Chicken coop door opener. Linear actuator with timers 12v. 

The use of a diode will remove having to set so many on and off times. One timer is set to open in the morning for 1 min and the other timer is set to close in the evening for 1 minute.

Your explanation is great! I recently built an almost identical system but sort of reversed... opens with one timer, closes with both. I added a small solar panel and charge controller with 12v battery. Also a manual option - up/down rocker switch that can be to isolated to prevent backfeeding the relay and actuator.

Better if you run two timers and two SPDT relays. So much simpler. On the relays you Simply wire, Positive to the NO (Normally Open) terminals of the relays Negative to the NC (Normally Closed) terminals of the relays. Commons of the relays are the wired to Positive and Negative of the Actuator wires. Day timer (connected to relay 1) turns on in the morning for , let's say five minutes (just long enough for the door to open fully, is all that's needed), then the timer shuts off. Do the same for the night timer (connected to relay 2). And you are done. Even better and easier to wire is, you get TWO SPDT Timers. You Simply wire, Positive to the NO (Normally Open) terminals of the timers Negative to the NC (Normally Closed) terminals of the timers. Commons of the timers are the wired to Positive and Negative of the Actuator Wires. Day timer turns on in the morning for , let's say five minutes (just long enough for the door to open fully, is all that's needed), then the timer shuts off. Do the same for the night timer. Basically with the right timers you eliminate the relays.

You can buy a relay on eBay for around $5.50. Relay comes with the socket base. P/N 12vdc. spec-16A. Timer is Cn101A. For $15.00. You can get wiring diagram from Progressive Automation. Only one timer is required.

hi. im just wondering. the actuator has built in limit switches. technically, you can use only one timer then leave it on so that the actuator will extend until the limit switch hits then when it turns off, the actuator retracts. does the use of 2 timers for the sake of "just to be sure not to burn the motors" thing or to save power or both? hope you can reply even this video is kind of old. thanks mate, i am planning the same setup.

I'm looking for help here and came to this post. I want to feed my deer in the daylight and not the night. Thus, training the deer to eat during the day so I can have the big boys come out. I've taken a commercial trash can that you would put each week by the road for pick up....and I've cut the top 15" or so out of the can. Then I bury in the ground 10-12 inch's. It looks like someone buried a trash can with lid in the ground. I want to make that lid open in the daytime (sun out) and close at dark. I can stiffen up the flimsy lid with a frame on the inside and a smaller solar panel on the lid or nearby to power the battery. Any ideas on how I can make this work? They make a commercial one now for this but nearly $600.00 that is ridiculous, I want to devise one of my own to save money.

Nice video. Please, can I use this timer to power a 12volts DC fridge. Thanks

Hi Brad, Need your help! I am so lost with how it gets all connected. I have purchased the following as the basic setup: A. DPDT 8 pins (or is your the DPDT 6 pin can't tell on the video). I could not follow the wiring of the DPDT for forwardiung/reversing motor B. Auto window motor Works like actuator, but don't have limit switches built in C. Two Timer same as yours D. Converter 110V AD to 12V DC (works very well came from a computer) Later, I want it to do more: 1. Monitor the temperature via a thermostat when its below 20 degree the door will not open 2. Light Sensor monitor the day light (open in the morning and close at night) 3. Limiting Switches , so the system shuts stop as soon as the door is up or down 4. Dimmer so I can control the speed in which the door opens/closes 5. LED light to help the chicken get in the coop before it totally dark 6. Go totally solar so I don't need the converter This is a project for a later date just want to have the basics for now . Any help would greatly be appreciated. I can provide photo(s), diagram(s), and item list if needed. I believe you have attained the knowledge I need to get off the ground based on the video you posted. Thanks!

I understand reversing the polarity with the relay to change the direction of the actuator. What's puzzling me is when the DPDT relay is in the "static" position (de-energized), the contacts are in one position. When you apply power to the relay, the contact reverse position and the motor goes the opposite direction. The "puzzle" is when you remove the power to the relay coil and the relay reverses position, why doesn't the actuator go back to its original position?? Are you ALSO applying/removing power to the relay contacts via the timer so nothing happens when the relay contacts reverse position until the timer re-applies power??

That's such a great idea buddy. I am building something like that but not for chicken Coupe. Os there any way you could share how you wired it and how you set the timer. I would really appreciate it. Thanks Buddy

There is no need for 2 timers if you wire the DPDT slightly differently. But like the idea with the drawer slides. Easy peasy.

nice

Hello, I am building a box that I would like to set a timer to open at 4pm and close the door at 6pm every day. I have the Linear Actuator so my question is..Do I need timers to do this Plus the Relay??

I have this for my heating system, how can I cancel the automatic timer that’s been set 🤔

This is perfect, exactly what I was going to build in my head.....and then I found this video looking for parts. Can you post the DPDT relay link? Thank.

I have a wiring diagram. I may do another video of the wiring and timer setup. I've been using a few months now and have had zero issues. It works flawlessly. May take me a couple weeks to get a new video up. We are moving right now and everything is packed up.

I've thought about setting something like this up. I may use a raspberry pi to do all the thinking though... my one question I'm left with is how do you make sure the chickens are inside when the door closes? I know my chickens and I don't know how quickly they'd catch on to the automatic door concept...

Hey bud! Could you diagram how this is hooked up!? It would really save my brain lol

Can you post the link for the timers?

I really need your help with something . I have a similar project in school and i have some problems . Really appreciate if you could me with. Great job by the way

Brad, could you post links to where you sourced your parts?

If anyone wants a wiring diagram that uses cheap 6 dollar automotive SPST NO relays and 2 timers give me a shout. Ideally I would have used DPST NO relays but couldn't find them readily. My circuit also has an interlock relay that protects the circuit in the event of both timers coming on at the same time.

There is a link on this video that I used to wire mine. Hope it helps. It's an awesome system. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vkvT1hhekY0.html

You could have just used 1 timer ( CN101 model B ) and 2 relay to switch polarity. Google actuator relay diagram to learn how to switch polarity with 2 relay . But as long as it works.... Thank you for sharing.

Are your timers still working? My cn101a timers just stop being reliable after a few months. Have you had any problems with these timers?

They just all go in right before dark. There wasn’t any training involved

I'm not sure how to post it

Do you have email I can send it to?

Does anyone have a wiring diagram please...

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This video would have been a LOT better if you kicked the chickens outside

Bro wiring please

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