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

[Mama Chicky]

My husband just finished hooking up our new amazing door opener. Thanks for the great idea and directions. I don't have much electrical experience so I did run into some trouble because I wasn't paying attention to detail.
Mistake 1: I didn't pay attention to the output voltage on the AC adapters. I was just looking for ones with 2 or more amps. So I went to a bunch of thrift stores just trying to find them (which all ended up having more that 12 volts output oops).
Mistake 2: I got an antenna from the pick n pull car lot and brought it home and my husband pointed out it didn't have the relay (black box on the top) so I had to go back and get another one.
Mistake 3: We hooked up the new antenna with relay to the AC adapters (that were too high in voltage without knowing it) and the antenna would only work once. So I kept going back to the thrift stores to get new adapters and the car lot to get new antennas thinking I must have got a dud somewhere. (Really we were just burning out the antenna with too much voltage from the adapters).

Finally my husband realized the AC adapters were not 12 volt. So back to the thrift stores to find two 12 volt and over 2 amps output and 1 more antenna since the others we shorted out.

Success! I now have a working automatic chicken door opener! Yay! We were just about to head out of town too so we figured it out just in time.

I also made the waterer and feeder that you have previously posted directions to. I love all of them. Thanks again for all the great easy and budget friendly ideas!

 

[klyra]

Anyone who has had success with these want to put together a pair of these for me?? I'll pay!! I'm intimidated by the electricity.

 

[garden peeps]

I'll have to get my husband to read this.. lol.

 

[BBQJOE]

Anyone who has had success with these want to put together a pair of these for me?? I'll pay!! I'm intimidated by the electricity.

It's only 12 volts. I don't think anyone ever died or got shocked from 12V.

 

[odysseychicken]

For anyone who has this set up with solar, how big of a panel will I need to maintain my battery? It will only be running the antenna and the timer. Of course because of the way the antenna works it will be "on" for half the day. My battery is a large deep cycle marine battery that I had in the shed. Will a 1.5 watt trickle charger keep me topped off? How about a 5 watt? If there is anyone with this set up with solar I would love to hear your input.

 

[TN_BIRD]

For anyone who has this set up with solar, how big of a panel will I need to maintain my battery? It will only be running the antenna and the timer. Of course because of the way the antenna works it will be "on" for half the day. My battery is a large deep cycle marine battery that I had in the shed. Will a 1.5 watt trickle charger keep me topped off? How about a 5 watt? If there is anyone with this set up with solar I would love to hear your input.

I don't have a solar panel, but I would think a 5 watt panel would work just fine. I think it is large enough to recharge the battery, but not so large that you would need a regulator (the solar experts can chime in, but that's what my internet research tells me).

And about the antenna being on half a day: I added a 2nd digital timer switch to make sure my system was on for just a couple minutes in the morning and a couple minutes in the evening. It was super easy to setup and cheap (12 v timer switch was about $6 online). All I did was hook the 2nd timer to the battery to control the positive wire.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Gotta show this to my hubby too thank you so much !!!!!

 

[annabellaknits]

I am trying to find an antenna and confused as to which kind exactly to get?

 

[Kimberly57]

Will 2 of these work ? Input :120 V 60 Hz 3.5 W Output : 4.5 DC 300 mA

 

[Daox13]

Got a huge question before I build my door.... I am afraid that a raccoon will literally lift the door after it closes automatically. I am going to use runners on the side of the door and I will have the bottom and sides of the door recessed behind some wood and the door and rails will be on the inside of the coop to help prevent this, but still slightly concerned... the whole point of this is so I don't have to latch and unlatch every night and morning... anyone have any ideas of whether or not I'm over reacting...