Coop Tender CT-001-SOLAR, CT-001 User Manual
CT-001, CT-001-Solar
Owner’s Manual
CT-001, CT-001-Solar
Automatic Chicken Coop Door
Safe, Happy Hens…
Rev. 2.7
Copyright© 2014 - 2015
Coop Tender®
www.CoopTender.com
Table of Contents
Product Description ........................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Key Features ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Installation Requirements .................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Installation ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Automatic Coop Door Operation ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
Power ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
CT-001 (AC powered) ............................................................................................................................................................... 3
CT-001-Solar (Solar powered) ................................................................................................................................................... 3
Backup Battery .......................................................................................................................................................................... 3
System status ................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Status messages ........................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Status indicator lights ................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Keypad Interface ........................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Activating the menu .................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Navigating the menu ................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Scroll values .............................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Setting the desired value .......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Door override (Open, Close, Stop) ........................................................................................................................................... 7
Dawn Dusk Daylight Setting ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
Dawn Dusk Door Delay (minutes) ............................................................................................................................................. 7
Temperature Probe ........................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Internal Backup Battery ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Power / Battery Status ................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Power Save Mode .......................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Display Backlight............................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Maintenance ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Troubleshooting .............................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Visit us online .................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Contact us ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Appendix A - Specifications ............................................................................................................................................................ 11
Appendix B – Coop Tender Menu Diagram ..................................................................................................................................... 12
Appendix C – Keypad Functionality ................................................................................................................................................ 13
Menu Navigation ......................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Scroll ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Set Value ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Appendix D – Power Switch / AC Fuse ............................................................................................................................................ 14
Appendix E – Battery Fuse ............................................................................................................................................................... 14
Replacement and Warranty ............................................................................................................................................................. 15
1
Product Description
Coop Tender is an automatic chicken door which opens your coop door at dawn or the time schedule you
set, allowing your poultry to free range. At the end of the day, Coop Tender closes the door to keep
predators out and your poultry safe.
Key Features
Automatically opens and closes the coop door at dawn and dusk or a set time schedule
Door open and close override
Programmable door open and close delays for dawn to dusk operation
Adjustable daylight sensitivity for dawn to dusk operation
Dawn and Dusk delay settings up to 999 minutes
Door status at a glance
Solid ¾ inch (1 inch dimensional) western red cedar construction
Heavy duty, predator proof, door closure mechanism
Coop temperature monitor (optional) alerts to extreme temperature conditions (below freezing,
overly warm)
Freeze protect feature keeps door closed in freezing weather.
Solar powered (CT-001-Solar)
Installation Requirements
Most installations require only a screwdriver.
A saw and hammer may be required if you need to close off your coop doorway above Coop Tender or
install framing to make a coop opening which will accommodate the 13 ½ inch width of the unit.
Installation
Simply screw Coop Tender to your existing coop doorway with the 4 screws which are included. The
control panel will face the outside of your chicken coop.
2
If you need to close off any open area above Coop Tender, simply cut an appropriate size piece of wood or
other suitable, predator proof, material and secure it.
If your coop door opening is too wide, you will need to add boards to narrow the opening sufficiently to
accommodate and secure Coop Tender.
Plug the power cord into an AC power receptacle or an extension cord and into the back of the Coop
Tender controller.
Turn the switch to the on position when you are ready to automatically control your chicken coop door.
Automatic Coop Door Operation
After installation, simply turn the power switch to the “On” position. You will be greeted with the Coop
Tender startup screen and current door and system status.
Most installations will occur during the day, so your Coop Tender automatic coop door will open after
initialization.
Power
Coop Tender can be powered from a traditional AC electrical outlet or from solar energy.
CT-001 (AC powered)
Coop Tender has a built-in power converter which will run directly from your AC outlet or extension cord.
CT-001-Solar (Solar powered)
Power is provided by an 18 Volt 10 Watt solar array connected to a 12 volt 4.5Ah lead acid rechargeable
battery
Coop Tender’s built-in solar battery charger will charge your battery from the solar panel array even with
minimal light. We recommend that the solar panels receive a minimum 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight each
day. Should Coop Tender be installed where this is not possible, you may remove the solar panel array
from the front of the Coop Tender unit and splice into the existing wires to extend and move the panel to a
more appropriate location or angle.
Backup Battery
The backup battery comes installed inside the controller unit which sits atop the door. The backup battery
will power Coop Tender for up to 3 days without being recharged.
When an external power source is available, AC or solar, Coop Tender automatically recharges the
battery.
When plugged into AC power, the battery will recharge within 4 to 6 hours.
When connected to a solar panel array, charge time will vary based on available sunlight characteristics.
3
System status
At-a-Glance
Status
Display
Indicator
Green
On
Red
On
Red
Blinking
Green
Blinking
Coop
Tender
on
warning
(LCD will
display
specifics)
Door Status
closed
open
unknown
opening /
closing
Battery
charged
low
discharged
Charge/
Power
charging/
on
Easily spot check automatic
door, battery and
power/charge status
Coop Tender gives feedback with At-a-Glance lights and messages appearing on the display.
Status messages
Under normal operation, Coop Tender constantly monitors the ambient lighting and checks system status
(door, time, temperature, battery, etc.). Status messages appear on the built-in LCD display panel. Status
messages include the following and will appear based on the current settings as indicated:
Date and time
Coop temperature (if installed)
Warning messages (if present)
Battery status (if installed)
Door control method (Dawn to Dusk, Schedule or Manual)
Current ambient light value (helpful to determine what setting is best for your coop)
Dawn / Dusk light setting (when Dawn Dusk active)
Dawn and Dusk delay settings (when Dawn Dusk active)
Schedule (when Schedule active)
Freeze protect status
Door status
Status indicator lights
Four status indicator lights provide “at a glance” status.
Coop Tender Status
The Coop Tender status indicator lights solid green when there are no warnings. If a warning is generated
during system monitoring, the indicator will blink red.
Messages corresponding to the warning condition will appear on the LCD display for your review and
subsequent reaction if necessary.
Door Status
The door status indicator light will be green when the coop door is closed (green is good) and red when
the coop door is open. While Coop Tender is opening or closing the door, the indicator will flash green
until the desired setting is achieved (i.e. coop door is closed, or open). At this point, the indicator light
will change to the appropriate status color (green open, red closed).
Door status is also displayed on the easy-to-read LCD display screen during normal system status checks.
4
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