Home made automatic coop door question

[jthornton]

This photocell is the type of photocells I'm used to using but any AC photocell will work, I like this type because they are waterproof and have the shield to adjust the light level seen by the photocell. It can be mounted in a box outside the coop. They all have three wires a black, white and red. The black goes to hot, the white goes to neutral. The red is the output to a relay. You will need a 120v coil DPDT (Double Pole Double Throw) relay to complete the AC side of the circuit and it will be the Up and Down switch in the diagram. Then you need the up and down relays which will be in the 12v part of the circuit. This automotive relay will work for that. For the limit switches either magnetic or micro switches work. For a 12v power supply something like this or this will work depending on the amp draw of your motor. I use the second one for my coops just because it doesn't have the big ugly wall wart on my plug strip.

I'll be traveling most of today but should be back online limited for the next few days while on vacation.

JT

 

[northdakotaoutfitting.com]

This photocell is the type of photocells I'm used to using but any AC photocell will work, I like this type because they are waterproof and have the shield to adjust the light level seen by the photocell. It can be mounted in a box outside the coop. They all have three wires a black, white and red. The black goes to hot, the white goes to neutral. The red is the output to a relay. You will need a 120v coil DPDT (Double Pole Double Throw) relay to complete the AC side of the circuit and it will be the Up and Down switch in the diagram. Then you need the up and down relays which will be in the 12v part of the circuit. This automotive relay will work for that. For the limit switches either magnetic or micro switches work. For a 12v power supply something like this or this will work depending on the amp draw of your motor. I use the second one for my coops just because it doesn't have the big ugly wall wart on my plug strip.

I'll be traveling most of today but should be back online limited for the next few days while on vacation.

JT

Well have fun on vacation and thanks

 

[northdakotaoutfitting.com]

jt so I’m putting some parts together tonight and the rest of them should be here tomorrow but on your drawing where do I put in the photocell? I’m not using the up and down switch like you have next to the up limit and down limit switch’s?

So on the drawing your 0V is just your negitive wire I assume? What is the CR on the relays?
So far I have taken the blue relay wire (30) on both relays and ran each one to each of the motor wires.
Next I will take the red relay wire (87A) and run it to negitve 12v.
Nxt yellow relay wire (87) to positive 12v
Can I connect white (86) and red (87a) together and connect to neg 12v on each relay? Is that correct?
Black Relay wire (85) goes to limit switches
Does that all sound correct so far?
Thanks

 

[jthornton]

I made a quick drawing using the photocell and limit switches. Sorry if it looks jumbled but I thought it would be easier to follow if the lines all connected to a single device. Normally it's a line by line thing with references.

This is the same schematic as above but the up and down switches are the 120vac relay now and the photocell switches the 120vac relay on at dark.


The numbers on a 12v automotive relay may be confusing without a photo of the relay. So in the drawing on the 12vdc relays NC = 87, NO = 87a, Common = 30. The coil (85 and 86) does not matter which way it is connected to 12v (+) and 0v (-).

How this circuit works is the photocell contact closes at dust or around there energizing the coil on the 120vac relay. The NO (Normally Open Contact) is connected to the 12vdc relay through the down limit switch that makes the door go down. So when the door is down the circuit is broken and the door stops. At dawn or a bit later the photocell switches off and the 120vac relay switches to the NC (Normally Closed Contact) which is connected through the up limit to the 12vdc relay that moves the door up. When up the limit switch opens and stops movement. If the door goes the wrong way simply reverse the wires on the motor. Note the blue dots indicate the wires are connected and if no blue dot at a crossing then they are not connected.

How the reversing works is 0v is connected to both NC contacts so if neither relay is energized nothing happens. When a relay is energized then 12v is sent to one side of the motor, the other side is already connected to 0v so the motor rotates. When the other relay is energized 12v is connected to the opposite pole and the motor rotates in the opposite direction.

JT

 

[northdakotaoutfitting.com]

So on the limit switches where does the wire go from the 12v relay? Does it go to normally closed or com? I see where the normally open wire goes on the limit to the 120v relay.
On the 120v relay does it matter what side the 12v goes to?

 

[jthornton]

So on the limit switches where does the wire go from the 12v relay? Does it go to normally closed or com? I see where the normally open wire goes on the limit to the 120v relay.
On the 120v relay does it matter what side the 12v goes to?

The limit switches go between the 120v relay and the coil of the 12v relays as shown on the drawing. The relay you pictured is a DTDP (Double Throw Double Pole) relay so it has two sets of contacts and you can use either side.

JT

 

[northdakotaoutfitting.com]

The limit switches go between the 120v relay and the coil of the 12v relays as shown on the drawing. The relay you pictured is a DTDP (Double Throw Double Pole) relay so it has two sets of contacts and you can use either side.

JT

Great yes I know it goes in between there but there are three terminals on the limit switch which wire gets hooked to which terminal I guess is what I was trying to say thank you

 

[jthornton]

Ah I understand now, you use the NC (Normally Closed) contact on the limit switch IF your door causes the switch to go "Open" when the limit switch is reached. So from the 120vac relay to the common on the limit switch and from the NC to the coil of the 12v relay.

JT

 

[northdakotaoutfitting.com]

Ah I understand now, you use the NC (Normally Closed) contact on the limit switch IF your door causes the switch to go "Open" when the limit switch is reached. So from the 120vac relay to the common on the limit switch and from the NC to the coil of the 12v relay.

JT

Thank you. I will see if I can get it wired and do a test run on it.

 

[northdakotaoutfitting.com]

Yea ok I finally got around to looking at this and it makes no scene at all to me. Starting at my 12v COIL (up relay) I run my wire to which one of the 3 terminals on the the limit switch??
Then from which terminal on limit to the 120v relay?