"Mathew Newton" wrote in message
...

I was wondering if anyone here could think of an alternative, and
hopefully better, way of detecting what is essentially a small amount
of nuts falling out of the dispenser? Perhaps something like a gate
type arrangement attached to a lightweight microswitch that the nuts
fall through activating in the process...? I want to keep things
simple, not only to ensure reliability but also because the budget is
finite and there's a inevitable skillset limitation too!

I did my share of hacking electronics when I was working in a research lab,
but I'm a mechanical engineer at heart. Assuming you are using the same sort
of three flap dispenser, I'd be inclined to control it electromechanically
with the logical equivalent of cams, microswitches, relays so that it just
does a third of a turn per demand. You could implement this in all sorts of
ways using linkages, gears, chains, etc.

Loved the cat-feeder and site, though!