Poor Dittobird is so confused....

[Z28Taxman]

His full spectrum light just burned out and he's just standing there looking at it, moving to another spot and looking at it again...

I knew it was getting old so I ordered some new ones the other day but they won't get here until monday.

I guess I'll have to get a regular flourescent tube for the weekend and replace it on monday. I haven't seen full spectrum ones around here.

[michael]

We'd be glad to share! ......if we lived a little closer . .. This reminds me though, better order a spare online before one of ours poops out. .........

[linda040899]

Even where I live, near a major city, full spectrum is nearly impossible to find! 5500K seems to be an endangered species, at best! I normally order mine online, as I have no other options and, like Michael suggested, I order extras...... Really, really hard to find is 5500K in CFL with a candelabra base. One of my ceiling fans uses those and I'm serious considering getting an adapter.

[Z28Taxman]

Apparantly 18 inche is not a common size for flourescent tubes. I can't find them anywhere locally.

I order his lights online too and usually get a 6 of them since they don't last that long. This one lasted even less time than normal. I just ordered 6 of them on monday from avi-tech but they won't get here until monday. If this one had lasted 3 more days we would have made it.

I used to use GE reveal bulbs in my ceiling fan light and they looked great but the last one of those I had blew up 2 weeks ago and the CFL bulb I put in there was horrible. It had no color to it and neither did anything in the room. Even dittos colorful food looked bland. They do make the Reveal in cfl's thos so I got one of those. It looks more pink than the incandescants but the color is back in the room again and Ditto must think his food looks better too because he's face down in the food bowl as soon as I changed the bulb!

Sitting here with it for an hour and I'm still not crazy about it. The incandescent reveal bulbs were definately cooler. I just looked it up and the CFL reveal bulb has a color temp of 2840k. No wonder it looks sort of pink/orange in here. I'm going to have to look for something over 5000k, this color is driving me nuts. Too bad I can't use my car headlights. They're around 5800k and look like sunlight.

[linda040899]

Are you using the florescent fixture that is sold by Avi-Tech? The actual fixtures I have have electronic ballasts. Avi-Tech sells fixtures that have magnetic ballasts. You and I can't detect a difference but birds actually can! When the see light from bulbs that are use an electronic ballast, the light waves flicker, where the light from bulbs that are in a fixture that has magnetic ballasts is just straight, steady light. I'm looking to replace all the fixtures in my lanai aviary but just haven't had the spare time to even think about it!

If there are any stores in your area that carry OTT replacement bulbs, I believe those are 5500K.

[Z28Taxman]

Not using an avi-tech fixture. It's an esu birdlife fixture that I got when Ditto moved here.

Actually I can see the flickering from flourescent lighting with electronic ballasts, along with the flickering from CRT monitors with refresh rates under 70hz. Older computer monitors and tv's give me a headache along with many flourescent lights.

I swear I'm half bird sometimes.

[Z28Taxman]

I don't think he likes the color of the lights I'm using in the ceiling now. When the last of the incandescents blew up 2 weeks ago and I switched to the CFL he started flinging food out of the dish. He would always do it when I got home but usually only 1 or 2 because he got excitedand wanted attention.

After switching lights he'd fling half a dozen when I got home. What's the first thing I do when I get home? Turn on that light. So I've been trying an experiment today. He'll be eating and flinging, so I put back what he flings and turn off the light. He keeps eating and stops flinging. Turn on the light and the flinging begins again.

I guess I'm gonna have to look for a new bulb again.

Fortunately his lights Have arrived in Harrisburg this morning and will be delivered tomorrow.

[Z28Taxman]

Wow, what a happy little bird!

Got home today to find 6 new Ditto Lights waiting on the porch. Replaced the burned out one and as soon as I turned it on Ditto hopped up on the perch right beneath it and started the happy dance. He then spent the next 5 minutes while I waited for my tea water to heat up, playing with everything and doing the happy dance on every possible surface. And after he danced on all the perches he hung onto the side of the cage and danced some more!

Spoke too soon. a few minutes later the light started flickering again. Darned ballast is bad too. Fortunately I've got another fixture here. It was the first one I bought (identical to the other one) and it seems to work! I did take the other one apart and it's got a magnetic ballast in it so we're good there.

And since I put his light back his food looks normal color again and he hasn't thrown any out of the dish (yet).

I swear I can see him smiling.

[linda040899]

Sounds like all is back to normal in Ditto's world! Good work, lovie slave!!!

[Z28Taxman]

Sounds like all is back to normal in Ditto's world! Good work, lovie slave!!!

Yep. He's still doing the happy dance and hasn't flung anything but one pea pod all night (his toys on the couch don't count). Gotta keep me trained to fetch.