Automatic Chicken Coop door for only $5 bucks with a radio antenna from a junkyard

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This is a neat idea. A coop door with an electric car antenna, a timer, and two 120-volt to 12-volt power supplies. It's simple, but works great.

It will cost most people more that $5, but it is a great idea.

I did notice that the light comes on right when the coop door starts closing. If the coop door got hung up or something, the coop door would be open but the night light would be on telling you that the coop door closed. I don't think there is an easy way to correct that, because I know that the light comes on when the timer turns on the power supply for the electric antenna to close the coop door.

Thank you for sharing your automatic coop door plan.
You could use a connector that physically closes on contact when the door closes. This could solve your problem.
 
Wanted to bump this with an update, i've had hens for about 8 months and now that its the middle of winter the going out every morning and night in the cold is making me look for a low cost cheater option.

Right now this is the schematic i think im going to go with. Im going to get a CN101 style timer of amazon and need to find a cheap antenna motor. I saw another video on how you can tweak the stops in the antenna also you can adjust the stops without have to cut the mast.

I think i saw it mention indirectly if you go with something like the CN101A, when the timer is on it will extend the antenna. Which is closed in my case and youll have to set a close to open time. If you go with CN101B style you can wire it on the normal closed set of terminals on the output and then set a open to close time.

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Wanted to bump this with an update, i've had hens for about 8 months and now that its the middle of winter the going out every morning and night in the cold is making me look for a low cost cheater option.

Right now this is the schematic i think im going to go with. Im going to get a CN101 style timer of amazon and need to find a cheap antenna motor. I saw another video on how you can tweak the stops in the antenna also you can adjust the stops without have to cut the mast.

I think i saw it mention indirectly if you go with something like the CN101A, when the timer is on it will extend the antenna. Which is closed in my case and youll have to set a close to open time. If you go with CN101B style you can wire it on the normal closed set of terminals on the output and then set a open to close time.

View attachment 2484596
What did you finally go with?

If you are going to do this (I HIGHLY recommend that people don't), Using two CN101Bs or TM619s or better yet Any of the DIN rail mountable style timers is a way better way to go. TM615, THC15A or even the Astronomical timers THC15A. Of course if you already have two CN101As you can add a Diode and you don't have to have the power on, only at the open and close times.

Also you don't have to cut anything of the mast if you add a limit or even two.

"can tweak the stops in the antenna"

some, if not most, of these antennas don't have anything to tweak.
 

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