# Sputnik Plan



## raftree3

The photo is a picture I used as an example. The one thing I failed to include is that I covered the landing area with both wire and hinged the plywood so that it can flip up to cover the trap when not in use. The front door works well to let the birds out. Now that I've had it in use the landing area could have been larger perhaps. The photo shows a solid floor but I made it wire...small areas are hard to clean it seems.


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## rono842

morning guy
looks good,but what is the reason you need this,i dont know what it is for.


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## Greek Boy

It's a sputnik, it serves three purposes. It is a small aviary for birds to get sun and acts as a training or settling cage for youngsters. The white door releases birds when open. The 4 openings on the 45 degree top section is how the birds enter and can't get out. If they try to get out thru those openings their feet have no where to grab and their wings will be open. Hence the reason for the 45 degree angle at the entrance. After birds enter the entrance it's usually sealed to prevent predators from coming in. I hope this helps? A healthy and Happy New Year to all. Nick


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## Big T

Greek Boy said:


> It's a sputnik, it serves three purposes. It is a small aviary for birds to get sun and acts as a training or settling cage for youngsters. The white door releases birds when open. The 4 openings on the 45 degree top section is how the birds enter and can't get out. If they try to get out thru those openings their feet have no where to grab and their wings will be open. Hence the reason for the 45 degree angle at the entrance. After birds enter the entrance it's usually sealed to prevent predators from coming in. I hope this helps? A healthy and Happy New Year to all. Nick


If you look in my album under "my loft" you will see mine is built like the one you built.

Tony


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## raftree3

I really like your water system. I built my sputnik just like yours to begin with but I put some solid areas......landing area....seems like they hit it easier not so much flapping.


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## Big T

raftree3 said:


> I really like your water system. I built my sputnik just like yours to begin with but I put some solid areas......landing area....seems like they hit it easier not so much flapping.


Trust me, the wire makes it easier to clean, and they land and enter just fine. One day a hawk flew over and ten birds landed and dropped in like one second flat. 

For the water system it is set up high with a slanted roof. I have two hundred small christmas lights under it to keep from freezing. High so dust and feathers do not blow into the water and the roof to keep poop out. 4 inch pipe works real good. 

Tony


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## Crazy Pete

I like your watering system, but I think I will need more than Christmas lights it was -4 last night.
Dave


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## Big T

Crazy Pete said:


> I like your watering system, but I think I will need more than Christmas lights it was -4 last night.
> Dave


You will be surprised. If you use the larger outside lights they would work. I changed to the smaller becaused the larger made my water too hot. I could of bathe in it. Now the Christmas lights work because my waterer is a long 4" pipe that holds two gallons of water. But down to pipe the lights only have to heat maybe three inches of water where the tall waterers would freeze at the top because the top of the water is too far from the heat source. Also the curve of the pipe allows the heat of the lights to flow up and around the pipe keeping the colder temps away from the water.

Also your loft is not as open as mine therefore, the heat from the lights will warm the loft a little more than what is outside. 

Tony


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## Wayne Johnson

I am glad the Christmas lights work for you. Heating a column of water from the bottom works for the top as well as the bottom due to convection currents. The heated water at the bottom rises through the cooler water warming the entire column. An exception would be if the heat were basically insufficient to counter the ambient temperature.


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## Big T

Wayne Johnson said:


> I am glad the Christmas lights work for you. Heating a column of water from the bottom works for the top as well as the bottom due to convection currents. The heated water at the bottom rises through the cooler water warming the entire column. An exception would be if the heat were basically insufficient to counter the ambient temperature.


Yes, I agree. My heat source is four foot long and comes from 200 small Christmas lights. The column of water is three inches tall; also with the shape of the pipe and lights on both sides the heat that does not transfer thru the pipe to the water runs up the curve of the pipe preventing the extreme cold from getting to the water. To each their own, this has worked for me last winter and this winter so far. But then my coldest temp was 10 degrees in an open loft. I also had to go to the small incandescing lights because the larger lights made the water very warm to the touch.


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## RodSD

Nice sputnik trap and thanks for the diagram.


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## Wayne Johnson

Thanks for making a potentially difficult and confusing project clear and easy to follow.
Great job.

Would you mind if I tried to draw it to scale on Sketchup? I don't want to take away from your hard work.


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## raftree3

Please do Wayne...I admire your use of Sketchup...haven't tried to use it myself. Maybe while you're at it you could "Sketchup" some plans of stalls to put in front of my bop traps. Running out of projects. I am considering building a hopper feeder though, one where you can offer a number of choices of individual feed types...I did find a plan for that.


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## Wayne Johnson

I used as many of your dimensions as possible. 










This is the wood only. Everything is 1x2 lumber. Trap is at 45degree angle. The plywood landing board is also the door to close up the trap. the length of 
28.5" is random I just liked the way the landing board looked.


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## Wayne Johnson

Here it is with the wire in place. I am proud of the corners. They are lap jounts using dimensional lumber rather than a table saw. The actual size of a 1x2 is 3/4" x 1.5"


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## Wayne Johnson

This is done according to the measurements given above. Wood only. I think the wire makes it harder to see.










Why are the two openings on the ends usually get closed off?


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## Wayne Johnson

Thought you may like to see it shut up for the night.


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## raftree3

Could be a 2' door, doesn't matter...makes the frame a little more stable.


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## Wingsonfire

Wayne Johnson said:


> Here it is with the wire in place. I am proud of the corners. They are lap jounts using dimensional lumber rather than a table saw. The actual size of a 1x2 is 3/4" x 1.5"


Beautifal job on that wayne and thanks to raftree3 for starting this thread, I am a big fan of the Sputnik, I will have to build one now


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## eyespyer

Great stuff!
Thanks for the information


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## sport14692

what is the best design for Modena's?


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## Wayne Johnson

Do Modenas fly?


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## bhymer

Hope this helps !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hButwSed7pk


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## raftree3

Wish I'd seen that video earlier...some good ideas...no idea what language it in though.


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## Big T

Cool Video, Great ideas!!

Thanks,
Tony


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## Wayne Johnson

Would anyone be interested in a further breakdown of the plans to make it easier to build? If so What dimensions do you want?


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## sufiness

*Sputnik Traps*

Hi Jasaon nice sputnik. Does it keep cats out?


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## TN_PIGEON

sufiness said:


> Hi Jasaon nice sputnik. Does it keep cats out?


Only if/when it is shut.

Cats can squeeze through very small holes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5K8DWO3aaQ&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjBcmDSLTSw


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## Wayne Johnson

I have been looking at videos like the one on old Scottich loft trap. It is a design over a hundred years old. this is my version of it on the Sputnic.

































the landing board is hinged so that when a cat or other heavy animal lands on the board it will pivot down raising the inside part up blocking entrance. We still have the benefit of the Sputnic, just with a little added safety. The landing board hinges all the way down to close the trap for the night.
there are 6 inches of the landing board outside and 8 inches inside. This can be adjusted to find appropriate balance.


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## Jeff Ward

*My new sputnik*

This is the new sputnik I just built, it's 48 wide 32 deep, 19 high *edit, sorry 29 high). Aluminum dowelling... pretty cool eh?


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## Wayne Johnson

Jeff,
That looks great. Well built and strong. It will look good too.


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## Shadybug Lofts

Jeff, Those holes don't look high enough for a bird to enter easily, How high are the openings?


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## raftree3

I think they could squeeze in but it looks like a squeeze.


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## Jeff Ward

They are 6 1/2 inches, I have one now less then that and they trap fine, the height of that top piece is 20 inches high. Sorry the total height is 29 inches, not 19. Please excuse the beer can in the photo, it's 4 7/8s high and it traps fine... LOL.


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## Wingsonfire

Jeff Ward said:


> They are 6 1/2 inches, I have one now less then that and they trap fine, the height of that top piece is 20 inches high. Sorry the total height is 29 inches, not 19. Please excuse the beer can in the photo, it's 4 7/9 high and it traps fine... LOL.


6.5 is right on and that beer make me thirsty for sure


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## Pip Logan

What does the spacing for the bars have to be in order for the birds to trap well?


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## conditionfreak

Wow. Obama said in the State of the Union speech, that our country needs a "Sputnik moment", and now this.

I think you took him too seriously. 

(looks good though)


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## raftree3

4" is good.


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## Pip Logan

Thanks Raftree!


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## markp1969

I'm looking to build a sputnik, but where would you place the electronic atenna pads?


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## eyespyer

Wayne Johnson said:


> Here it is with the wire in place. I am proud of the corners. They are lap jounts using dimensional lumber rather than a table saw. The actual size of a 1x2 is 3/4" x 1.5"


What is the spacing between the drop points? looks about 4 inches


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## Jeff Ward

4 to 4 1/2 works fine for racers.... much wider and you chance them jumping up and out....


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## RodSD

Wayne Johnson said:


> This is done according to the measurements given above. Wood only. I think the wire makes it harder to see.
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Because the birds can climb thru the side and gets out. So you close that corner.


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## Elmore84

Wayne Johnson said:


> This is done according to the measurements given above. Wood only. I think the wire makes it harder to see.
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Wayne- I'd be interested in a breakdown of this sputnik, if you have it.


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## Wayne Johnson

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f38/cat-resistant-sputnic-49980.html
This is another thread that has more detail.


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## fireman

*Sputnik*



Jeff Ward said:


> This is the new sputnik I just built, it's 48 wide 32 deep, 19 high *edit, sorry 29 high). Aluminum dowelling... pretty cool eh?


 Very nice, do you have any plans for this?


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## Jeff Ward

Nope sorry, just from scratch kinda thing.....


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## jol_miranda

may i ask what is the distance between those entrance in mm or inches?


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## GrizzleMan

4 inches is fine unless you have a really fat bird. I am going to make a pair of these
my trap system is not my cup of tea. I like the very first one posted I don't like the big box
I am thinking of making the landing strip bigger then the one in the pictures.


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