ADOR1 Automatic Coop Door?

[aart]

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!

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).

So you think that the ramp being jammed in the door ran the battery down?
Did you figure out who left the ramp there?

 

[tcstoehr]

Here's an unadvertised (and likely unsupported) programming feature of the Ador1. It is available only in "later" revisions of the Ador1. I don't know exactly how to know if your unit supports it. My Ador1 was purchased in early March and does have the feature. I'm guessing that if your Ador1 documentation shows program option N=11 stricken out, then the feature is there. I would also guess that if you try to program the feature and the Ador1 accepts it and reports it back to you, then the feature is there.

The feature is abbreviated as DOO or DO meaning Delay On Open or Delay Open.

Using programming option N=11, you can delay the opening for the door in the morning. In my case, I don't want my hens out until a few hours after sunrise, unless I'm out there. So if I'm out there, I just open it myself. But if I'm otherwise occupied, like sleeping in or taking a morning walk or just forgot, the door will open 2 hours after sunrise. By that time it's OK for them to come out unsupervised. Rod (the Ador1 maker) does not advertise this feature because he says it's not very accurate and the times may differ from unit to unit and even ambient temperature. I don't need it to be particularly accurate. Plus or minus 15 minutes would be perfectly OK.

Here's what Rod sent me about this feature:

To disable DOO, program #10. To enable it use program #11 followed by the code for the amount of delay (X).

Here is a table of settings for program 11, but I warn that these timings are not at all accurate... they vary with temperature from unit to unit.

11-1 20mins
11-3 40mins
11-4 60min
11-5 2 HRS
11-6 3 HRS
11-7 4 HRS
11-8 5 HRS
11-9 6 HRS

I have used 11-4 and 11-5 and these have resulted in a 2 hour and 3 hour delay respectively. This doesn't agree with the documentation Rod sent, but it does operate consistently. If you use this feature, you may have to experiment to see how your Ador1 responds to these options.
To program it, you just program in option 11 as you would any other option. After you enter the 11 button presses, you'll see a single LED flash which is your cue to enter the delay option number 1-9. If it is successful, the Ador1 will report back option 11 and the delay option number.

Disclaimer... this is not a supported feature so I wouldn't bother bugging Rod about it if your unit doesn't have it or you don't think it's working quite right. In my case, I'm able to make it work consistently with a predictable and safe delay. Without this feature, I would only operate the Ador1 in manual mode, or I would have tried to install a timer. Either way completely defeating the automatic features of the Ador1, so I'm really pleased with it.

 

[arkansaschicks]

Has anyone ever experienced having what appears to be a short in the positive wire. My door just quit working one day so I opened it up and checked my battery. The battery was good and then all of a sudden my light came back on and it opened. The next morning I went out and the door didn't open again and the light was not on. So now I have realized every time I take it apart and move the wires it will fire back up only to quit again. I bought my first door in March of 2013 and this is my second one that I bought about 4 months ago. I have never had a problem at all with the first one. If anyone has had this happen before ,I would love to hear what you did to fix it

 

[pfields]

Has anyone ever experienced having what appears to be a short in the positive wire. My door just quit working one day so I opened it up and checked my battery. The battery was good and then all of a sudden my light came back on and it opened. The next morning I went out and the door didn't open again and the light was not on. So now I have realized every time I take it apart and move the wires it will fire back up only to quit again. I bought my first door in March of 2013 and this is my second one that I bought about 4 months ago. I have never had a problem at all with the first one. If anyone has had this happen before ,I would love to hear what you did to fix it

It sounds like a wire has a short. Can you jiggle the wires to see if your light stops working? Are you sure your battery isn't weak? Try a new battery and see what happens. Sure is nice when they work.

 

[arkansaschicks]

I have a battery tester and it saids it is good. I am pretty sure something is wrong with my red wire. when I leave the box lid off and touch the red wire that makes the light come back on. I am just really afraid to get in there and start messing around with wires unless there is someone to direct me on what to do.

 

[pfields]

I understand. Hope you get it fixed soon. Call Rod, he's easy to deal with.

 

[aart]

I understand. Hope you get it fixed soon. Call Rod, he's easy to deal with.

DITTO^^^^

 

[So Cal Chic]

Help!
I'm at my wit's end.

We had a new coop built for our flock of six. The Ador door was installed a couple weeks ago and has been working perfectly on auto setting.
We allowed the ladies to start sleeping in the coop last Thursday. Having a heck of a time getting them all in at night. One of them has been shut out three nights in a row, but we when we manually re-opened the door for her, she went in after a fashion.
Leaving town for 10 days Thursday -- these birds need to get with the program!
Today, I took the the instructions into the coop, and unscrewed the cover to enable the last call option. For the life of me, I cannot get that cover off!
What am I doing wrong? Here it is unscrewed (with Sweetie supervising -- she's the one who keeps getting locked out!)


And here it is unscrewed and lifted apx 1/8"
.

 

[pfields]

I don't use the last call and option 2 didn't work well for me so I keep the door on option 1. Because I want it to open earlier than option 1 allows, I have a light on a timer that comes on at 6:30 am. Within a minute the door opens. The door closes around 8:35-40 pm but my chickens start going in around 8:15. When the days get shorter I'll adjust the light on the timer to come on later in the morning (which I've already done once) and set it to come on in the evening for awhile so they get plenty of light.

 

[pfields]

My cover comes off easy, not sure why yours doesn't. Hope you get it fixed soon.