Making my own cow sprayer

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Ky cowboy

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I recently built my own version of an automatic cow sprayer. Everything is welded and plumbed in ready to go. But I'm having a little trouble on getting power to the pump. I bought wobble box limit switches to activate the pump but the actuators aren't long enough to make contact with the cow as it walks thru. So I bought a photoelectric proximity switch and thought I'd go that direction with it, it didn't throw enough juice to it either. So now I'm at a stand still scratching my head any ideas would be great. Thanks
 
I'm unsure of how your stuff wires together but if the photo eyes aren't really letting enough power pass through the contacts to the pump then install an ice cube relay in between the two. The photo eyes energize the coil on the relay and then the relay lets the power pass straight through to the pump. Is everything a 120 volt or 12 volt dc circuit?
 
Ky cowboy":2l6rhnsx said:
jwimberly":2l6rhnsx said:
6 volts is a little odd but you would need something like this https://www.wolfautomation.com/inde...UGmkTF9YQgIRqWcQXyHZDaxAmyjvSxEcaAvA9EALw_wcB

You would also need the relay socket that is shown as accessories on the right side to land your wires on. The specs shows the relay contacts are good for 10 amps so make sure your pump doesn't pull any more than that and your golden.

I was wrong its 12 volt sorry


I just built one myself with electric eyes works great. Had a 20/30 amp relay on it, it burnt up put a 25/30 amp on seems to be doing the trick. I'm having trouble getting my cows to go through it, some walk right on through som stood fastened the the lot for the whole night before they decided they were thirsty enough to go on through :( :) :???:
 
A starter solenoid for a lawn tractor or Ford 8n tractor should work. Cheap, readily available, and cheap/easy to replace.
TSC has them for about $12.

For that matter, any relay off a 12v car would probably work better with even less current draw, especially the ones that engages the electric radiator fan, A/C compressor or the fuel pump relay.

Starter solenoids generally draw 8-10amps for the coil to initially plunge the core down, but require a lot less to hold it down.

The other relays I mentioned draw about 1/2 that or less.

Easy to wire in. May not be the same for all automotive 12v relays, but for this particular A/C compressor relay, I believe this is how this one would be wired:

"To pump" would be carrying the positive voltage..you would need to independently ground the pump.
 
Ky cowboy":2e6gu7ak said:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00TZH7T6M?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
This is what I have. I tried wiring it to the eye last night no luck. Which sensor did you get rollinhills

I bought 2 sensors with the reflectors, kinda like the sensors on a garage door, I had May electric get them for me he and I work on a lot of jobs together. He wired it up for me, put a automotive relay on like GB mentioned. I know nothing about electric after it gets away from a welding lead. Aren't you in Hancock co if so you're more than welcome to look at mine.
 

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