There is no need to create separate threads when the subject is about those so-called easy orchids, Phalaenopsis.
Why are you in such a rush to fiddle and repot? Tell the people here more about the conditions in your kitchen, especially the aspect and how much light you get.
As far as the pots go, there is a school of thought that a closely related orchid, Sarcochilus might do better in a clear pot.
Again, there are two schools of thought on spag as a potting material. Some people get great results with it and think it wonderful, other growers hate it with a passion.
Do not worry about the orchid being over-potted, that is being than the orchid being under-potted.

Hello arthrum! TY for reponding. Maybe part of my repotting fever is because I figure my previous orchids may have died due to a potting issue. (Frankly I am not even sure what I did/didn't do with those plants/pots anymore). Also one of the orchids I just bought had very wet, really hard packed, and perhaps a bit degraded sphag. The other was in sphag that was just nicely packed and looked to be in a relatively good stage of freshness.
I live in a mobile home near San Jose CA. I only have one window that isn't seriously shaded due to over hangs of about 8 foot wide on both long sides of my home and one other side has a dense shade tree. That leaves me with a huge kitchen window. It faces north, which might not be totally bad but there is a light colored awning with slats (which probably lets in a little more light) over that window. The kitchen is pretty bright in the daytime. There is also another window on a perpendicular wall. If forced to, I realize I may end up needing supplemental lighting but I'm hoping to try without first.
I am concerned about things being potentially too wet with sphag and am thinking about 'peanuts' or bark to keep the center a little dryer. There is so much variation in what people find successful that all the reading I've done on the net may actually be making me more confused than anything. And so may kinds of pots. And I'm finding to order pots on line the S&H is rediculous for little plastic pots. I'm searching for pots locally but it looks dismal so far.
Sorry to be so long winded. I appreciate your willingness to help and that of the other kind people in this forum. I hope I don't drive you all crazy with my questions and confusions. By the way, could you define the terms 'over-potted' and 'under-potted' for me? :)

Part of the confusion is the environment in which the plant grows. Growers adapt their potting/watering methods to deal with the conditions under which the plant grows. In your case, if you feel the plants are not drying out fast enough, sphag might not be the best media. If your humidity is very low, sphag might be best. It all depends on your house, air movement and light.

Trust your judgement. I grew my plants in NY to deal with very dry, low-light conditions during the winter months. Now that we are in Florida, I have changed my potting mix to a looser, dryer mix. My light is much stronger now, so the Phals can grow further from the window. The temps are high so I keep the Phals indoors as they began to fade in the high heat.

Its all a balance. Only you can judge your growing room and try to meet the needs of your plants accordingly.

Best thing to do is just watch your plants and try to tell if they look happy...making roots, leaves, looking good. If not, you need to change something. Only you can figure that out.

Jane

ty Jane. Your specific info about your changing needs based on location has really helped me put this into perspective.

Here is a photo of orchids, some under-potted and some on mounts.
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You could grow a Phalaenopsis on a mount provided you had them in a glass-house set for Phalaenopsis conditions. The micro-climate provided for the orchids in the photo is not suitable for Phalaenopsis.

Thank you arthrum....I'm calming down a little about this thanks to the help of wonderful forum members. You all are a Godsend! Having my orchids on my kitchen windowsill in clay pots with loose sphagnum seems to be a decent solution for now. It's so nice to have them right by the sink because I see them everyday and the water supply is right there. Hopefully they'll continue to be happy.

You can also execute a 180 degree turn and look at things from another perspective. I had a lengthy discussion with James Rose, proprietor of Cal Orchids about the 'correct' media. His position, and I totally agree with him is that orchids in nature don't grow in things like pots, they grow on things like tree branches. The moment you shove an orchid into a pot you are already violating it's natural way of growing. He said 'It all works, depends on how you water'.

Anything you wish to choose to grow them in is equally good (or in reality, not good). So choose your poison. They will do equally well in Sphagnum moss, bark, coconut, rock wool, certain types of rock or anything else you wish to try. Success or failure is not determined by the material but by the correct way to water for the material you choose. Your watering needs to get all the roots wet followed by drying to a degree before repeating the cycle. By knowing the material you are growing things in and choosing the interval and intensity of watering you are really determining whether the plant will thrive.

I have seen Phals thrive in moss, bark or rock. I grow Masdies in moss, shredded redwood, bark or coconut. As long as you water them correctly, the stuff you shove them into is not important. Masdies, Dracs, Pleuros like it wet, Dendrobiums and Catts like to dry between watering. Again, the type of material they are in does not matter, recognizing their intrinsic need and watering accordingly (modified by the material, moss requiring less frequent watering than rock for example) does.

Nick

Nick, ty for the good info!