Introduction: Light Pole for Treating SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder, Or, the Winter Blues)

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With winter coming on, the amount of sunlight you can get every day diminishes rapidly. People in the northern states tend to stay indoors more. This is a nice way to have a taste of bright sunlight and the warmth of the tropics. This picture is severely f-stopped down so you can see the construction of it.

Step 1: You Will Need:

A stand -- I used the bottom half of an old floor lamp.

Cable ties

A power strip -- be sure to get one that has enough space between the outlets.

8 "Natural" or "Daylight" light bulbs - 100 watt

4 dual sockets for light bulbs (two bulbs screw into this to go into one socket)

4 socket-to-plug adapters

Step 2: Assemble.

Attach the power strip to the pole with the cable ties. Screw in the light bulbs (how many people does it take, anyway? - :) ) and plug into the power strip.

Step 3: Turn On!!!

Enjoy your mini tropical vacation!!

Step 4: Important Notes.

1. Make sure your wiring can handle an extra 800 watts from one outlet. Don't put more than 1500 watts on one circuit (normally).

2. These get HOT!! If you have pets or kids be very careful not to let them get anywhere near it.

3. Keep away from curtains and walls.

Addendum: With the super bright compact florescent bulbs out now, you can bump each one up to a 250-watt equivalent with much less of a power draw. Heat is also much less of a factor. However, this type takes some time to warm up to full brightness.

Step 5: Additional Notes:

Of course, you can vary the number of bulbs and wattage by using different types and power strips.

I have two of these. One I have hooked up to an appliance timer. It is set to my wake-up time. Believe me, there is nothing that will wake you up quicker than being blinded by 800 watts of brightness in one second! It's a bright way to start the day and I usually wake up laughing because it's kind of ridiculous. Or else because it reminds me of Boot Camp...