Automation?

[The Lazy L]

The old plug into an electrical outlet type timer.

One timer for the auto chicken door, open at dawn close at dusk.

Another timer for coop lights, on at dusk and off a few hours later.

A third timer for a dim night light for the chickens to be able to see predators and get back on roost.

Reset the 3 timers as need for the change of the natural sunrise, sunset cycle.


WARNING! NEWBIE IDEA!


X10 provides software and electrical devices that are controlled thru the household 120v wiring.

You could program the computer for sunrises and sunset in advance.

The 3 outlet type timers would be be eliminated ($45 savings).

The night light circuit would be eliminated by programing the coop lights to slowly dim to finally off over several hours.

Bad weather day or what ever (from the computer) you can overide and shut chicken door, turn on lights or turn on the water heater!

X-10 outlet $13 (chicken door), X10 light switch $16 (coop lights) and $50 software. $79 - $45 = a cost of $34.

 

[The Lazy L]

I down loaded the software this evening. Sweet.

You want your chicken door to open every day at sunrise? Software "knows" when sunrise is every day and adjusts the door opening time accordingly.

Want you Coop lights to come on at dusk, then at 9 pm dim to 75%, 10 pm dim to 50%, 11 pm dim to 25% and then go off at sunrise. It can do that!

And all this time information and clocking is stored in a battery backup module so you don't need to leave your computer on 24x7.


Software: http://www.x10.com/promotions/sw31a_activehome_hmp.html?TWENTY11
Door opener: http://www.x10.com/promotions/am486_cat_hm.html?NCAT
Light: http://www.x10.com/promotions/ws467_cat_hm.html?NCAT



I own no stock, employed by, receive no remuneration or financial gain from X10