Lighting

[CedarLake]

I get home after dark and my coop is way too far from the house to run power or an extension cord. So what I've done is install a surplus 12 volt battery from an old emergency light and built a light fixture from a bunch of white LEDs so I can see what I'm doing when I need to gather eggs and check on the birds before I shut things up for the night.

Just the six LEDs gives plenty of light to see and in fact it's bright enough that the chickens start jumping off the roost, so I'm pretty sure it would work as supplemental lighting for those who want to keep the hens laying as days get shorter.

If anyone is interested (and handy with basic electronics & soldering), pm me and I'll draw up some plans of what I did and post them on my site so you can build your own.

-Lyndon

 

[Omran]

I think that is really vey useful, I will behappy to see how you done it.'


Omran

 

[wesleyb]

I would be interested in seeing pictures and/or plans. I've been thinking about doing something similar. What I would really like to do is put it on a timer, but have not had any luck finding an inexpensive 12v timer. I did find plans for modifying a battery powered programmable thermostat to work as a timer, but they still cost around $30.

 

[CedarLake]

OK. Will do. I'm actually already planning Phase 2: just can't leave well enough alone
Phase 2 is a single (or a few) high power LEDs to light up the outside of the coop because I never can find a flashlight when I need to go out there.

What level of detail/type of instructions would you guys like? I have to ask because I have responded to questions about electrical connections by drawing schematic diagrams only to find out that since this isn't an electronics site, the people who needed the help couldn't understand my diagrams

So would standard schematics, or more pictorial diagrams work better? For an example of what I mean, see the diagrams I drew here:

 

[winniegirl]

Actually I'm still waiting for that "solar powered night light" you mentioned in your blog...did you fill my order yet? maybe it got lost in the mail

 

[CedarLake]

Did you seriously send me an email? Never received it.

The solar powered light morphed into the current battery powered light both because I needed more power for the electric door, and because a big lead acid battery will last much longer than a few ni-cads.

It ends up being simpler and cheaper to swap batteries out than dealing with the problems of a solar charger.

 

[winniegirl]

oops, no just kidding, sorry

I was thinking of pming you for the 12v plans, but then realized my knowledge of electronics consists of being able to splice a cord and change a bad plug on an old lamp, and that's pretty much it

So I might be running a 100ft extension cord to the coop for a small light since I haven't had any eggs for a month now!

 

[CedarLake]

OK, I just didn't want you to think that I might have been ignoring any email I received

The LED light is pretty simple to build, but it does require some soldering experience. One alternative may be to get some driveway marker lights (the solar powered ones) and modify them for your coop. It would involve extending the solar cell from the light with a wire so the cells could go on the roof while the rest of the light was inside. I thought of doing that, but I didn't want a light on in the coop all night. Some people report that it doesn't bother the chickens, but I just figured that animals need darkness at some point during the day! Also the markers I have use yellow LEDs and I wanted white ones.


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