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I've kinda had this project kicking around for a while. Our coop is about 100 yards from our house and every morning rain or shine someone has to go out and open the coop, and every evening go out and close it up. Not a big deal except for cases of inclement weather, but I figured we could do better. Thats where the auto door comes in:
It took a while to build because I'm cheap and wanted to use as many recycled parts as possible.
The lumber was left over from a few different projects. The open limit switch is from an old doorbell type assembly, the closed limit switch is an aux contact from a starter we removed from service a few years ago, the pieces that actuate the limits are cabinet door rollers. The motor is the rotisserie attachment from a trashed grill. The photoeye and a control relay were the only puchased parts and they totaled about $20.
The basic control scheme is this:
If its dark and the closed limit is not actuated then let the motor run.
If its light and the open limit is not actuated then let the motor run.
Pretty simple wiring.
Close up of the open limit:
Naturally when I built this in my garage I had in my head that it was 16" between the studs and not center to center. I wasn't real pleased when I had to cut the stud to get it in.
Photoeye mounted through the wall:
This has made my kids some kind of happy. Now onto the robo egg collector, cleaner, seller.
It took a while to build because I'm cheap and wanted to use as many recycled parts as possible.
The lumber was left over from a few different projects. The open limit switch is from an old doorbell type assembly, the closed limit switch is an aux contact from a starter we removed from service a few years ago, the pieces that actuate the limits are cabinet door rollers. The motor is the rotisserie attachment from a trashed grill. The photoeye and a control relay were the only puchased parts and they totaled about $20.
The basic control scheme is this:
If its dark and the closed limit is not actuated then let the motor run.
If its light and the open limit is not actuated then let the motor run.
Pretty simple wiring.
Close up of the open limit:
Naturally when I built this in my garage I had in my head that it was 16" between the studs and not center to center. I wasn't real pleased when I had to cut the stud to get it in.
Photoeye mounted through the wall:
This has made my kids some kind of happy. Now onto the robo egg collector, cleaner, seller.
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