Hanging featherbrite, what height to hang at?

[Kiwibird]

So hubby really wants more open space in the living room and that means making Kiwi's area more efficient. One thing he wants done is to get rid of the cage top featherbrite fixture and hang the bulb above the cage instead (so we don't have the lamp on the floor with when not in use). We have a nice hanging fixture to put the bulb in, but are wondering what height above the cage would be good for him to get the benefits of the lamp without it getting in his way?

And yes, I do know the pros and cons of the 'sun' lamps. We've been using one for a while and Kiwi seems to enjoy his

 

[SailBoat]

So hubby really wants more open space in the living room and that means making Kiwi's area more efficient. One thing he wants done is to get rid of the cage top featherbrite fixture and hang the bulb above the cage instead (so we don't have the lamp on the floor with when not in use). We have a nice hanging fixture to put the bulb in, but are wondering what height above the cage would be good for him to get the benefits of the lamp without it getting in his way?

And yes, I do know the pros and cons of the 'sun' lamps. We've been using one for a while and Kiwi seems to enjoy his

There is wide disagreements as to the distance between the light source and the 'Parrot' as to the effectiveness of the 'Sunlight' spectrum of the light source. From a safety point of view there are a couple areas of agreement:

1. Assure that the light source is not so close or placed in such a way as for the Parrot /Animal /Human (child) to be able to contact either the fixture or bulb. This is more an issue of being burnt or injured by either the fixture or the bulb.
2. The light source should be placed with enough distances as to limit the likelihood of blindness by the light source.

Sadly, other than that general statement, there is no set distance(s). This likely due to the variation of type of light sources and the 'Watt' output of a specific light source. Example: A directional 'Spot' style light bulb, compared to a traditional style light bulb and lastly compared to a 36" (915 mm) tube style light bulb with each rated a 60 Watts will have very different distances from the light source.

Recommendations: Do not use the directional 'Spot' style light source as the safe distance is likely measured in multiple feet (meters). This as a result of the reflection cone as part of its design to direct (spot) the light. Light sources with a much wider coverage could be set much closer. Test: With a 60 Watt light source ON (not recommended with a directional 'Spot' style light bulb) and starting at 24" (610 mm) a 36" (915 mm) tube style light will be generally comfortable to look at by a Human, where as a traditional style like bulb will be more comfortable at nearer to 36" (915 mm) from the light source. As the light sources Watt classification increases so will the distances.

My Two Cents:

I would not place a light source closer than 36" (915 mm) to a mid - larger Parrot. They are just to clever for their own good!

With the wide availability of 'Sunlight' spectrum LED lights in standard /traditional light bulb style and their overall lower operating costs. Replacing all the traditional light bulb in the 'Bird' room with those LED lights is recommended. This would eliminate 'special' positioned fixtures and provide the same 'Sunlight' spectrum light thought-out the room.

NOTE: Many USA Utilities are off-setting the cost of LED light bulbs at point of purchase. I am seeing over a fifty percent reduction is costs on standard 60 Watt Sunlight and Softlight LED Light bulbs. This is commonly found at the Big Box Stores! But I have seen it at larger Hardware Stores.

 

[Kiwibird]

I know there's a lot of controversy about them. I don't know if it actually "helps" him in any way, but I do know he seems to enjoy the light and will sit directly under it, especially in the winter when it is overcast and rainy out. We actually have no other lights in our living room (no joke) and Kiwi is towards the back of the room. Place is designed to allow natural lighting through the large skylights and windows, large fluorescent light fixture in the kitchen provides light at night (we are actually looking into designing a solar powered LED lighting system for the living room, but are still researching on how to do so). We have been using the featherbrite lamp for a couple years now for a couple hours a day. We plan to put it on a timer since the on/off switch for the light fixture we plan to use now will be difficult to access behind that big shower curtain behind the cage.

The fixture from Featherbrite was designed to sit directly on top of the cage (boy was bird proofing the cord on that "fun"!), so it was right on top of him. The fixture we plan to use now used to hang above my bearded dragon's tank and had actual heat producing super high wattage bulbs in it for years (actually had a professional electrician wire it to handle high wattage bulbs and it is made out of glass and iron), so the comparatively small amount of heat the featherbrite bulb puts off should be no problem at all for the fixture. Kiwi is not flighted and I don't foresee any way he could ever access a hanging fixture, much less a domed one with nothing to grip onto.

3' feet (just a little down from the ceiling) sounds about what I was thinking, but wanted to be sure it would be close enough for him to still enjoy his bulb

 

[SailBoat]

I know there's a lot of controversy about them. I don't know if it actually "helps" him in any way, but I do know he seems to enjoy the light and will sit directly under it, especially in the winter when it is overcast and rainy out. We actually have no other lights in our living room (no joke) and Kiwi is towards the back of the room. Place is designed to allow natural lighting through the large skylights and windows, large fluorescent light fixture in the kitchen provides light at night (we are actually looking into designing a solar powered LED lighting system for the living room, but are still researching on how to do so). We have been using the featherbrite lamp for a couple years now for a couple hours a day. We plan to put it on a timer since the on/off switch for the light fixture we plan to use now will be difficult to access behind that big shower curtain behind the cage.

The fixture from Featherbrite was designed to sit directly on top of the cage (boy was bird proofing the cord on that "fun"!), so it was right on top of him. The fixture we plan to use now used to hang above my bearded dragon's tank and had actual heat producing super high wattage bulbs in it for years (actually had a professional electrician wire it to handle high wattage bulbs and it is made out of glass and iron), so the comparatively small amount of heat the featherbrite bulb puts off should be no problem at all for the fixture. Kiwi is not flighted and I don't foresee any way he could ever access a hanging fixture, much less a domed one with nothing to grip onto.

3' feet (just a little down from the ceiling) sounds about what I was thinking, but wanted to be sure it would be close enough for him to still enjoy his bulb

During the winter, it is possible that Kimi maybe enjoying the warmth more than the light. At around or above 3 ft. (1 meter) there would not be very much heat provided. However, the lighted area increases the further from the cage.

Solar powered light sources are become more commonplace. As you research them, one of the big issues is first gathering and second storing enough energy to provide light through the night in winter. What I have read suggests that the storage device (battery) has enough capacity to support the lighting for several days of full night usage. This based on the shorter winter day and the reduced angle of the Sun. Cloudy days also reduce changing, all of which supports the over-kill part regarding full winter night usage and multiple days capacity target. The energy collection device (Solar Panel) continue to increase in capacity nearly every year. Sadly, the 'best' units in capacity, longevity, and cost per delivered watt (I believe that is the measuring unit) are all made in China. The story behind that blunder will only cause one to see red, so I'm not going there. Another potential problem comes with what to do with excess capacity that is not uncommon during the summer when everything flips regarding charging and usage. Selling energy to the Power Utilities is not as easy as sometimes indicated.

If you're plans are a couple of years or more out. It is worth looking at upgrading the large fluorescent light fixture (I'm guessing it contains like 4 - 36" long tube lights). Unless you have replaced the bulbs when you moved in, it is likely that they are fairly old. Fluorescent Light Bulbs age and as they do, they lose the spectrum rating and their available light rating (they become duller). After four years of use, they are also costing far more to start and operate. So, consider replacing the existing tube bulbs for new fluorescent 'Sunlight' spectrum bulbs. Because of the high interest in LED Sunlight standard light bulbs, the research /manufacturing upgrades in the fluorescent bulb industry is all in the Sunlight Spectrum bulbs. Look for projected life and target buying the longest hour bulbs.

 

[Kiwibird]

The featherbrite puts off hardly any heat. I'd say it even puts off less than a regular 60 watt incandescent bulb, but it's possible being as small as he is that he's able to pick up more heat off it than would matter to us.

We are actually looking into some off-grid solar generators instead of the grid-share system (which seems really scam-y to me, at least the providers in this area, and I don't think the HOA would allow large solar panels on the roof either). We could put the solar generator panels on our patio as there is no HOA guideline against having them there. Solar living room lighting would be for our personal use and wouldn't be left when we sold the place. However, we are not even sure how well solar would work in a climate like Portland's, so we will be testing out some small solar panels on our patio to power some low-output portable LED bulbs over the winter to get an idea of what we're working with before moving any further with the solar generator idea as they are pricey and really more for our desire to reduce grid reliance than they are energy savings.

Good tip on the fluorescent fixture. No clue when the bulbs were last changed in it. It seems bright, but we have nothing to compare it to as we've never had a fixture like it before. We have already switched out the CFLs to LEDs in the fixtures that had them.

 

[SailBoat]

The featherbrite puts off hardly any heat. I'd say it even puts off less than a regular 60 watt incandescent bulb, but it's possible being as small as he is that he's able to pick up more heat off it than would matter to us.

We are actually looking into some off-grid solar generators instead of the grid-share system (which seems really scam-y to me, at least the providers in this area, and I don't think the HOA would allow large solar panels on the roof either). We could put the solar generator panels on our patio as there is no HOA guideline against having them there. Solar living room lighting would be for our personal use and wouldn't be left when we sold the place. However, we are not even sure how well solar would work in a climate like Portland's, so we will be testing out some small solar panels on our patio to power some low-output portable LED bulbs over the winter to get an idea of what we're working with before moving any further with the solar generator idea as they are pricey and really more for our desire to reduce grid reliance than they are energy savings.

Good tip on the fluorescent fixture. No clue when the bulbs were last changed in it. It seems bright, but we have nothing to compare it to as we've never had a fixture like it before. We have already switched out the CFLs to LEDs in the fixtures that had them.

The current leading solar panels will even work on cloudy days in the Winter in Portland, which is just slightly more cloudy then we are in Western Michigan. The solar generators I have seen are at least two generation behind current technology on the Panels. I am currently playing with a couple of micro solar panels and micro LEDs and have found that they are very sensitive to the direction of the panel and placement in full Sun with no shade. So far, dead vertical with a slight tilt to the South seems to provide the longest operation.

I would recommend that you look at the easy of upgrading (changing-out) the solar panels with the rest of the system. This based on the continued development of ever better solar panels. The balance of the system (switching equipment and batteries) has been stable for several years. At most slight enhancements to easy production /cost reduction. The batteries will follow the electric car market by three to five years when the technology has aged enough to allow technology sharing to non-auto applications.