Brinsea ChickSafe Advance User manual

1
Important! Install the ChickSafe Advance and attach the door BEFORE installing batteries.
Failure to observe this may cause incorrect operation and possible damage. (See page 10).
The ChickSafe is supplied pre-set to be attached to a FULLY OPEN DOOR. Failure to observe
this will cause incorrect operation and possible damage. (See page 10).
Please read these instructions carefully before setting up your ChickSafe Advance to achieve best results and keep
these instructions safe for future reference.
To register your new Brinsea product and qualify for your free 3 year warranty please visit www.brinsea.com within
30 days of purchase and follow the link on the Brinsea home page. The serial number may be found on the box
and inside the battery compartment. Sign up for the Brinsea newsletter to receive the latest news and information.
Warning - Risk of injury! Keep fingers clear of moving door and cord. Motor may start without warning.
If using with an alternative door, ensure the maximum door weight of 8lbs (4kg) is not exceeded as this
will cause damage to the motor and invalidate the warranty! Note that wooden doors are heavier when
wet.
Please note the maximum door lifting height is 15” (400mm). Do not exceed this as operation will be
incorrect and the cord may become detached.
Check the sliding door to make sure it runs smoothly and reliably both upwards and downwards. The
ChickSafe uses gravity alone to close the door.
To mount the ChickSafe further away from the door, an additional length of cord may be attached. For
helpful information see our ChickSafe ‘Frequently Asked Questions’page at www.brinsea.com
This appliance can be used by children aged from 8 years and above and persons with reduced physical,
sensory or mental capabilities or lack of experience and knowledge if they have been given supervision
or instruction concerning use of the appliance in a safe way and understand the hazards involved.
Children shall not play with the appliance. Cleaning and user maintenance shall not be made by children
without supervision.
Pack Contents:
Installation and
Operating Instructions
CS025 US Issue 01
Tools needed for installation:
- Screwdriver (cross head PZ1)
- Drill with 1/16” (1.5mm) and 1/8” (3mm) diameter drill bits, or
bradawl
- Tape measure
- 5.5mm wrench or pliers
spanner or pliers
(a) x1
(b) x2
(c) x2
(d) x2
(e) x6
(f) x2
x2
x4
x1
x1
x1
x1

2
Door Installation Instructions:
D
5
6
8
9
A
A
3
2
4
12.7”to
12.8”
(322mm to
325mm)
between
holes
Peel the protective film from the
front of each door panel.
Please note there may be superficial
marking on the back of each panel
due to the laser cutting process used
to ensure the panels are very
precisely made. This does not affect
the performance or life of the
aluminum in any way, or the
outward appearance of the finished
door.
1
Fit the grommet (a) to the centre
hole in one door panel.
Fit the countersunk screws (b) and
nuts (c) to the other door panel. The
screws fit through from the back
into the countersunk holes.
Fit a plastic rivet (d) to each channel
in the hole shown.
Tighten each nut by turning the
screw with a screwdriver whilst
holding the nut with pliers or a
wrench.
Locate the rivet in the hole, then
push it in to secure it.
7
The channels are fitted to the hen
house with the rivets at the bottom
of each channel, not nearer to the
top.
Position the channels on each side
of the door hole on the hen house
with the hole central between the
channels. They must be perfectly
vertical, flat and level. The fixing
holes must be 12.7” –12.8” (322mm
–325mm) apart.
Once the channels are vertical and
the holes are 12.7” – 12.8” (322mm
–325mm) apart, mark the locations
for the six fixings. Drill 1/16”
(1.5mm) diameter holes.
b
c
a
d

3
ChickSafe Advance Door Opener installation and operating instructions:
Check that the door panels slide up
and down easily. They must slide
down under their own weight.
The panel with the grommet must
lift the other panel as it rises.
If the panels are tight make sure the
distance between the channels is
correct.
If the channels are not flat, fit
washers or similar packing behind
the channels at the fixings to correct
them.
D
A
A
2
Caution! - Please Note:
•Use only alkaline AA batteries
•Observe correct polarity to
prevent leakage or risk of fire
•Do not mix old and new
batteries, replace all 4
•Do not use re-chargeable
batteries
•Do not use a 9 volt battery
•Remove the batteries if you do
not intend to use the ChickSafe
for a long period.
1
1/8” (3mm)
Raise the sliding door to its fully
open position.
Support the door in that
position.
Once fitted, the ChickSafe will
always open the door to this
height. Make sure it is correct.
4 3/4”
121mm
6 1/2 “ 170mm
Mark two hole positions 4 ¾”
(121mm) apart and approximately
6 ½” (170mm) above the top of the
sliding door.
Make sure they are level and evenly
spaced above the centre of the door.
Make the holes with a 1/8” (3.0mm)
drill bit or bradawl.
10
11
12
13
14
Fit the channels with the six black
wood screws (e).
Slide the door panel with grommet
down the channels.
It must be in the slot nearest to you
in each channel.
Slide the other door panel down the
channels.
It must be in the second slot in each
channel. The screws and nuts must
be at the front.
15
e

4
4
5
8
9
10
6
7
3
1/4”
(7mm)
Start to fit the two silver
woodscrews (f) into the holes
you have made.
Tighten each screw until its head
is 1/4” (7mm) from the surface.
Hang the ChickSafe on the two
screws.
Gently tighten each screw to
make the ChickSafe secure.
Make sure the ChickSafe remains
flat against the fixing surface.
Tie the ChickSafe cord to the hole
fitted with the grommet in the
top of the door.
Make sure the cord is taut once
tied on.
Now allow the door to hang on
the cord.
Fit the 4 batteries into the
holder.
Check the polarity of each
battery!
The battery holder fits this way
up in the top of the ChickSafe.
Fit the connector to the battery holder.
The motor will operate briefly, then the
display should show:
If the display only shows ‘RESET’ please
see page 10 on clearing a blocked door
and performing a cord reset.
Fit the battery cover over the
top.
It pushes down into place.
READ THE FOLLOWING PAGES
TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTROL
FEATURES. SET THE LANGUAGE,
TIME AND DAY OF THE WEEK.
TEST THE OPEN AND CLOSE
FUNCTIONS OF YOUR
CHICKSAFE (SEE PAGE 7).
Check operation carefully for
the first few days to ensure the
installation is successful and the
door is operating smoothly.
The red indicator LED provides
information on current status.
The ChickSafe is now ready to be
set up. Read the rest of the
instructions carefully to get the
most benefit from your ChickSafe.
11
L A N G U A G E E N G L I S H
OK ← →
f

5
BASIC FUNCTIONS
Sleep Mode:
The ChickSafe is designed to use as little battery power as possible. It will normally be in sleep mode with a blank
display and will flash the indicator LED periodically to show its status.
Press briefly to ‘wake’ the display and show the current time and battery condition.
The display will go off after 10 seconds to conserve power.
Open Now: Note that this function only works from sleep mode (blank display) to prevent accidental opening
The door may be opened at any time from sleep mode (blank display) using an open now function:
Press for 5 seconds to open the door. The display will wake and the door will start opening. You can now release
the key. It will stay open until it is next due to close (as set in close mode) but remember to close the door again using
a ‘Close Now’ command if it had already closed that evening.
Close Now: Note that this function only works from sleep mode (blank display) to prevent accidental closing
The door may be closed at any time from sleep mode (blank display) using a close now function:
Press for 5 seconds to close the door. The display will wake and the door will start closing. You can now release
the key. It will stay closed until it is next due to open (as set in open mode).
Manual Override Mode:
If the automatic system is not required to function for a period of time, all automatic functions may be stopped from
sleep mode (blank display) using the manual override mode function:
Press for 5 seconds. The display will state ‘MANUAL MODE IS ON!’.
While manual override mode is on, the door may still be opened and closed using open now and close now functions.
To turn manual override mode off and resume normal automatic function:
Press for 5 seconds. The display will change from ‘MANUAL MODE IS ON!’ to ‘MANUAL MODE IS OFF’.
Battery Condition Display:
The battery voltage is checked while the door is being opened to give an indication of battery condition:

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B R I N S E A . C O M A D 0 1
1 1 : 2 8 B A T >
New batteries
B R I N S E A . C O M A D 0 1
1 1 : 2 8 B A T >
Partially discharged
B R I N S E A . C O M A D 0 1
1 1 : 2 8 B A T > L O W !
Replace batteries immediately!
If the status LED is flashing every second the
system has detected the batteries will no
longer reliably operate the door. It will stay
closed.

6
TIME MENU FUNCTIONS
Setting the language, time and day of the week:
When the batteries are first connected the language, time and day of week must be set:
Press or to adjust the time or scroll through options.
Press to move to the next screen.
Press ++ together to change the above settings at any time from sleep mode (blank display).
B R I N S E A . C O M A D 0 1
0 : 0 0 B A T >
L A N G U A G E E N G L I S H
OK ← →
S E T T H E T I M E
O K ↓ 0 0 : 0 1 ↑
S E T T H E T I M E
O K ↓ 0 0 : 0 1 ↑
S E T D A Y O F W E E K
O K ↓ M O N ↑
S A V E D !
Power-Up screen.
The ChickSafe will automatically detect the
door position. Please wait…
Select the language:
Options: English, French, Spanish.
Set the current time:
Hours.
Set the current time:
Minutes.
Set the day of the week:
Options: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun.
The settings are automatically saved.
Note: If the battery has been removed or
discharged these settings will need to be
updated again before the system will operate.
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7
TESTING THE MOVEMENT OF THE DOOR
Note that the open now and close now functions only operate from sleep mode (blank display) and the button must
be pressed for 5 seconds which helps prevent accidental operation. To test the door operation:
From sleep mode, press and hold for 5 seconds. The door will close. The motor should stop as the door lands
on the flat surface at the bottom of the pop hole. If it stops sooner, the door is getting stuck in its runners.
From sleep mode, press and hold for 5 seconds. The door will open. The motor should stop as the door reaches
its fully open position, where it was held open during installation.
To test the light sensing function:
The main menu settings must still be set as their default values with both open mode and close mode set to light.
Cover the ChickSafe with a dark cloth or box. It must be very dark under the cover. The door will close after
approximately 6 minutes. Remove the cloth or box. The door will open after approximately 6 minutes.
MAIN MENU FUNCTIONS
Open Mode:
Select to open the door according to:
Light –the door will open as it gets light.
Time –the door will open at the set time.
Manual –the door will only open when you press
Open Delay:
If open mode is set to light the open delay will open the door 0, 1, 2 or 3 hours after it gets light. This can be useful in
the summer months when it gets light very early. A different delay may be set for the weekend (Saturday and Sunday)
to allow a later opening of the door on those days.
If open mode is set to time the open delay will open the door 0, 1, 2 or 3 hours after the set time. A different delay
may be set for the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) to allow a later opening of the door on those days.
Close Mode:
Select to close the door according to:
Light –the door will close as it gets dark.
Time –the door will close at the set time.
Light + Time –the door will close as it gets dark, but no later than the set time.
Manual –the door will only close when you press
Closing Light Level:
The closing light level at dusk may vary with location and how the sunlight falls on the ChickSafe. The light level that
makes the door close may be adjusted between 0 and 255 where 0 is complete darkness. The default number is 50
and suitable for most locations.

8
Setting the open modes, close modes and light sensitivity
Press to wake the display.
Press +together to open the menu.
Press or to adjust the time or scroll through options.
Press to move to the next screen.
Continued on next page…
B R I N S E A . C O M A D 0 1
1 7 : 3 0 B A T >
O P E N : L I G H T
O K ← →
S E T O P E N T I M E
O K ↓ 0 7 : 0 0 ↑
Press to wake the Power-Up screen.
Press +to open the menu.
Select the open mode. Choose from:
LIGHT: Open when it gets light.
TIME: Open at the time you set.
MANUAL: The door will stay closed until you
press: to open it whenever you want to.
Set the open time (hour):
The door will open at this time if the open
mode is set to TIME.
Ignore if open mode is set to Light or Manual.
Set the open time (minutes):
The door will open at this time if the open
mode is set to TIME.
Ignore if open mode is set to Light or Manual.
S E T O P E N T I M E
O K ↓ 0 7 : 2 8 ↑
O P E N D E L A Y MO –F R
O K ↓ 0h r s ↑
O P E N D E L A Y S A –S U
O K ↓ 2h r s ↑
Set the open delay (Monday to Friday):
This delays the door opening by 0 –3 hours
from when it gets light (or from the set open
time above).
Set the open delay (Saturday and Sunday):
This delays the door opening by 0 –3 hours
from when it gets light (or from the set open
time above). This allows you to choose a
different opening time at the weekend.
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9
OK
LED STATUS INDICATOR
C L O S E : L I G H T
OK ← →
S E T C L O S E T I M E
O K ↓ 1 9 : 4 5 ↑
S E T L I G H T L E V E L
O K ↓ 50 ↑
S E T C L O S E T I M E
O K ↓ 1 8 : 3 0 ↑
Select the close mode. Choose from:
LIGHT: Close when it gets dark.
TIME: Close at the time you set.
LIGHT+TIME: Close when it gets dark, or no later
than the set time.
MANUAL: The door will stay open until you
press: to close it whenever you want to.
Set the close time (hour):
The door will close at this time if the close
mode is set to TIME, or no later than this time if
set to LIGHT+TIME and it is not yet dark.
Ignore if close mode is set to Light or Manual.
Set the close time (minutes):
The door will close at this time if the close
mode is set to TIME, or no later than this time if
set to LIGHT+TIME and it is not yet dark.
Ignore if close mode is set to Light or Manual.
Set the closing light level:
Closing light levels at dusk vary with location
and direction of installation. The light level that
makes the door close may be adjusted from 0
(complete darkness) to 255. The default is 50.
S A V E C H A N G E S ?
↓ Y E S N O ↓
S A V E D !
Save or reject changes:
Press to SAVE the new settings.
Press to reject any changes.
Changes have been saved. These settings are
stored even if the battery is removed or
discharged.
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Single flash every 30 seconds –Door is open
Double flash every 30 seconds –Door is closed
Single flash every 10 seconds –Door is open, replace batteries soon!
Double flash every 10 seconds –Door is closed, replace batteries soon!
Single flash every second –Door is stuck or batteries too discharged to
open the door. Investigate cause!

10
Cleaning:
Disconnect the battery holder before cleaning the ChickSafe Advance.
Keep the battery holder and electrical connections dry at all times.
Do not immerse the ChickSafe Advance in water.
Wipe surfaces clean with a damp cloth and mild detergent as necessary.
Cord Reset:
If the batteries have been connected before the door is installed, or if the cord has become detached from the door,
it may be necessary to reset the cord system:
1. The ChickSafe must be upright in its installed position.
2. Disconnect the battery holder connector.
3. Wait 1 minute.
4. Gently pull the end of the cord down and, while pulling, refit the battery holder connector.
5. Maintain tension on the cord. After 4 seconds the cord will be wound out for a second and then start to wind in.
6. Keep maintaining tension on the cord all the time until the motor stops.
7. Disconnect the battery holder.
The system is now reset to the factory position. Follow the installation instructions from the start to ensure the door
opens to the correct position. For helpful information see our ChickSafe ‘Frequently Asked Questions’page at
www.brinsea.com
Clearing A Blocked Door Error:
The ChickSafe monitors door movement and if it appears the door has become blocked /stuck the system will stop
the motor to help prevent damage and will flash the status LED every second to warn the door may not be closed.
Press to wake the display. If the blocked door system has been activated one of the following is shown:
Check the door is still attached to the cord and is free to move upwards and downwards freely. Once the door is
free to move correctly wake the display by pressing and then press to reset the system.
If the cord has become detached from the door, perform a cord reset as described below and then attach the cord
to the door by following the instructions on page 3.

R E S E T
↓

D O O R I S B L O C K E D !
P R E S S T O R E S E T ↓
This screen shows during setup if the system detects an
error after the batteries are connected for the first time.
This screen indicates a blocked door some time after the
initial installation.

11
Automatic openers and accessories are intended to help keep chickens safe but the overall responsibility for the welfare
and safety of livestock remains with the owner/keeper. Brinsea, its retailers or distributors will not be responsible for
the loss of livestock or consequential loss in the event of failure however caused.
ChickSafe Opener Dimensions:
Height 5.9” (150mm)
Width 5.9” (150mm)
Depth 3.0” (75mm)
Weight 13oz (375g)
Door Dimensions:
Height 21.3” (540mm)
Width 13.1” (334mm)
Depth 0.7” (17mm)
Weight 2lbs (910g)
Brinsea Products Inc., 704 N Dixie Ave., Titusville, FL 32796-2017 USA.
Phone. [phone] Toll Free 1-888-667-7009 Fax [phone]
e-mail [e-mail], website www.Brinsea.com