Well; I've Ordered A Light ....!

[Outlaw Pete 2,224]

Been scratching about here. Desperately trying to move forward in some way, shape or form.

 

Ventilation's good now. Cages are dry and airy. Anything else I'm missing ~ like Food! ~ I could order in, with notice. Rather than have it sitting here, for months, getting stale.

 

But, the light thing's been a mill stone. And there's only one way I know to deal with a mill stone:

 

Get pissed with it. Pick that f**ker up. And smash it!

 

So, f**k all this trawling through google. Cruising innumerable sites. Umming and ahhing over this, that and the other tubes. Lip chewing about delivery.

 

I'd noticed the builders merchants, in town, had a stash of strip lights. I asked the owner if he could get me a Full Spectrum tube. Four foot.

 

" What's 'Full Spectrum'? " He asked. " Never mind. " I said. " The suppliers will understand. "

 

" Ye want the fittings too? " Beady eyed businessman enquired. I told him: " Do it! ".

 

Now, we wait. Obviously, I'll pay what ever he asks me. It'll probably work out very little more expensive than my scouring google. Paying extortionate postage, via Amazon UK. Then having shit with couriers.

 

Point is; It's done. I only asked for one. Because another one will cost the same. And I just don't want to be hit with a €100.00 liability the next time I blow into town.

 

There it is though. My lights are on their way. I'll be there; Waiting.

 

[taz2010 1,297]

you got a timer sorted pete the one I use is fantastic no hassle straight forward and does the job well

Bulblux 400 watts Dimmer £122.00 BulbluxPlus 1000 watt Dimmer £142.00

 

 

Automatic Dimmers with Fluorescent Switching Flulux Model Auto Timer Dimmer

Standard fluorescent tubes cannot be dimmed so this unit offers an Automatic solution. You have one cable with fluorescents and one with lamps (see wiring diagram below).On switch on. The bulbs brighten over 30 secs and then switch the fluorescents on, the bulbs then fade out leaving the fluorescent on until switch off time when the bulbs brighten to full again, switch off the fluorescents and then fade out over 30 mins. This unit operates up to 400 watts fo standard Filament or Halogen bulbs on the dimming cirucit and can switch up to a maximum of 3 x 5 foot or 5 x 4 foot single fluorescent tube fittings. If you need more capacity, please contact us to discuss your requirements.

 

[Outlaw Pete 2,224]

you got a timer sorted pete ....?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pete don't f**k about, where his creatures are concerned, mate!

[taz2010 1,297]

nice one mate

[the_stig 6,614]

have you got birds yet pete ?

[Outlaw Pete 2,224]

Stigger; No, mate. I'm into this new, 'Zen Minimalist' thing, see? Ye set up the whole thing, just like ye had birds. Then, ye just feel their spirits, see?

 

It's pretty cool. Saves all that shit with seed on the floor and the noise

[the_stig 6,614]

Stigger; No, mate. I'm into this new, 'Zen Minimalist' thing, see? Ye set up the whole thing, just like ye had birds. Then, ye just feel their spirits, see?

 

It's pretty cool. Saves all that shit with seed on the floor and the noise

 

Stigger; No, mate. I'm into this new, 'Zen Minimalist' thing, see? Ye set up the whole thing, just like ye had birds. Then, ye just feel their spirits, see?

 

It's pretty cool. Saves all that shit with seed on the floor and the noise

ye daft fooker

[mule1943 291]

Stigger; No, mate. I'm into this new, 'Zen Minimalist' thing, see? Ye set up the whole thing, just like ye had birds. Then, ye just feel their spirits, see?

 

It's pretty cool. Saves all that shit with seed on the floor and the noise

[Outlaw Pete 2,224]

Well, That all went tits f**king up, didn't it?

 

Rolled back into the shop, bracing myself for the bill. They tell me; Their man can get me a four foot FS strip. But, they're €25.00 a pop. " And, he reckons the price of the starters for them is ridiculously expensive. He suggested ye just use FS Bulbs. "

 

Gary, the resident spark, in my local, soon put me right there. Reckons a strip will eat minimal watts. Bulb will suck the meter dry! F**k That!

 

So; I'm pretty much back to square f**king one. But, I don't give up that easily! I've ploughed around the bird fora and google. Picking up the strands .....

 

Arcadia are the ones. These people know their shit and Birdmen trust them.

 

Now, I have this lead: Here.

 

I figure ~ on the back of a fag packet ~ If I buy two of those. Separately. Paying postage twice? I might slide them in, beneath the swinging Customs charge of €40.00 on any item valued at over €23.00, I think it is? Probably saving myself some decent cash then. As well as f**king customs off!

 

There's an outfit in england sells them. £20.00. No idea what they want in postage. And they don't offer an email addy?!

 

Anyway: My next mission is to find out where to get the f**king Starter / Ballasts for these particular strips.

 

I'm shattered, right now. Just haven't got the Ooomph to be doing another, major, google scan.

 

Anyone here know shit, please? Do these, Arcadia FS strips need anything more than an ordinary starter?

[stevemac 415]

A bit of a language barrier but is it florescent tubes that you are after. if so you will need fittings that use a filament transformer to be able to dim them. normal flro fittings do not dim. It is a much easier set up to just use a normal globe I don't know how long you would be running the light Pete but we only use them a couple of hours in the morning to lengthen the day light hours.

[fireman 10,774]

I know feck all about electrics and what not but i do know that sodium lights that are used on lighting building,yards etc all have ballast pack in them and i have A LONG TIME AGO stripped them down and seperated the light from the ballast myself so you have a light weight bulb holder to hang above some sort of plants plants .Maybe these are also the right sort of ballast pack you will need pete and maybe a localish trade lighting place or eletrictain has a old one where he's replaced it for a new set up as that's how i got some on mine in the past as well,i don't have anything like it any more so can't take pics to show you what i'm on about.

[Outlaw Pete 2,224]

Steve; Check Taz's post. Second one in this thread. I have one of those

 

Now, I just need to confirm that Arcadia lights don't need this extra special sort of starter that I once caught a passing mention of. Maybe that's what the supplier in town was talking about, see?

 

I would say that I used to keep creatures before that liked a flo strip. They were probably Arcadia's. And ye just bought a little grey box, in the same pet shop, and away ye went. No terrible expenses or fuss there.

[Outlaw Pete 2,224]

Fireman; You're going way over my head there, mate! Much as I can do to plug something in or change a battery!

 

Tell ye what though? If a couple of those upright stands for the strip lights we see on the buildings came my way? What a happy man I would be!

 

Getting two strips stood, vertically, in the room is going to be the last ~ and potentially most taxing ~ challenge.

 

I'll cross That bridge when I come to it. One thing at a time.

 

[byron 1,093]

just a idea pete.......

what about ebay,,them 5mtr led strips 12v/or with adapter,for 240v.. have converted all my strip lighting in my camper ..use hardly any power ..you can cut em to any length..cool white is the brightest..

[Outlaw Pete 2,224]

Ah, yeah ..... We have a time served, professional spark, on one of the bird forums. He's made it his mission in life to suss out If and How we may benefit from the LED led revolution in lighting, mate.

 

Meanwhile, birds need more than just brilliant light. It's all to do with the colour spectrum's emitted by said light. And, to my knowledge, LED's don't chuck out the requisite rays

 

Frankly? I don't even pretend to have a grasp of all this stuff. I'm just going on what the blokes who've been at it all their lives are saying. I just take their bottom line. And that is Full Spectrum.