Solar Powered Dippy Birds

[theonelinerkid]

id like one of those solar bulb things on my windowsill in my flat it would look cute

[t00nz843z]

Well it's over 5 years now (approaching 6), and they're still bobbing away in my windowsill. Their hat's have become brittle from UV and have fallen off, but the rest of the birdies are still fine and still doing their thing every day.

[elbarck]

@t00nz843z May you refer you me the full details about that idea or any other ideas....

[SouthSierraHikers]

No, these are self starting. The sun rises and warms the bulbs, and they eventually start tipping on their own.

[artformnation]

you must have to get them started each morning, right?

[ManEatingLunchBox]

WOW, i bought both of those from thinkgeek.

[01Slayer10]

What is the name of the middle one?

i've seen that one before :o

[t00nz843z]

That's called a "radiometer", another neat light powered toy. And if you look to the far left, you'll see a "hand boiler" also known as a "love meter" that I've also converted to solar power by spray painting the bottom bulb black.

[t00nz843z]

By the way, they're both still happily dipping away in my windowsill for over 4 years now !

[t00nz843z]

If there's a temperature difference between the two bulbs, the bird will keep dipping. Normally the top felt-covered bulb is dipping into water. It will be cooler because of water evaporation. But this will also work equally well if you make the bottom bulb warmer without even wetting the top bulb. In the video, the sun is warming the bottom bulb as it's painted black and absorbing the sun's heat.

[ichmili]

Ok, but you dont explain what makes the bird tilt back up after it has tilted down.

I'm just curiouse =)

[jeremylim123]

i thought these works with water

[donteatmyflesh]

Wow! That's awesome!

[t00nz843z]

I spray painted the bottom bulbs with Krylon Fusion black spray paint. Any black spray paint should work well, but Krylon Fusion is made for plastics and is less likely to run on glass.