make have a heart racoon trap to trip with electric beam?

OK, calling all geeks, I now need a 120v ac input to 12 v dc 60 ma output transformer. Can not find one, I have the electric eye that trips either N/O or N/C closed circuits for the solinode I have. But this is the power source the eye requires.

Thanks for you help and or links.

Jim
 
Last edited:
Grrrr, I thought I had a 12 volt power brick around but I can't seem to find a 12 volt -- plenty of 6 volts.... You can get that at Radio Shack for a few bucks. Do you have a local Radio Shack? If you get it mail order the shipping will cost you about what it's worth....
 
I checked our local RS and they had a 12v brick, but 300ma and I am not an electronic nut enough to know if it would have burned out the eyes.
Found some online 12v 1 amp, but I still do not know enough to know what to use.
Thanks for trying,
Jim
 
Last edited:
Come to think of it, would battery power be more convenient? Radio Shack has a battery holder that holds 8 AA cells for 12 volts. 60 milliamps isn't much; the batteries would last a good while.
 
Hmmm seems to me that if the local coons can defeat a trap, they have seen it before. Is the humane society just moving the raccoons a few miles or something?

Should be a law against feeding wild critters, especially critters that can become a nusance, like coons.

Feeding them just makes them associate people with food more than they would naturally. That is why we don't feed the bears. Usually there is a law...
 
zenheretic said:
Hmmm seems to me that if the local coons can defeat a trap, they have seen it before. Is the humane society just moving the raccoons a few miles or something?

Should be a law against feeding wild critters, especially critters that can become a nusance, like coons.

Feeding them just makes them associate people with food more than they would naturally. That is why we don't feed the bears. Usually there is a law...
Click to expand...

I think they are putting them down. Don't know and really do not care. The man that is feeding them is less than a mile from me, as the crow flys, over on the other side of mountain. Once they over run his food supply, they move out. I think families of coons are now on my side of mountain.
 
Cougar Allen said:
You need at least 60 milliamp output -- more is fine.
Click to expand...

Don't quite understand,:confused: the guy at RS said more would burn unit up. I am not an electronic expert by any means. I know enough to be dangerous, but was following his advice. He said he had a degree in electronics, of course that could be BS, he is working as a clerk in RS.

Jim
 
I think your local Radio Shack is employing the mentally challenged (not unusual) but hang on, I PMed Gollnick. He is an electrical engineer when he's not flipping a balisong.
 
As I understand the situation, you have a photoelectric eye device which operates from 12VDC and has a relay internally which changes position when the beam is interrupted. This is a very typical device. You also have a solinoide shown by Mr. Shade which looks entirely appropriate. That solinoide operates from 12VDC. Perfect. The next thing you need is some 12VDC power. The solinoide needs 1/2Amp. The electronic eye device will need some power too. And, if we need an intermediate relay, that will need some too. Your 12VDC at 1A power supply should be fine.

The next question is will we need that intermediate relay? The solinoide needs 1/2A. The question is how much current the internal relay in the electronic eye device can handle. Hopefully, you have some document that tells that. But, I'm going to guess that it can.

If so, then no intermediate relay is needed and the connections are easy. Just connect the power supply's - terminal to both the - power terminal of the electronic eye device and to the - terminal of the solinoide. Connect the supply's + terminal to the + power terminal on the electronic eye device and also to the electronic eye's normally-open relay contact (probably marked NO). Finally, connect a wire from the electronic eye's common relay terminal (probably marked C) to the other terminal of the solinoide.

If the electronic eye's internal relay won't handle the 1/2A (500mA) required for the solinoide, then we have to add an intermediate relay. This relay will need to have contacts rated for at least 1/2A. Connect the relay coil to the photoelectric eye device as if it was the solinoide as instructed above. Then, connect the solinoide's - terminal to the power supply's - terminal. Connect the normally-open contact on the relay to the power supply's + terminal. Connect the relay's common contact terminal to the solinoide's + terminal.
 
The electric eye is so old that there is no documentation other than what is printed on the back of it. It says it requires 12v DC 60ma input. In terms of amperage, I have no idea of what that means, it does show that it will handle the 1/2 amp on the internal switch, it has a N/O and a N/C terminals. I can install jumper from power to the N/O terminal. When eye trips that should provide current to solinode to close the trap, but the problem is the 60ma input for the eye. Any suggestions?
Thanks for your help,
Jim
 
You're saddled up and set to go. Don't worry about the 60mA. With a 1A supply, the solinoide takes 1/2A. That leaves 1/2A which is 500mA for the electric eye which is much more than 60mA, so you're fine. No intermediate relay is required. This is gonna work great.
 
Can't wait till the ultimate test, will post pictures of first capture and assembled unit, thanks everyone for your help.
Jim

I have a heart.:rolleyes:
 
Assembled the entire unit on a 3/8'' thick piece of spruce. Mounted the brick right beside the eye. Ran the wires from the normally open contacts to the solinode that was recommended in this thread. The solinode had a 3/4'' pull, but cage only required 1/2'', at 1/2'' the pull was much stronger. I cut a hole out in the board to allow eye see across cage. The second picture is the reflector for the eye. The third picture is the first capture. The cage stands 15'' high, so you can see how big this coon was. I estimate about 25 to 30 lbs comparing it to some of my cats in size. The whole time I was working on doing repairs to the cage, due to damages to wiring that the coon did, he tried to attack me through the steel. :eek:

I have not had bait stolen since this gizmo was installed.:)

Thanks to EVERYONE that contributed to my understanding of the requirements of the electrical components and finding the right solinode for me.
Jim
IMG_1010.jpg

IMG_1009.jpg

IMG_1007.jpg
 
Last edited:
Just an update, this past season spring and this summer, I have trapped 30 coons and 5 opossums. NO Animal steals bait out of this cage. I still appreciate everyone that helped me with the design and implementation of the electronics.

Jim
 
Congrats Jim. Glad to see they are going to the Humane Society. The coon seemed to be saying, "You son of a b.." in the last pic.

Btw, you could also market this with a larger cage that drops from the ceiling in front of cookie jars to stop fat kids. Remember you heard it here first.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top