ADOR1 Automatic Coop Door?

[NapaChicknGal]

thnx for feedback--I'm going to go ahead and order one before El Nino strikes!!!

 

[ampho]

Had ours two years same battery. No problems Really a must have for us although I do check in the freezing weather to make sure no one is locked out overnight !

 

[pfields]

The only problem I'm having is that it won't open up early enough. By 7 am it's light and my chickens want out of the coop. I've been having to manually open it every morning, not good. My door faces the north and I have a light (set on a timer) on the outside of my coop above the door that comes on at 6:30 am. So far that hasn't helped it to open up earlier. I have the outside sensor cord and may have to run it from the outside to the inside where I also have a light set on a timer to come on. I did that before but if it got dark outside from bad weather it closed them out of the coop so looks like I'll have to leave a light on all day in the coop.

I'm hoping Rod will get the timer option done and for sale soon, that would solve all my problems.

 

[NapaChicknGal]

Wish Rod lived closer!! Thx for input

 

[pfields]

Finally got my door to open when I want in the am.

I tried using the sensor on the inside of the coop close to a light on a timer and I can't explain why but that didn't work. So, I put the sensor on the outside up under the outside coop light which is on a timer and it's working. The inside light of the coop comes on at 6:45 am and the outside light comes on at 6:50 am and within a less than a minute the door opened. This has worked for the past few days, I'm so happy.

I could get the door to close at night on option 1 (option 2 didn't work at all am or pm) but I couldn't get it to open in the morning until bright sunlight.

Battery life has been really good. I keep an extra one handy just in case.

I would still be interested in the timer option when Rod gets it developed. It would simplify my setup with so many timers and make it easier to adjust due to the changing length of days from summer to winter.

 

[pfields]

Just a note, I don't have a problem with my door opening when the days are longer, it's just when the days get shorter. Since moving the sensor to the outside under the light it has worked great all week.

 

[Loc20chick]

I've had this for more than a year now, works great and still on that same battery. I noticed yesterday it's closing a bit early but all the chickens were in.

 

[T-traveler]

I've had mine for about 14 months (using the last call option) and it's worked like a charm up until this last week. Almost every evening I have a few girls who don't make it in on time. I"m going to go get a new battery tomorrow and see if that helps.

BTW, has anyone hooked one of these up to AC with a DC transformer? I'd like to try that so I won't ever have to worry about the battery running out.

 

[lynnehd]

I've had mine for about 14 months (using the last call option) and it's worked like a charm up until this last week. Almost every evening I have a few girls who don't make it in on time. I"m going to go get a new battery tomorrow and see if that helps.

BTW, has anyone hooked one of these up to AC with a DC transformer? I'd like to try that so I won't ever have to worry about the battery running out.

Not sure if this is what you are asking, but the web site says you can use a battery trickle charger and hook it up to AC 115v, though.
http://adorstore.com/products/115v-ac-power-adapter-for-ador1

Mine closes about 4:15p now, but the chickens are inside. A couple of days ago, I watched as one got trapped outside, but I'd already set the 'Last Call' option, and she came in when the door reopened.

Do you think your chickens are getting trapped outside because it gets dark so early, combined with the dark clouds we have right now?
Did you have trouble with this over last winter?

 

[pfields]

I had trouble with mine not opening early enough and closing when the days get shorter so I bought the outside sensor cord and set my outside light on a timer. (I had to buy a special cord so I could plug in the outside light, it was very inexpensive, well under $5). This has worked for me. The outside light comes on at 6 am and goes off at 8 am. It keeps the door open on those dark days in the am. I have the light set to come back on at 5:00 pm to keep the door open and then go off at 6 pm. The door will then close in about 5 minutes or less of the light going off.

Even in the summer when the days were longer I was having trouble with it not opening as early as I wanted, it closed fine in the evening it was just the morning that I had a problem. Using the outside sensor cord has so far solved my problems. My pop door on my coop faces north and for some reason the sun just didn't hit it enough to open early in the summer.

Ideally it would be great if there was a cord that ran from the door to a timer and we could set the open/close time depending on day length. We could just set an open time and close time and unless the power went out (which it could have a backup battery option) I wouldn't worry about being out of town. As it is I always have someone check it's open and closed when we're gone. Even when I'm home I always give a glance out the window to make sure it open or closed.