Installing our Homemade Coop Door Opener + Running Electric to the Coop

In this video, Alex installs a 3D-printed, Arduino-powered DIY chicken coop door opener that was designed and built by his college roommate. The first sub-task for this installation is running electric to the coop in order to power the opener (and eventually a heated water bowl in the winter). As always, the project doesn't go exactly to plan, in more than one way.. Plus - bonus content: a mini-lesson on using a multimeter to test for continuity :)
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Project Costs:
Door Opener: $80
(Arduino, daylight sensor, servo motor, LED, button, magnetic sensor, 6V power supply, 3D-printed box, shipping)
Electric conduit: $12
Conduit connectors: $5
Junction box: $1.50
Junction box cover: $3
TOTAL: $101.50
// Chicken Coop Build Video: • Pallet Chicken Coop Bu...
// Predator Proof Run Video: • Chicken Run Build | RE...
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ABOUT US: We are Alex and Elaina, a couple in our 20s who are currently living on the 3-acre farm in southern Pennsylvania where Alex grew up. We have a garden, backyard chickens, and build or fix anything that we need to. We still work corporate day jobs, but are working to eventually leave the 9-5 lifestyle in favor of a self-built, debt-free, homestead on 6 acres nearby.
We upload a KZbin video every Saturday night at 7️⃣pm EST, and post daily on Instagram.
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Instagram: / masondixonacres
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DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product with these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you! Thank you for supporting our channel ☺️

[@ds755]

Clever friend!

[@LifeOutLoud]

Wonderful video! The ingenuity here is exciting to watch. Keep it up guys

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Sincerely appreciated and yes that is the plan! 🙂 -Alex

[@ramseybarghouti9106]

I feel like the majority of your work was in running power to the chicken coup. I feel like this overlooks an interesting alternative, if you adapted the design for the power levels on a lithium ion battery, you could probably run the whole thing off some small solor panels. You might have design it to use some kind of external mechanical advantage, but it looks like you have enough space there for such a solution.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Agreed! I considered doing solar, but the extra cost of the panel and battery wasn’t worth it. Another big consideration was powering a water defroster in winter, which would need a fairly hefty battery/panel

[@kimlucero4630]

So awesome 👏🏼

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Thank you!!

[@markr2297]

Another real life adventure....things always don't go as planned. It's good to see the trouble shooting methods. Enjoyed this video!

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Nothing ever goes quite to plan, but that’s what life is all about. Thanks!

[@paularipepi4458]

Ok... Tell Brendan u need a discount for that malfunction from Spor Industrues!! Or at least a credit!!! Nice to have Psu connections!!! 😋...LOVED THIS! Glad to c your taking good care of your girlies! 😉

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Haha if it breaks again I think I’ll ask for a refund!

[@liamstone3437]

So will you be offering the STL files, wiring diagram, arduino code, and component list?

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Not a bad idea! I’ll put it on the long list of eventual products for our website 😂

[@blackpackhomesteadchrisand7337]

I bet that door was a blessing. One less thing to worry about.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Yes, exactly! No more late nights thinking “did I close the coop door??”

[@3CreekFarms]

Love the sound effects of the failures-nice touch👌, Based on the printed return policy, hope the derrière is ok 😆. Suggestion from a young KZbin channel...you may want to put in a tag (or add into the title) a snippet about using a voltmeter to test for continuity - that is bound to get you more views from YT searches - you explained it very well.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Haha thank you for the feedback! Recovering well.. 😂 good idea on the multimeter, I will throw some tags in and a sentence in the description. Thanks again! -Alex

[@BetsyKarrFitness]

What a great video! Glad Sporer Industries has a good return policy haha. Any chance you'll take orders for the chicken coop door opener?

[@MasonDixonAcres]

agreed 😂 most likely not, given the quality issues so far... 😬

[@leftfootmoreright3304]

nice job! any chance sporer industries would publish the arduino code for this project? ;)

[@MasonDixonAcres]

haha! We've actually talked to him about it and it'll probably be something we collaborate on in the future and will eventually have on our website!

[@Hilliorm85]

Thought you harvested the roosters.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Later on after this video we did :/

[@oramirez77513]

Ok, I appreciate the ideas here, but it’s hardly DIY. I too can to get a pre-made door opener.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

You have a fair point, we removed diy from the title to reflect that but still need to change the thumbnail. Thanks!

[@ErnieHatmaker]

I very much am interested in anything 3-D printed. It's almost like super Play-Doh! Lol!

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Absolutely! I actually have a small 3D printer myself but have not fired it up in a couple years. Too many other projects on the list 😬 -Alex

[@adygdggdgfhx4321]

Compliquer

[@annettehough2792]

Smooth as silk or is it more like rough as burlap? Nice end product as usual.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Maybe a little bit in between 😜 haha as the saying goes, in the end everything turns out okay. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end! -Alex

[@terrybrown3199]

Always bench test electronics before installing, would save yourself a ton of time. Also direct burial 110v wore into a weather proof box. Would also of saved you a ton of time and money. After all time is money.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

I plugged it in right after unboxing and it initially worked, but the problem must have been intermittent :/ thanks for the tip on wire! I already had the romex and GFCI from another project, so I was only out of pocket 20 bucks for the conduit supplies. For the future coop at our new place I'll probably go with direct burial.

[@terrybrown3199]

@@MasonDixonAcres cool project, hopefully I didn't sound like an ass was only trying to help. Always a fan of those who follow their own path.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Haha no we appreciate any new ideas or thoughts! Keep em coming!

[@dontbanmebrodontbanme5403]

As an engineer myself, I LOVE this and was thinking about making one myself. However, at the end of the day, you're not going to make one cheaper than what you can simply buy. The ones I'm looking at are in the $150 - $175 range and have a few extra features than what yours has. * It raises and lowers slower * If it feels any pressure while closing (e.g., there's a chicken in the door), it'll will raise up in order to not hurt the bird * You can override the programming such that it doesn't just rely on lighting. I've always wanted to buy a 3D printer, but I don't have one, so I'd have to maybe use an electrical box. It would be fun to try and build one, but there are only so many hours in the day. Edit: btw, I've subscribed. Great content.

[@AztecWarrior69]

"However, at the end of the day, you're not going to make one cheaper than what you can simply buy." I have to call BS. I have made and designed MANY that have these features and more and they are ALL way cheaper than most commercially purchased ones. Ones that are of any good quality that is.

[@steelejenb9234]

Sorry to be judgemental...but why didn't your friend try it a couple times under load before he sent it??? Would've fixed things ahead of time...

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Haha I really am not sure how he missed that..

[@geemanfunman1267]

Better off buying the unit at cost, forget your friend and his stupid idea

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Hindsight is 20/20, but a couple months in and it’s still working so we will see 😅