My DIY automatic egg turner

Hi all,

First, a word of warning...

Using the motor I used (dish turner motor repurposed from a scrap microwave oven), this it's not 100% perfect... This kind of motor (synchronous) is unpredictable in the direction of rotation (clockwise or counter-clockwise) when it starts running... For this design/concept to be flawless, you need a motor that always runs in the same direction... So, if you can find one

That said, the materials... Besides the wood structure, a cheap electrical socket timer (modified), a microwave oven dish turner motor, a couple of micro-switches... And other bits 'n pieces..

Some photos...









And videos...

http://vid1140.photobucket.com/albums/n573/Daedalus62/Chickens/Vira Ovos/MOV01509_zpscqr5wj21.mp4

http://vid1140.photobucket.com/albums/n573/Daedalus62/Chickens/Vira Ovos/MOV01504_zpsqtseuihp.mp4

http://vid1140.photobucket.com/albums/n573/Daedalus62/Chickens/Vira Ovos/MOV01499_zpsnrgghoyk.mp4

Wiring scheme...



Switch A goes inside the timer... It's a double contact/circuit micro-switch, replacing the original single contact one.


All loaded up, in my homemade foamy bator (https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/868776/yet-another-cheap-diy-incubator), and ready to go!!...



I programmed the timer to turn 8 x day... So, even if (in theory) it fails half the turns, I guess it'll be alright... I've had successful hatches in this bator, turning manually 3 x day

BTW, the original idea for this concept is not mine... I got it online.

Cheers

Brilliant and simple repurpose design. And lovely craftsmanship, too!

Thanks for posting. My incubator is big enough for 3 or 4 racks but I only have two turners and want to build one rather than buy 2 or 3 more turners.

WalnutHill said:

Brilliant and simple repurpose design. And lovely craftsmanship, too!

Click to expand...

Thanks!!... I try to keep things simple yet efficient.

ChickenCanoe said:

Thanks for posting. My incubator is big enough for 3 or 4 racks but I only have two turners and want to build one rather than buy 2 or 3 more turners.

Click to expand...

You're welcome!!... If you build something like this, try finding a motor that always runs in the same direction (not like mine!). Keep us posted.

...

Thinking about it ... I believe I can work around this problem caused by the synchronous motor... I just have to reposition switch B... Hummm... I'll do a test and let you know... In 3 weeks time... It's running a batch now

Cheers

how did you do it :
because the timer goes out only two contacts, but to you four?

Notice, like I mentioned before, that the wall socket timer has to be modified... Basically, replace the original single contact/circuit micro-switch that you find inside, with a double contact/circuit one...

I redrew my original circuit drawing, to include the terminal block you see in the photos... The pink box in the drawing is what's inside the wall socket timer.

Hope this is clear... If not, please come again...

BTW... Out of that 28 eggs test batch you see on my 1st post, I got 20 chicks this weekend...

Of the remaining 8... 4 non-fertile, 1 stinker (removed at day 14) and 3 don't-know-what-happened... Might do an egg-topsy on these 3...

Cheers

im thinking is there no other way to put two limit switches to make the motor turn all the time i.e 100%?

Hi sweetbanana,

I didn't do a video of the problem that occurs from using an unpredictable motor (direction of rotation wise), but let me try to explain...

Please see my 2nd video: (http://vid1140.photobucket.com/albums/n573/Daedalus62/Chickens/Vira Ovos/MOV01504_zpsqtseuihp.mp4)...

So the motor is running (completing his half-turn) and stops when the micro-switch is activated... Next time it starts running (after the programmed waiting time has passed), if the direction of rotation is not the same as last time, it immediately re-triggers the micro-switch... It stops on-the-spot, without completing the due half-turn... This happens every time the motor tries to start and the direction of rotation is different from last time.

Cheers

oooh i get it now, so its better maybe if i can use my timer to turn after every, lets say 30 mins then tht way probability has it that it will definately make the required 3 times turns per day or more.

Thanks