Warning: My chicken coop door automation project took 3 weeks to get right

Honestly, I tried to set up a simple solar-powered automatic door opener on my coop in Portland, but the sensor kept getting confused by morning fog and wouldn't open until almost noon. Tbh, I spent about 3 weeks messing with the sensitivity settings, different mounting spots, and even a rain shield before it finally worked reliably. Ngl, has anyone else had this much trouble with a coop door, and what finally fixed it for you?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancy_butler28d ago

Ended up using a cheap light sensor from a garden solar light kit. Mounted it under the coop roof eave so it only sees sky, no ground fog. Works perfect now.

taylorhunt27d ago

Actually, @christopherross, it was the placement that fixed it.

christopherross28d ago

Man, fog messing with sensors is the worst. Did you end up switching to a totally different type of sensor, like a simple light sensor instead of a motion one, or was it all about the placement and shielding in the end? I'm curious what the final fix actually was after all that tweaking.

-2