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» Willy World » Members History » Forum Life Archive 2005 » Full spectrum light for the winter blues

   
Author Topic: Full spectrum light for the winter blues
obywan59
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Weezie,you don't have to buy a specially designed light to get full spectrum light in your home, You can purchase individual light bulbs to replace some of the standard light bulbs you already have.

I have three full spectrum bulbs. One in my bedroom, one in the bathroom, and one over my dinner table.

Real goods has them for 75 watt for $8.50 or 100 watt for $9.00. (under AC lighting)

www.realgoods.com

This place has them for $9.99.

www.full-spectrum-light-bulbs.com

I bought mine from Real Goods, but I would probably try the other type if I bought more. It looks like they might be better. They take less energy.

These bulbs last a really long time. I've had mine for 10 years.

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Terry

May the force be with you

From: Copper Hill, Virginia | Registered: Apr 2004  |  IP: Logged
afgreyparrot
Official Problem Child


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I have full-spectrum lighting in every room of the house...
...I have to because of Lola.
African Greys need the sunlight because they are prone to calcium deficiency, and something in the sunlight changes the somethingorother in the calcium she takes to make it do whatever it's supposed to do for her. (I know, I missed my calling as a scientist!) [Big Grin] [Embarrassed]
I had one light above her cage...and realized that since she was never in her cage [nutz] the light wasn't doing much good, so I put them all over the house. Some of them were pretty expensive...the T-12 bulbs I ordered from a pet supply place were outrageous, but they last a long time.
But I have a lot of the bulbs Terry is talking about, and they are great...and you can put plants all over the place and not have to worry about them being in front of a window. All kinds of good benefits to those lights! [thumb]


Cindy Sue

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Buckle up! It makes it harder for the aliens to suck you out of your car!

Registered: Mar 2004  |  IP: Logged
plants 'n pots
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Interesting, Cindy. Thanks, Terry!

Cindy, where do you purchase your bulbs?
I'd rather not order them online if I don't have to...

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From: Rockland County, NY | Registered: Nov 2003  |  IP: Logged
afgreyparrot
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Lynne...I order mine online...because I don't like to go out much.
I did see some full-spectrum lights in Wal-Mart a few months ago...but I didn't even look at them to see if they were the "true" full-spectrum ones.

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Buckle up! It makes it harder for the aliens to suck you out of your car!

Registered: Mar 2004  |  IP: Logged
peppereater
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I think Lowe's may have at least the t-12 types...at least, FI think I've seen them there. [wavey]
From: norman, ok | Registered: Apr 2005  |  IP: Logged
melcon6
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Are these lights you're all talking about for plants or SAD??? Or both?

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY CINDY!!!!!!!

From: Coastal Maine | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged
melcon6
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Are they regular bulbs that fit into your standard lamp?? Will a lampshade over the light defeat the purpose? Or are you talking tube lights, like flourescent??

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY CINDY!!!!!!!

From: Coastal Maine | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged
afgreyparrot
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Mel...I have both kinds...the tube flourescent ones and the screw in kind. When I first got Lola I ordered them out of a Parrot magazine, and paid $60. for one stinking bulb, and almost a hundred bucks for a 2' fixture with one flourescent bulb to go over her cage. Of course, that was over 7 years ago, and they weren't as common as they are now...but I should have at least got a kiss first. [Embarrassed] [lala]

Anyway.....I have the bulbs in standard lamps with shades, I have them in lamps without shades, I have the 4' tube fixtures hanging from the ceiling (yes, they are ugly when you buy them, but you can paint the fixtures, put fabric over them, etc. to make them look nice!). I just counted the ones in this room I'm in...I have 11 bulbs in here (standard fixtures, ceiling and lamps) and three 4' tube fixtures with 2 bulbs in each of them. (This is the room Lola spends most of her time in.)

No wonder I hate to go anywhere! [Big Grin]
I have "Happy Lights" [grin] all over the place here!

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Registered: Mar 2004  |  IP: Logged
afgreyparrot
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Mel...I just looked at my lights and realized that most of them are T-8 (the flourescent tubes that are not as big around as regular tubes) but some are T-12. Main brands I have are Vita-Lite and Arcadia Bird Lights...but I'm sure they just charged me double because they knew I'd get sucked in because it said "bird" on the ad! [Big Grin]
Any full spectrum light is just as good as one that says it's for parrots!

You oughtta get some...at least for the room you spend the most time in. They make everything look "normal". [nutz] Well, not really normal around here, but they give off a crisp clean sunshine light instead of a creepy yellow light.

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Registered: Mar 2004  |  IP: Logged
Bestofour
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Light makes a huge difference. We've been talking about replacing the fixture in our kitchen because it's kind of dim. I'm going to try these bulbs.

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From: Monroe, NC | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged
plants 'n pots
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I just came back from the bookstore and grocery store - man, are the crazy drivers out there today!!!

Anyway... the grocery store had some store brand bulbs that said full spectrum, and Sylvania brand that also said it. But, they only had up to 60 watts, and I prefer 100. Do you know if they are actually made in 100 watts?

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From: Rockland County, NY | Registered: Nov 2003  |  IP: Logged
obywan59
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I looked on the Real Goods home page and they have a link to their customer service where you can get a phone number to call in your order if you prefer not to order online. I didn't see any way to contact the company at the full-spectrum-light-bulbs site though.

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Terry

May the force be with you

From: Copper Hill, Virginia | Registered: Apr 2004  |  IP: Logged
Fernie
Snow Bunny


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I bought a whole lamp for about $100 several years ago. It does not go with my decor. So I get the bulbs at Home Depot now and use it in my regular lighting all over the place. It really helps.

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From: The Idaho Boonies | Registered: Apr 2005  |  IP: Logged
obywan59
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Lynne,

Yes, the full-spectrum-light-bulb site I mentioned above has a 26 watt compact flourescent that gives the equivalent light of a 105 watt incandescent. Try looking at Lowes or Home Depot, or maybe even your local hardware store.

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Terry

May the force be with you

From: Copper Hill, Virginia | Registered: Apr 2004  |  IP: Logged
plants 'n pots
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Thanks, Terry! Will do...!

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From: Rockland County, NY | Registered: Nov 2003  |  IP: Logged
obywan59
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I wish I could just let my figs grow into trees, but it's too cold for them here.

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Terry

May the force be with you

From: Copper Hill, Virginia | Registered: Apr 2004  |  IP: Logged
obywan59
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Oops! I meant to post that in Gardener's Chat.

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Terry

May the force be with you

From: Copper Hill, Virginia | Registered: Apr 2004  |  IP: Logged
tkhooper
Official Blabber Mouth


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Thankyou for the links those are good deals and I plan on getting some for my light fixtures. It sure would be nice to have my plants spread out some lol.

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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005  |  IP: Logged
comfrey
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It never accured to me to get full spectrum bulbs for all of the light fixtures in the house....That would mean I could have more house plants, since all of my window sills are full. Thanks for the info!!

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From: Arkansas | Registered: Jul 2005  |  IP: Logged
mrsmessy
Super Gardener


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I bought mine at Costco.

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Bev

From: Georgia | Registered: Jul 2005  |  IP: Logged
Triss
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Just got sent to this thread and wanted to ask are there different kinds of full spectrum lights? Someone mentions a "true" full-spectrum and I want to be sure I get the right thing for plants. Are some bulbs billed as full-spectrum when in reality they are not?

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From: Washington, the state that is... | Registered: Aug 2004  |  IP: Logged
JV
Critter Keeper


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Triss the ones I have say full spectrum at least I don't remember anything about true written on the package and writting on the bulb base is too small for me to see. But all my animals are more active and alert since I started useing them and the colors come out great on my birds and you have seen the photo's of my plants. I am working on having nothing but them through out the house. The Ifgaina's have to have a light that puts out more heat to go along withthier heater so I will keep 4 100 watt regular bulbs over their cage. Have a good night everyone I really am going to bed now.
Jimmy

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From: Irving,Tx. | Registered: Aug 2004  |  IP: Logged
Triss
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Thanks for that Jimmy. I will be looking for those light next time I hit the hardware store.

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From: Washington, the state that is... | Registered: Aug 2004  |  IP: Logged
   

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