Chicken coop door revisited

Thread Starter

ssafranek

Joined Dec 23, 2015
12
Sorry to ask about this again, but I am an absolute zero on electrical stuff. I have a reversible linear actuator that I want to hook up to a chicken door. I have a 12 volt power to connect to the actuator. I need the easiest way to be able to reverse this door. I have an 8 pin dpdt relay. I also have 5 pin spdt relay. Can someone provide clear instructions on what goes where?

All those squiggly lines don't help me. What goes where? Hook it al up.

Thanks
 

MikeML

Joined Oct 2, 2009
5,444
Sorry to ask about this again, but I am an absolute zero on electrical stuff. I have a reversible linear actuator that I want to hook up to a chicken door. I have a 12 volt power to connect to the actuator. I need the easiest way to be able to reverse this door. I have an 8 pin dpdt relay. I also have 5 pin spdt relay. Can someone provide clear instructions on what goes where?

All those squiggly lines don't help me. What goes where? Hook it al up.

Thanks
Then you post pictures of your actuator connector (with pins labeled), your relay (with pins labeled), your timer or switch (How are you going to tell it to up/down?), your power supply, etc

Since you seem to want everything done for you so you have to learn nothing in the process, maybe you should just send me the parts, and I will wire it up for you...
 

Externet

Joined Nov 29, 2005
2,202
The squiggly lines are the electronics language. For the unskilled not-bilingual, the simplest actions can be somewhat explained with words in English.

I suggest not to use a linear actuator and relay connections without 'squiggly lines'. A vertically sliding door can be pulled up if a nylon line is pulled up by a 12V motor by winding it on its shaft as if it was a pulley. The "easiest" way to reverse the door (down) is by turning off the motor, and the weight of the door will turn the shaft to unwind the suspending string.
The motor can be connected to 12V with a series light bulb that permits stalling, or powered by a solar panel that will open at dawn and release by unwinding at dusk.

----> https://www.clear.rice.edu/elec201/Book/images/img126.gif
 

Thread Starter

ssafranek

Joined Dec 23, 2015
12
IIRC there are at least three previous threads for Coop doors, complete with components and schematics?
Max.
upload_2015-12-24_9-23-50.png

This is a copy of the actuator. It shuts off automatically when it reaches the end of its extension. It has two wires, not a third.

I was kidding about the squiggly lines. The problem I have had is that I have seen a host of different suggested wirings, and none of them seem to work for me. My 8 pin DPDT looks like this.

upload_2015-12-24_9-27-35.png

The diagrams all indicate that power should go to the two unique prongs. After that, I see a host of different opinions. I have tried them and none of them seem to work. I cannot even get the actuator to move up or down when I try them.

Thanks,:)
 

Thread Starter

ssafranek

Joined Dec 23, 2015
12
Then you post pictures of your actuator connector (with pins labeled), your relay (with pins labeled), your timer or switch (How are you going to tell it to up/down?), your power supply, etc

Since you seem to want everything done for you so you have to learn nothing in the process, maybe you should just send me the parts, and I will wire it up for you...
I posted the pictures on the response to me below. The on off switch is standard timer switch for lights. I am using a converter plugged into the timer.

I really appreciate this. I have spent about 10 hours trying to figure this out.
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,619
Did you apply power directly to the actuator conductors to try it?
If it does not move with either polarity, test continuity across the two and show the reading.
Max.
 

Thread Starter

ssafranek

Joined Dec 23, 2015
12
Did you apply power directly to the actuator conductors to try it?
If it does not move with either polarity, test continuity across the two and show the reading.
Max.
Yes. When I apply power directly to the actuator it moves up and down. I manually switch the wires for one direction and then the other.
So, the actuator works and the 12 volt converter works and when I apply the + and - to the relay, I can hear and see the relay click.
 

MikeML

Joined Oct 2, 2009
5,444
You cannot make this work the way you propose. The DC power supply must be powered always, because DC power must be available to close the door even when the timer output is off. The timer has to control the DPDT relay, not the 12Vdc power supply.
 

MikeML

Joined Oct 2, 2009
5,444
...the 12 volt converter works and when I apply the + and - to the relay, I can hear and see the relay click.
Reference my post #9: The timer puts out 120Vac when on. To control the DPDT relay, the coil in the relay must be designed to be operated from 120Vac, not 12Vdc.
 

BReeves

Joined Nov 24, 2012
410
Reference my post #9: The timer puts out 120Vac when on. To control the DPDT relay, the coil in the relay must be designed to be operated from 120Vac, not 12Vdc.
Not if he uses a 12 volt power supply but doesn't really matter as you posted above the timer needs to reverse the motor not simply apply power.

Come to think of it he could make this work, when timer is off the relay can close the door with the actuator acting as the limit. When the timer is on the relay is energized reversing the actuator and can stay in that state till the timer turns off and closes the door.

Look up "reversing a dc motor with a DPDT relay"
 
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Thread Starter

ssafranek

Joined Dec 23, 2015
12
Reference my post #9: The timer puts out 120Vac when on. To control the DPDT relay, the coil in the relay must be designed to be operated from 120Vac, not 12Vdc.
Here is a picture of what they say will work:

upload_2015-12-24_11-6-9.png

I am just unsure what pins of a SPDT they are indicating need to be connected (Com, NO1, NO2, NC1, NC2). Also, I do not understand what the middle Arrow does in this diagram (is it there just for emphasis) and the same for the arrows off the ground on each side. So, how can this be redrawn for a 12 volt power supply and not a battery?
 

MikeML

Joined Oct 2, 2009
5,444
Not if he uses a 12 volt power supply but doesn't really matter as you posted above the timer needs to reverse the motor not simply apply power.

Come to think of it he could make this work, when timer is off the relay can close the door with the actuator acting as the limit. When the timer is on the relay is energized reversing the actuator and can stay in that state till the timer turns off and closes the door.
I cant tell, but it sounds like you are agreeing with me???
 

MikeML

Joined Oct 2, 2009
5,444
What the hell is a "Wildlife Timer"?
Since your actuator has built-in limit switches, then you can do it with one timer, one relay (as long as it has the right coil voltage), one DC power supply, and one actuator.

Does your timer look like this:




Are you ready for some squiggly lines?
 

Thread Starter

ssafranek

Joined Dec 23, 2015
12
Here is another one. I even got those same timers, but I cannot figure out which wires go where. It is too jumbled to see what is supposed to go withupload_2015-12-24_11-16-26.png what
 

Thread Starter

ssafranek

Joined Dec 23, 2015
12
What the hell is a "Wildlife Timer"?
Since your actuator has built-in limit switches, then you can do it with one timer, one relay (as long as it has the right coil voltage), one DC power supply, and one actuator.
Can you draw it out for me or describe it. I think the "wildlife timer" is described as responding to light and darkness.
 

Thread Starter

ssafranek

Joined Dec 23, 2015
12
What the hell is a "Wildlife Timer"?
Since your actuator has built-in limit switches, then you can do it with one timer, one relay (as long as it has the right coil voltage), one DC power supply, and one actuator.

Does your timer look like this:




Are you ready for some squiggly lines?
upload_2015-12-24_11-21-58.png
 
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