Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

SecureCoop is a coop monitor and door opener with phone notifications, so YOU can take a vacation or step out for the evening or sleep in, knowing your flock is safe. If there's an issue we will send a notification to your phone, anywhere in the world, as long as your phone is online with either a data plan or Wi-Fi, backed up by our NO LOST BIRDS guarantee: If you ever have an issue with SecureCoop that we don’t notify you about which causes you to lose a bird, we will replace that bird. (Up to 12 birds valued at up to $5 each. Monitoring service required for at least six months.)
No. SecureCoop can monitor any existing coop door and notify your phone if there are issues. Just order it without a motor. A future planned accessory may be a light positioned over the existing opener's sunlight sensor, which would cause it to open on the schedule you want and cause it to open even if no sun is shining. Turn that dumb opener into a smart opener.
Your SecureCoop connects to your home Wi-Fi and sends updates to our servers. Our servers process those updates and alert you of status and issues by way of a phone app with notifications. The server tells your SecureCoop when to open and close once for every day of the year, so that operation does not require a connection to the server. Your SecureCoop has an internal clock that watches for the time to open and close.
During setup, your phone informs us of your location. (Only requested once.) Sunrise and sunset times for the entire year are calculated and stored in the unit. The time is then maintained based on atomic timekeeping internet services and a battery-backed clock inside the unit. It's pretty high-tech stuff 🤓
Yes, there is an internal clock and schedule. The device opens/closes as expected and your phone is notified that the device is offline so you can check your internet.
Yes 🙂 Green, reliable solar power.
It uses your home's Wi-Fi to get to the internet, and then our servers connect to the app on your phone. Your phone does not need to be on the same Wi-Fi; It can receive notifications even via your data plan. As long as your phone connects to the internet in some way, you should receive updates from almost anywhere in the world.
If you have even one bar at the coop it should be enough. If you have no signal at the coop, we will soon be selling better antennas and/or outdoor range extenders. Until then, we recommend you buy a Ubiquiti range extender.
Bluetooth is only used during the initial setup to configure the device while standing next to it. Once the device is connected to Wi-Fi, you can disable your phone's Bluetooth then go anywhere in the world. As long as your phone has internet connectivity via either a data plan or Wi-Fi it will receive notifications.
The max motor has a rating of 516ft⋅lb, so pretty much anything you can throw at it.
0F to 120F. (Cold-weather option coming.)
Yes. It can be installed on the outside of a coop. It resists moisture both outside and inside. It is rated IP65.
It is rated IP65 waterproof and can withstand temperatures between 0F and 120F. (Cold-weather option coming.)
About five minutes: * Install the app * Press the configuration button on the device * Type the Wi-Fi password * Wait for registration * Done 🙂
The motorless sensor can be placed inside the coop. The motorized version needs to be near the door, which can be inside the coop.
Your birds are precious. We will include an optical obstruction detector to ensure no harm comes to them. We're also including a NO LOST BIRDS guarantee. If you ever have an issue with SecureCoop that we don’t notify you about which causes you to lose a bird, we will replace that bird. (Up to 12 birds valued at up to $5 each. Monitoring service required for at least six months.)
90 days is boring. Got your attention, didn't it?
We wish we could, but we're focused on the US for now.
To calculate sunrise and sunset times. We hate big technology invasions of privacy as much as you probably do, so we ONLY request the location once during setup. The phone updates the location of the unit once, then it is no longer requested.
There is an optional monitoring service. Without this, the door is simply a "dumb" opener, opening and closing on a pre-set schedule, based on your location's sunrise and sunset times.
No, but without the service the unit acts as a "dumb" opener. It opens and closes on a schedule based on your location, but doesn't send notifications when there are issues.
Your SecureCoop device does not use your cell phone to connect to the internet, but your home Wi-Fi. If you view the app while on your phone's data plan, it will use a tiny amount of data per hour, just a few kilobytes.
Yes. It is synchronized to an atomic clock.
Yes, but we don't recommend it, because then your password is easy to view.
That, we have yet to discuss with our lawyers. But, you will be satisfied with it. We hate when companies duck out of their obligations.
If an item is not covered by warranty, we will be selling replacement parts for every component and reasonable prices.
The motor self-locks when not operating. It is impossible--short of breaking the door or motor mounts--to operate the door with the power off. Also, the threshold of the door will have an optional cover, ensuring that prying paws may not reach under the door well enough to pry it open.
It is the natural habit of a bird to find a roost before sundown, so coop door openers have solved this problem naturally. However, if you would like more comfort a future planned accessory is a "bedtime snack" feeder. A bell rings, treats drop, HERE COME THE BIRDS!! And the door closes behind them. Also another planned accessory is leg band radio tags which notify the system that all birds have come in for the night.
On the device, there is an open/close switch.
The best part of waking up is Folgers in your coop.
42, of course. That's the answer to life, the universe, and everything.