[graham-j]

Hi,has any one had a go at making the own automatic pop hole opener/closer.

Graham.

[Dan]

There were some threads recently which might make useful reading:

www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=8305.msg80731
www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=2332.msg18059
www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php/topic,8308.msg80775.html

There's discussion of buying vs making, and I think Womble made his own and described it somewhere, but I can't find the thread.

HTH.

[graham-j]

Hi,thanks Dan I have had a good look but I can't find it either.

Graham.

[Womble]

Hi Dan,

I've made lots of my own things, but I did buy the VSB commercially (sorry!).
 
I had great plans to make one out of an automatic car ariel motor etc, but by the time I added up all the bits I'd need, it was cheaper to buy one, and I was pushed for time. The one thing I did do was to wire a simple switch across the VSB's external timer pins. This means that I can over-ride the open signal at any time - useful if I want to catch all the hens in the morning to dust for lice for instance.
 
If you do want to make one yourself, they're not exactly rocket science, and there are plenty of blogs out there from people who've done it.

[doganjo]

But watch the timing - don't want a whole lot of headless chickens 

[graham-j]

Hi,thanks Womble I have got several Ideas from different people some very simple others very technical electronic microprocessor controlled designs.I am trying to collect as many Ideas as I can before I make my own.
If I had just one house I would buy one of these for £60
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CC8QjBAwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chuxaway.com%2Fpage6.aspx&ei=dTI_ULa3B8GJ0AWXkICAAw&usg=AFQjCNEKJiokWmPGsX_dG6HybFEnhLGqJw&cad=rja
But I have several houses,I need to automate the door opening and closing because I work shifts,am away too early in the morning to open them up and when I'm working nights I'm not there to shut them away.

Graham.

[Womble]

Hi Graham,

I was in just the same situation as you - I had a period of shift work sprung on me at short notice, so didn't have time to tinker anything up myself.  If I had done, it probably would have looked a bit like the chuxaway. An up and a down sensor/switch, plus a timer and motor.
 
However, the VSB has several advantages in my mind:
 
1) It works on light, so once you've got the sensitivity right, there's no further messing required
2) The door does not fall to a given position, it merely drops until the tension comes out of the string.  That means that if a hen is in the way, it will stop falling.
3) No external wiring or door sensors are required. The door lowers until the string goes slack, or raises until a knot in the string pulls a magnet away from a reed switch (you position the knot to correspond to the door's 'up' position).
 
How many houses do you have?  Also, are they in any way adjacent to each other? It is possible to use pulleys so that two or more doors can be operated on the same motor - just a thought.

[graham-j]

Hi Womble,I have 5 at one location and two at another.
I have found this motor on the internet this should be suitable for opening and shutting the doors.

Graham.

http://www.rapidonline.com/Electrical-Power/120-1-Inline-motor-and-gearbox-81728

[Dan]

I've made lots of my own things, but I did buy the VSB commercially (sorry!).

Sorry, my mistake! I'm sure I've read an account recently from someone who did make their own. It may have been on another site, will see if I can find it again...

[Womble]

 
They look great Graham, and cheap as chips!
 
Could you possibly wire each coop back to a central timer then?  What I'm thinking of is five circuits in parallel to raise the five doors until each circuit is broken by an upper microswitch. Then five circuits in parallel to lower them, again until the circuit is broken when the door hits the lower microswitch.
 
You'd then need to put the timer on so it applied the voltage one way to circuit one for two minutes each morning to raise the doors, and two minutes onto circuit two in the evening to lower them again.
 
Obviously you'd have to stop the two circuits from interacting, but since they'd have different polarities, it might be as simple as sticking a few diodes in the circuit.

What do you think?  Does that make sense, or am I talking complete cobblers?     I can sketch it out for you if you like!

[graham-j]

Hi,you are not talking rubbish Womble that is exactly what I am thinking.A timer will be good enough for what I need the is no need for a light censor at all.I am happy for my birds to be released at 8.30 each morning,so they make less noise to disturb people.And I can adjust the shut time weekly.
I can use one timer to trigger 5 up relays an 5 down relays and the use a magnetic reed switch to turn the trigger voltages off on each relay once each door reaches its limit.I think that is what you mean.
All sounds good in theory.

Graham.