What are you looking to do?

Box C works the best for this sized setup.

What would it cost me for you to build that little box and send it to me?

The answer to this is probably. The key things you’d want to make sure of: (1) does the voltage to match your battery, (2) is it the right length, (3) is it water proof and, (4) do you have compatible mounting hardware and/or can you rig something that works. To your point, I wouldn’t have any concerns over whether the chair lift component is powerful enough to work the door.

Hi Joshua. Well, yes and no. For this project, you’ll always need a battery since the door opens and closes when it’s mostly dark. However, you can use a solar panel to charge this battery. That would eliminate the need for having to remove the battery for charging. If you decide to actually built this kind of setup, let me know and I can run some quick calculations on how big of a solar panel you’d neet.

Yes, you can definitely hook this up using AC power. There are two different voltages you’ll need to provide: (1) 12V for the actuator and (2) 5V for the USB components.

The simplest solution for this would be to use a standard 12V power supply (http://amzn.to/2vRiEhF), a generic USB wall charger (http://amzn.to/2ew19Rp) and a micro USB cable (http://amzn.to/2wq4wza).

The big thing to look out for with the 12V power supply is you want to make sure it can supply enough current, which is why I’ve listed a 5 amp model.

Thank for the feedback! There are definitely multiple ways to tackle this project. One solution Dan and I explored was using a web-connected service available from various weather sites. These actually provide exact sunrise and sunset times based on your location and the time of year. We opted not to go this route because of the connectivity challenges at this location.

Thanks David!

You can actually use any Arduino compatible board for this project. Here’s a relatively inexpensive option:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/OSOYOO-Arduino-ATMEGA328P-Module-Micro-controller/dp/B00UACD13Q/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1504321086&sr=8-5&keywords=arduino+micro

Just make sure you get the right USB cable for it. This particular product listing doesn’t mention the type, but it looks like a USB Mini B.

Sure, I can put together a wiring diagram and post it, no need to pay for that. 🙂

This is actually a good project to get into because there’s very little coding, but you do get the experience of using what’s called a “relay” to control higher voltage things (in this case the actuator). Once you’ve got that down you can move into to controlling anything electrical like lights, motors, fans, etc.

As for your question about 12 volt systems, what you’re describing is exactly what Dan Ohmann built. He uses an extra fence charging battery that he swaps out when it needs charging. The only parts of the system that don’t run on the 12V are the electrics, which is why I have the 12V to 5V converter module (http://amzn.to/2wwyscV).

Let me know when you think you’ll get started, and I’ll try to have a schematic put together by then.

Thanks for checking out the site!

Hi Elijah. I’ve drafted a schematic that shows how to connect the wiring for the system. Take a look and let me know if you have any feedback. It’s my first time using this kind of software to document a project, so I’m curious if it make sense and is readable.

Hi DJ. I’ve posted a schematic, which I hope helps. And here’s a link on the basics of getting an Arduino up and running with new code https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64oEr1zTlOg. The only thing you’ll need to do different from the video is change the “board” to an Arduino/Genuino Micro (if you bought the one in my post), and cut and paste the code from above. I’m also going to spend some time working to create a simpler version of this control unit that won’t need any coding.

Hi Daniel. Yes, the linear actuator is definitely the best way to go for a guillotine-style door. That’s what I use for my duck house. The features I especially like about this setup are that it doesn’t require any special sensors to stop it at the top and bottom, and it’s impossible for racoons and possums to lift. I’ve added an image at the bottom of this post.

Hi Nicholas,

Sorry for the slow response. I have a similar version of this working for a duck enclosure that has been operational for a couple of years. Actuators like these are pretty rugged and are designed to be opened and closed on a regular basis. The nice thing about them is they have built-in limit switches, which are built specifically to handle continuous power … i.e., they turn off the power to the motor internally once the rod is has been fully extended or contracted.

Hope that helps.

-Charlie

Thanks for the compliment, Martha! I’m not a teacher now, but I was a long, long time ago. 🙂

Just rewatched some of the video. Its VERY dark out when the door shuts. How long after dark is it before it shuts? Has this been addressed with the code?

Russell – I just wired this up and am having the same problem. Did you ever solve it? Thanks.

Hi Megan!

Sorry for the slow response … I haven’t been to my own site in almost 2 years, but I’m finally back. Let me know if you’re still interested in the controller unit, and I can check the latest pricing for the parts.

-Charlie

Hi Ron!

For this simple application, I would use the delay() function, which stops the code for a number of milliseconds equal to the number you put in it. Below is some revised code you could use. Two things to note. The first is I’ve put in a 1.8 million millisecond delay, which is equal to 30 minutes, after which the digitalWrite function closes the door. Also, since the only time you want the code to be “paused” is when you’ve just transitioned from light to dark, I added an “if (daylight == true)” block of code. This allows you to skip the 30 minute delay if it was already dark.

bool daylight = false;
int lightReading = -1;

// For more info on Arduino pin numbers, check out https://playground.
// arduino.cc/Learning/Pins

void setup()
{
pinMode(A1, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(2, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {

lightReading = digitalRead(A1);
if (lightReading == 1)
{
if (daylight == true) /* This line checks to see if it was previously daylight */
{
delay(1800000); /* This line delays 1.8 million milliseconds, or 30 minutes */
daylight = false;
digitalWrite(2,LOW);
}

daylight = false;
digitalWrite(2,LOW);
}
else {
daylight = true;
digitalWrite(2,HIGH);
}

delay(1000);
}