a chicken coop door. I've spec'd the components and not sure if I've got what I need. I need to raise an automatic car antenna mast in the morning and lower it again in the evening, once each day. I plan to add some LED lighting to the coop as well, but nothing else. I don't want to overbuild this project.

Is there anyone with experience that can review these components and tell me if I am good or where I've gone astray?

https://amzn.com/w/CRYRS56HB4YX


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

IMHO

0.7a draw on a 1.3ah is going to collapse the voltage. Too big a draw for the battery. You need to get the draw to be around C/10 so I'd advise going with a 7aH battery. Couple that with this being an automotive product that is designed to work at 13.6v and the rested battery voltage will only be around 12.6v could lead to slow operation if at all.

Then the solar panel will be too small to properly charge the battery. It needs to be around C/15 to C/20 for a sealed battery. So it should have an VMP rating between 350 and 460ma. Being that this will only operate a couple minutes a day you could get by with smaller but expect reduced life on the battery. I would not go below about C/50 or 140ma on a 7aH battery.

I don't see where the charge controller is adjustable for different battery types. If this is designed for vented batteries the voltage will be too high and destroy the sealed battery. For a sealed or AGM battery you need a maximum voltage setting of 14.1 or less. Vented batteries take 14.4 volts.

WWW


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## LibertyorDeath (Oct 24, 2016)

Thanks WWW, I appreciate your prompt willingness to help. You noticed immediately that I am a complete novice. And I noticed immediately that you have a wealth of knowledge/experience in this area. I want to learn more about this so if you could recommend something more substantive than watching youtube, I would appreciate it.

I followed your reasoning and have made some changes to my components. Not sure about things though. Would you be so kind to review again? I do not want to wear out my welcome. If you would like to recommend certain components, I would be in your debt.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Most doors use a D20 "add-a-motor" because the up-down reversing feature is built in. When power is applied, the motor runs in one direction to a stop point (field adjustable), then when power is applied the next time, the motor reverses. Makes is easy to use with a timer, setting two points of power per day. Also, the D20 is rated for up to 5lbs of door weight.

So, that points out 2 problems with the car antenna.

1. How do you plan to do this with the car antennae ? They typically raise with power, and lower when power is taken away I think.....

2. They probably are not rated for much in the way of weight, since they are designed just to raise the antenna, not more than that.


We've used a homemade door with the D20 now for a couple years and had no issues. I'm getting ready to build another using solar this time, as this coop has no AC power available.


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## LibertyorDeath (Oct 24, 2016)

This is not an original idea. I am looking to replicate something like this: https://youtu.be/fwh00JaCztk?t=373


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Been busy for sorry for taking so long to reply. 

A 7 to 10 watt 12v solar panel should work. Not sure why you added a 5v panel and individual cells.

The U-tube setup looks nice but a missing detail bothers me with solar. The door is closed with the antenna extended. As TnAndy pointed out you are going to have some power consumed by that. I don't know how he has that setup as it extends when he disconnects power. That's backwards from a normal antenna. I don't see how he addressed the issue in his wiring diagram.

It would be better to have the antenna extend during the day so you're consuming while the panel is producing. If you can set it up that way I wouldn't worry about working out the watt-hour load for sizing the battery. With it being oversized already to handle the amp draw it should be large enough.

If you can't solve that then you're going to have your highest daily watt-hour usage in the dead of winter when solar provides the least amount of power. Then you need to run some calculations to make sure you have enough battery.

WWW


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## Murby (May 24, 2016)

I built mine out of almost EXACTLY that! Wow.. You must be a very smart person! LOL

I used an automobile automatic antennae device, just like you listed only I think mine came from an older 1980's vehicle or something.

I also used a motorcycle battery that was too "dead" to be reliable for a motorcycle but just fine for this application.

My solar panel is 5 watts but I have to say, I wish I gone with a 10 or 15 watt unit because it can run the battery down if we get like a week of cloudy days during the winter months when daylight is in short supply.
It doesn't happen every year, but sometimes, here in Michigan, we'll get a week of weather were its just always cloudy and/or snowing and that solar panel needs sunshine! If it doesn't get enough light, the battery can run down.. It will still operate the motor, but the problem is that lead-acid batteries die quickly if they are not kept fully charged so its important to over-size your solar panel.

Your 1.5 watt solar panel will not be even close to large enough.. 5 watts minimum if you anticipate reliable sunshine at least 3 days per week.. and if you're going to run LED's off it, I would go with a 20 watt panel or at least two 10 watt panels.. maybe even more!

I didn't use a light sensor.. instead, I used a special type of low-draw programmable timer.. Only one company makes it so far as I know, its called a Flexcharge Programmable Digital 12 volt d.c. timer and only draws 5ma in standby mode. That is like 50 times less than any other 12 volt timer I could find. It works great! I simply go out to the coop two or three times per year and set the open and close times appropriately. 

I made my sliding door from a HDPE kitchen cutting board and mounted the solar panel on a swivel above the coop. 

I used small limit switches to stop the antennae motor from raising the door too far so that it saves on energy. The more that motor runs, the more energy it sucks. I also used a blocking diode to stop the motor from drawing any standby current in its half-way up position.

I'd suggest getting on ebay and purchasing a MorningStar solar charger.. There have been times where I have plugged my unit into the house (via extension cord) to give the battery a boost. I simply use a small 12 volt transformer like you see on internet modems or cordless phones and wired it directly to the solar panel input leads. The charger thinks the energy is coming from the solar panel and doesn't care.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

I think using a window regulator would be a better choice. They would have no current draw when not operated and are designed to raise/lower the weight of the window. They operate using reversing current switches and travel could be limited/ended by upper and lower limit switches.

WWW


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## LibertyorDeath (Oct 24, 2016)

Thanks www, but I cannot justify the cost of a drapery motor in this project. 

I have revised my design completely, closely following the pattern in the attached PDF. The parts list is still here: https://amzn.com/w/CRYRS56HB4YX 
I already own the Black & Decker screwdriver, so this drastically reduces my cost.

Departures from the design is that I will be charging the integrated 4.8v batteries with a solar charger and blocking diode. And the toggle switch I am replacing with a phototransistor to create the dawn to dusk operation.

This is also similar to this fella's design using a timer here: [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXABZMa8dm0[/ame]

Thoughts?


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## Murby (May 24, 2016)

Both the toggle switch and the dawn-to-dusk timer have double throw contacts.. Your photo switch is a single throw. How are you going to work around that?


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## LibertyorDeath (Oct 24, 2016)

The Photo Transistor closes the circuit when enough photons hit it, and opens the circuit once that level drops enough. I suppose I will also need a Photo Resistor to do the reverse. Good catch.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

You'll also need to verify that one cuts the power before the other applies it. Otherwise the door will bump up/down against one of the limit switches until the motor burns out.

WWW


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## Murby (May 24, 2016)

LibertyorDeath said:


> The Photo Transistor closes the circuit when enough photons hit it, and opens the circuit once that level drops enough. I suppose I will also need a Photo Resistor to do the reverse. Good catch.


The problem with photo resistors is that they require current to flow through them in order to work.. 

You're going to have to figure out a way to stop that current flow when the door is open or closed and ONLY allow that current flow during operational functions... 

Leaking currents are going to add up really really fast and make your solar panel so undersized it won't even be funny.

This is why I went with a timer.. I could calculate, to the milliamp, how much current the system was going to draw. 

The other thing you need to do is to make sure the door closes in such a way that a racoon can't get their nails around the corners to pry it open.. Mine slides up and down in a slot on each side and closes into a bottomless slot. 

Hope that helps,


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

I really did a good thing------ I think----Some years back I ordered a hand full of 24hr battery operated clock movements that were used in game feeders----ordered the 24hr round dial and some trip clips that fit on the dial. Now when I want to build things like automatic chicken doors----I use these----one clip for open presses a wire micro switch---the door opens till it hits the limit switch----then in the evening another clip presses another micro switch for the closing and the door closed and presses the limit switch that cuts off the motor. No power is used except for the short time of opening and closing. Being I use DC motor/gear box like comes out of a child's discarded yard car, dc drills, etc I let the micro switch turn on/off a heavy duty relay.

I have used these 24hr clocks for automatic doors, feeders, lights for chickens/chicks waterers, etc. I do not know if they still sell them(haven't searched) but they are great for projects. Before I ordered these movements I used 12 hr (AA battery) movements for deer feeders, cut my own round dials and made clips---the feeder would just feed twice a day(would not work for automatic doors) using a little home-made adjustable timer circuit to control how long the feeder stayed on.


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## samson (Jan 21, 2017)

I did this a good 4 years ago. It's been opening and shutting over 1300 times now. I used a 12 volt car radio antenna. Just reversing the polarity drives the motor in the opposite direction. The antenna is upside down lifting and dropping the gate. Gate made from simply wire vinyl coated shelving. Got it opening at sun up and closing just after sundown.


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## Murby (May 24, 2016)

samson said:


> I did this a good 4 years ago. It's been opening and shutting over 1300 times now. I used a 12 volt car radio antenna. Just reversing the polarity drives the motor in the opposite direction. The antenna is upside down lifting and dropping the gate. Gate made from simply wire vinyl coated shelving. Got it opening at sun up and closing just after sundown.


Yup! Mine too.. Used a car antenna and its never failed yet.. Been working for around 4 or 5 years too..


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

Rule the roost remotely with the world&#8217;s first smart chicken coop

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/rule-roost-remotely-world-first-234034289.html
http://myconnectedcoop.com/


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