I can live with it, my only concern is I'm sure that the geartrain is plasitic of some sort or at least part of it is and the sudden stop may harm the teeth. I use servos that are configured the same way and they last for a very long time.

 

Watch your page numbers. We just changed pages and I didn't know you posted for half an hour!

Here's a drawing that (I hope) provides enough connections to get this hooked up. (Better than post #80)

 

Funny, I did the same thing and posted 3 times because it wasn't showing my last one. The drawing is exactly what I needed, thank you. I'll go hook it all up after I grab a bite to eat. Todd

 

This is what we'd have to do to stop the braking action. Either add 2 more relays or buy DPST relays.
On the other hand, we can convince ourselves that a plywood door weighs a lot less than a glass window, then pretend it won't hurt the motor.

 

The circuit board is more likely to turn out like this but, I didn't want any lines crossing over in the previous drawing.

 

It's a thing of beauty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Success! I owe you guys big time. I did screw up; I had the transistor backward at first and everything worked except the daylight mode. I almost came in and asked a few questions but decided to pour over everything very carefully and realized I just needed to unsolder the transistor and turn it around. Everything and I mean everything works as desired and designed. I will find a video camera in the near future after I get it installed up in the barn so I can share it with you. This will make my life so much easier with my profession and time schedule not the same as my chickens. I can't begin to express how happy I am and how thankful I am for all your help. I really wish there was a way to pay it back. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Todd

 

Hmmm...does this mean our love affair is over?

Seriously, 85 posts! I've never done one this long before. I was waking up worrying about whether I got all the diodes in the right places!

Go click a bunch of "Thanks" buttons. That's all you can do, and I'm not sure it really counts, except in cyberspace, which isn't real.

 

It doesn't have to be. I'll probably want to put some kind of solar or 110 charger that safely floats the charge and doesn't over charge. I'm sure that there are some in the archives here somewhere if I do a search. Anyway, my main goal was attained thanks to you and strantor and now I can move on to the next which is battery maintenance. Thanks guys, Todd

 

Just some comments - Good work guys!!!! This is one of the things that makes AAC better than the other forums. You guys worked together to figure out the problems and got a working project!!!! Congratulations!!

I don't know about all window motors, but I had to fix one yesterday in my car, 2004 Pontiac Gran Prix. The motor has a MOV internally. Plus two capacitors, one for clockwise and one for counter-clockwise. I would assume that all GM window motor mechanisms are the same. Doesn't pertain to this thread, just something that may help at a late date.

 

Shortbus, can you read the size of the capacitors on the GM car door switches?
Four of them could be added to the relay contacts of this project.

This is a new thing for me...giving instructions that are very involved and having somebody else assemble it. So many people couldn't have done the assembly!

I'm also a bit puzzled about why there weren't a bunch of people giving unsolicited advice for 20 days. Some kind of respect for strantor and me?
Anyway, I'm grateful for that. This was difficult enough without extra cooks in the broth.

ifly: Your battery and solar panel will be surprisingly small. 10 to 20 amps for 10 seconds is 28 to 56 milliamp-hours twice a day. There are NiMH AA batteries that could do that! The smallest SLA battery you can find will work for years on this job. I don't know much about solar cells but 10 milliamps for 10 hours a day should be very small. In fact, the self discharge (of the battery) of 1% per day will be similar to the load!

If you can get a 5 amp-hour battery, the self discharge will be 50 milliamp hours per day. Divide that over 10 hours arrives at another 5 milliamps out of the solar cell. (Total 15 milliamps for 10 hours a day from the solar cell.) The "regulator" can be nothing more than a 14.7 volt zener diode.

Oops...forgot the power to run the "nightwatchman". I bet that turns out to be significant.
19.38 milliamps for the nightwatchman
and a 50% recharge penalty for power used during the night
and 16 ma for the idle current on the transistor during the daytime
19.38 + 15 + 9.6 +16 = 59.98 ma required, for 10 hours a day.
60ma X 14.7 volts = .882 watts.
You're looking for a 1 watt solar cell.

Good sun provides 270 BTU/ft^2
If that can be converted to electricity at 6% efficiency, you will need .19 square feet of solar cell. About 6 inches square.

This one kind of confirms my calculations.

http://www.sunelec.com/gepvc001lca004-p-1025.html

 

#12, the caps and MOV are inside the motor casing. Didn't think to write down the values. Too much of a pain to tear it all apart again sorry.

I for one didn't chime in cause you guys were making too much good progress. I'd rate this thread up there with the one last year, fixing the movie robot/cyborg thread. Again good job.

 

This post is just to force a notification from AAC to Ifly.
Lots of new information in post #90 (now that I've had the time to go microscopic on the power budget).
Big thanks to strantor for designing such a low power drain design.

 

Never fear for I am still here, lurking in the shadows! Sorry, couldn't resist. I had to work for the past 24 hours and didn't have access but have since caught up. Thanks, shortbus; I really enjoyed this project and will continue to enjoy the fruit from it. #12, there are a number of things that I could do with this pertaining to how it is powered. I have 110 to the building and could use a step-down transformer for the power supply with battery back up or just run it like I plan on doing for awhile with just the battery. If just the battery, I'd like to have some type of maintenance charging as stated before. I just don't want to come home from shift and find my chickens dead because the battery died or the power went out and left the door open all night. I am curious about the capacitors for stopping the braking of the motor. I'm sure it will be fine for awhile and maybe never have a problem but its definitely stressing the gears by abruptly stopping this way and not winding down with in a few revolutions. Like I said before, I'm VERY, VERY happy with this project and greatly thank all that have helped. Now, I've got to go and install it in the coop. I'll check back later in the day. Todd

 

Capacitors will not stop the braking action unless they are really big, and really big capacitors will eat the relay contacts. More or better relays as in post #84 will fix it. Be aware, that drawing shows both ways to do it. I recommend the DPST or DPDT relays (6 or 8 pins on each relay) so the transistor section doesn't have to be redesigned and the load current does not increase. The braking action is caused by shorting the motor when the power goes off. To stop that, you need to change the relay contacts to the leave the motor connections "open" when the power goes off. Do you have limit switches that can handle the current for the motor? I have an idea.

The battery is critical to the operation, and most likely to fail of all the parts we used. The best backup for that is a battery charger of greater than 10 amps capability, running at all times, but only charging the battery a tiny bit. That makes 120 VAC the primary and the battery the backup source. Another idea is to replace the battery on a schedule because you already know it will fail every X number of years. (This is like, "Life Support" status.) A human should check every morning and night to be sure it worked, and that's the second backup system. I hope the door faces your house.

 

No, the limit switches won't handle the motors amperage draw. These are the limit switches I ordered and have installed (http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=D2F-L20virtualkey65300000virtualkey653-D2FL20). They are 3 amps at 125/30 (AC/DC).

I'm a little leary about a charger hooked up all the time simply because I had a 1/2 amp model years ago that was supposed to have a "float" circuit in it and only charge when it needed to; long story short, battery overcharged and fried. If I can find/make one that is reliable, then that changes everything and I don't have any concerns.

No, I can't see the coop from the house, it's about 150 yards away and about 80 feet higher up on some of my high ground through the timber. The reason for the door in the first place is because I can't be there to open and close this door during the times that it needs to be manipulated most of the time because of my work schedule. I can and do check on it frequently when I can. These are new pullets and I just started getting eggs, currently about 4 a day and that will increase to as many as 12 within the next month or so.

I just got notification that my 1P3T switch is due to arrive on monday! I'll be able to finish it up.

 

I want to clear up the fact that this sentence is badly worded.

The best backup for that is a battery charger of greater than 10 amps capability.

To think of this as Life Support quality, the primary power source should be running on the 120 volt supply. I said "battery charger" because that's the section of the store where you are most likely to find something that will do the job. It's more like a battery eliminator.

You should think in terms of having a 10 to 20 amp power supply, running on the 120 volt power, that will run the motor. Then, the battery is a backup to that system. Then, a way to signal when the door is open and when it is closed would be nice. My first thought on that is 2 light bulbs that you can see from your house. You can't see it from your house. How about a radio frequency transmitter with 500 feet of range. Have it transmit slow clicks (1 or 2 per second) when the door is shut and fast clicks (10 or 20 per second) when the door is open. Then there is the possibility of running a 3 wire cable for 450 feet. You could start a thread asking how to signal you at 500 feet and get more ideas.

Now...to measure the true amps. How about 6.298 feet (6 feet, 3.576 inches) of 12 gauge wire in series with the motor. Set up a voltmeter to measure up to 2/10ths of a volt. Cycle the motor and watch the voltmeter. you will get .01 volt per amp. .1 volt means ten amps, .2 volts means 20 amps. Can you do that?

 

Where are you wanting me to to hook a 12 ga wire? The wire that feeds the system is about 10' of 12 gauge wire. The battery is in another room. May I take measurements at the deans connector that attaches the motor to the control box? There's about 12 inches of 16 gauge wire that is stock from the motor and I have a dean's soldered on to make disconnecting it easy should I have to in the future. Are you measuring the voltage drop when the system is working at the motor only?

I'm also having a hard time finding any DPDT relays that have anything over 10 amps capacity. I'm tempted to see how long the geartrain lasts as is. This system works beautifully.

 

Any amount of wire will do, including "10 feet", as long as it is a standard gauge and you know the length and you measure the voltage that develops across it when the system is moving the motor. That is because 12 gauge wire has one ohm for 629.8 feet and I can do the math.

The idea is to measure all the current that everything needs when the motor is running. That will tell us all the current that a 120 volt supply will have to provide.

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/TE-Connectivity-PB/KUHP-11DT1-12/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMtSzCF3XBhmW%252bUbctSNn5i3WCyPl63og5I%3d

 

Can do, give me a little time, I just sat down to a plate of ribs. I'll head up after and get that for you. Todd

 

Ok, sorry for the delay, the neighbors had cattle out and needed a hand. At the battery with a static voltage of 12.09, after traveling 15' 6" through 12 ga copper, through the circuitry and another 24 inches of 16 ga copper to the motor, the voltage dropped to 11.97 V during the opening cycle and dropped to 12.02V during the closing cycle. I hope this is what and how you were wanting the measurments.