ADOR1 Automatic Coop Door?

[pfields]

I've had my Ador1 about three weeks now and I love it. I have a light on a timer in the coop and have it set to come on around 6am. The door opens within minutes of the light coming on and closes at night around 8:45-8:50. Right now the door is set to option #1. It was easy to install and so far is working great.

 

[aart]

I've had my Ador1 about three weeks now and I love it. I have a light on a timer in the coop and have it set to come on around 6am. The door opens within minutes of the light coming on and closes at night around 8:45-8:50. Right now the door is set to option #1. It was easy to install and so far is working great.

Are you using the light just to control the door?

 

[pfields]

Only in the morning. I like the time that option 1 closes in the evening but I want it to open earlier in the morning just before daylight. They want out so I use the light to open it earlier than it would normally on option 1 and it closes just when I want it in the evening on it's own.

 

[minnehaha]

Only in the morning. I like the time that option 1 closes in the evening but I want it to open earlier in the morning just before daylight. They want out so I use the light to open it earlier than it would normally on option 1 and it closes just when I want it in the evening on it's own.

Can we see a picture of your set-up with the light? Thank you.

 

[Gryphon]

Has anyone else had an issue with the door having something in its way? I woke up this morning to very unhappy girlies who were screaming at me to let them out. I go out and push the button, nothing. The light flashes every now and again, and the door made an unhappy noise when I pushed the button, but it didn't open. Looking again, I see that someone had probably knocked the ramp out of the holes I drilled under the door, and instead of putting them back in the holes they just propped it in the doorway. I pull it out, and the door closes the rest of the way. I try pushing the button and get no response, then after I try again I get a "beep beep beep, beeeep beeep!". I was in a rush to get to work so I couldn't fiddle with it any longer and just opened the front door to the coop, hopefully it stays open until I get home again. I hope it just needs time to reset or something, because this is a fresh battery I put in and I'd hate for it to be already dead!

 

[novahokie]

You should check out the Easy Out DELUXE Remote Pet Door Opener... applied in this case for releasing chickens. Here is the product's website:

http://easyoutpetrelease.com

It is available for ordering any time and the website has lots of videos showing how to install it in many different applications and ways. Horizontally swinging doors are easy for it, but one chicken farmer even installed it on ramp that swings down vertically. Here is a link to where he posted all about his setup:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/907179/solution-automatic-drop-down-ramp-style-door-opener

Regardless of how you apply it, it's a proven and affordable way to open your coop door via any common AC wall socket plug-in timer (with extension cords to extend the reach as necessary) every morning, and never get up early to do so again.

And as another option, the website tells how you can also easily set it up so you can open the door USING YOUR SMART PHONE, anytime, from anywhere, using a wifi switch and a free app. And on top of those methods it can also be opened with an included hand held remote control from up to 100 feet away.

Unlike other options on the internet, this product adapts as an add-on to your existing coop door so it does not require motors, pulleys, nor any other major changes to your current structure, and it costs under $100.

 

[Volcanic Egger]

Hope this helps:

1. To test:
   1. Notice that the first thing ADOR1 does when connecting the battery is that it says “HI” on the buzzer in Morse Code (beep- beep- beep- beep beep- beep) and then will activate the motor to shut the door. It is now in AUTOMATIC MODE and will open the door if there is DAYLIGHT.
   2. Press the button momentarily to manually open or close the door.
   3. Press the button momentarily again to see that the door goes to the opposite state.
   4. Leave the door in the correct state according to the DAYLIGHT (ie leave OPEN if daylight or leave SHUT if no daylight). This ensures it is still in automatic mode.
   5. Walk away… it will now automatically open the door and shut the door, based on daylight it can see. Check on the door after the next sunrise or sunset to see it is working.
2. WARNING: If you want to manually open/shut the door, then MOMENTARILY (meaning: press it for only about 1/3 second.). If you hold the button in, you are JOGGING the door, which takes it out of automatic mode.

 

[tcstoehr]

Has anyone else had an issue with the door having something in its way? I woke up this morning to very unhappy girlies who were screaming at me to let them out. I go out and push the button, nothing. The light flashes every now and again, and the door made an unhappy noise when I pushed the button, but it didn't open. Looking again, I see that someone had probably knocked the ramp out of the holes I drilled under the door, and instead of putting them back in the holes they just propped it in the doorway. >

I pull it out, and the door closes the rest of the way. I try pushing the button and get no response, then after I try again I get a "beep beep beep, beeeep beeep!". I was in a rush to get to work so I couldn't fiddle with it any longer and just opened the front door to the coop, hopefully it stays open until I get home again. I hope it just needs time to reset or something, because this is a fresh battery I put in and I'd hate for it to be already dead!

A defect of the Ador1 is that it can get confused as to what its current open/closed state is, and try to move the door in the wrong direction. This will grind the gear and make an "unhappy" noise. In my case, a simple momentary press of the front-panel switch will reverse the gears and get the Ador1 sync'ed up and happy again.
This does not happen during general, day-to-day use. It's not really an issue unless you're working with it and connecting/disconnecting the power supply.
I can duplicate this issue at any time by doing the following with the Ador1 in the default automatic mode:
1) With the door open in broad daylight, press the front-panel switch to close the door.
2) Disconnect the battery.
3) Reconnect the battery.

The gear will spin forward attempting to close the already-closed door. I don't know how long it will go but it will for at least 4 full seconds. I've never let it go any longer than that.
Anyway, once sync'ed up it will remain that way.

 

[tcstoehr]

A defect of the Ador1 is that it can get confused as to what its current open/closed state is, and try to move the door in the wrong direction. This will grind the gear and make an "unhappy" noise. In my case, a simple momentary press of the front-panel switch will reverse the gears and get the Ador1 sync'ed up and happy again.
This does not happen during general, day-to-day use. It's not really an issue unless you're working with it and connecting/disconnecting the power supply.
I can duplicate this issue at any time by doing the following with the Ador1 in the default automatic mode:
1) With the door open in broad daylight, press the front-panel switch to close the door.
2) Disconnect the battery.
3) Reconnect the battery.

The gear will spin forward attempting to close the already-closed door. I don't know how long it will go but it will for at least 4 full seconds. I've never let it go any longer than that.
Anyway, once sync'ed up it will remain that way.

I'll have to correct myself here. The gear slipping only happens when the battery cover is off. The cover actually stabilizes the battery compartment floor to which the motor is attached. With the cover off, the battery compartment floor flexes up and down against the pressure exerted by the motor. This allows the sprocket to pop loose from the holes that it is trying to drive. With the cover installed, the motor may drive in the wrong direction, but the Ador1 will figure it out and reverse the motor itself. This is normal behavior for "sighting" the door at power-up time.

 

[Gryphon]

I ended up buying a new battery (again) and the door worked properly from then on out. Quite annoyed that someone being where they shouldn't and messing with my coop cost me a battery and could have damaged the door. (it works now, but I don't like putting additional strain on the motor than needs to be there, could shorten its lifespan).