By Robbie Harris
Some years ago, you wrote an article on wireless headphones. You said you wore them as you hand-fed your baby birds. I think you said the brand was Recoton headphones. I looked in different stores, but I cannot find them. I am starting to hand-feed lots of babies and think this would be helpful for me to use, too. Where can I find these headphones?
That is an excellent question, especially with bird breeding season now here. Unfortunately, Recoton no longer makes those great headphones. I have two pairs and, thank goodness, both are still working great. Recently, I needed to change the battery, which was fairly easy after the company helped me find a battery that would work in the headphones. My old wireless headphones use a cordless phone battery, and they helped me locate one that would fit and work well with my headphones. This is when I was informed by the Recoton personnel that they no longer make wireless headphones with the Recoton label.
But, not to worry, there are others out there that can be found. Many of the electronic stores, like Circuit City, Best Buy and even Sears, sell wireless headphones. Even though I have not tried any of the other brands, I am pretty sure they should work much the same. I have checked them out, and the big difference is that they do not come with a chargeable battery, as the Recoton did. The new ones use AA batteries. This can be costly, especially if you are going to use them like me, for hours per day.
So here is what to do. Buy a Rayovac or Sears battery charger, and get the right size nickel metal hydride batteries. These batteries can be charged 100s of times, some even over a 1,000 times, and last for a year or more — at least ours do. I use these batteries for all my needs now, like flashlights and egg candlers. I keep at least two sets of batteries for things I use daily, so when one set needs replacing, the second set is charged and ready to use. By using these batteries, you will save lots of money. A set of four nickel metal hydride batteries cost almost the same as a set of regular batteries, which lose their charge in just a few days with excessive use. A charger is usually less than $20 and should last for years. Make sure you get the right charger for the right batteries, and you'll be in business!
As for the headphones, I could not function without mine. They help me keep my sanity. All those screaming babies are toned down, plus I get to hear my favorite TV show or radio program, or even book-on-tape. The best thing with a wireless headphone set is that it is comfortable, and helps to block out the babies as they demand their food, loudly, and it is completely wireless. It also helps pass the time as I feed lots of chicks. Most wireless headphones should have a range of more than 100 feet. Sometimes I even wear my headset outside as I garden!
Try to purchase your pair from a store that will take it back, just in case you do not like the headphones. Sears is great with that, and some other stores are the same. I would ask before you buy. You never know, there could be a few people that do not like wearing headphones. So if you can try first, that would be best. Again, I could not work daily with all these babies without my headphones; they have been a real lifesaver for me, as well as people I have heard from over the years.
Generator vs. Backup Battery
I have read what you have written about backup batteries, which kick on as soon as the electricity goes out. I need one that will last for more than just a few hours. With these temporary blackouts in California, we have been without power for many hours. And, sometimes, with bad weather, we lose power for longer than a few hours. Which batteries can last a day or so?
You are right to be concerned, because most computer backup batteries will only last a few hours on a small incubator or brooder. If you are running just a single brooder or incubator, it can run for about four hours — at least my backup battery lasted that long once. A backup battery is mainly used for those unexpected times you lose power for an hour or so, or when you are out shopping and the power goes out and you are not there to do anything.
As I have stated, our incubators and brooders are on computer backup batteries. If I call the power company and they let me know it could be hours until electricity is going to be back on, then we move into "Phase 2," which is generators.
Generators may be what you need with your brooders and incubators. We have two generators, and one is more than 10 years old and still going strong! My generators are small ones, only about 300 to 500 watts, but this works well for all my heat pads, brooders and incubators. I can run quite a few incubators and heat pads for many hours on these two small generators. A good generator can be purchased at most any home center store, like Home Depot or Lowes. They can cost anywhere from just a few hundred dollars on up, depending on the size (watts).
To run some incubators and brooders, you really only need a small generator. My small 300-watt generator can run a couple of heat pads and an incubator for about four hours until it needs the gas tank refilled. They use regular gasoline, so a can of gas would have to be kept somewhere safe on hand to run a generator. If you lose power often, and for many hours at a time, it may be best for you to invest in a generator that would work for your situation. Go to your home center and discuss this with a knowledgeable person and get all the details on the different kinds they have. Then get the one that would work best for you.
My little generator cost me more than $300 years ago. Now, you can purchase an 1,850 watt generator for about $400. Some of the larger 5,000-watt generators have large 5-gallon gas tanks that can run eight hours on 50 percent power use. That is many hours of use. These large generators cost about $600. To run a generator you must be home to get it powered up, and you must have the generator outdoors. You should be prepared to use the generator by keeping a long extension cord on hand and, possibly, power boards with four to six outlets for what may need to be plugged in. The backup batteries are good for when you are not home, or for when the power goes out and you need time to get a generator revved up and working.
Robbieharris.com
Robbie Harris has a Web site so people can easily get in touch with her. She will post things she learns that may be of some importance to others, such as hoax e-mails. Questions for her Bird Breeder column can be sent through her Web site: www.robbieharris.com . She will answer questions that seem to be the most frequently asked and those that will help many.
Robbie Harris raises a wide variety of exotic birds at her home in Southern California. She has written two books, Breeding Conures and Grey-Cheeked Parakeets and Other Brotogeris, and owns and raises a large variety of African parrots, including greys, Jardine's, Capes, Senegals, red bellies, brown heads and Meyer's. Harris has received seven U.S. First Breeding Awards for various types of psittacines.