RE: Dimmers

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Philip Brinkman" <peeceebee-at-mindspring-dot-com> 

O.K., You got me curious... I took apart my dimmer, it has a linear
variable resister... resistance lowers voltage, or so I learned in
electronics 101, this is how the volume control for your radio works, I
don't know what a triac dimmer is, I don't have an ossciliscope, to measure
wave form, all I know is it works perfectly on my neon sign transformer. I
made a jacobs ladder, the arg length varies, I use it on my tesla coil, the
spark length varies. I'll buy a voltmeter to check it out, but I'm pretty
sure the volts go down as the resistance goes up.


 > [Original Message]
 > From: Tesla list <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 > To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 > Date: 11/24/2003 8:24:36 PM
 > Subject: RE: Dimmers
 >
 > Original poster: "Daniel Barrett" <dbarrett1-at-austin.rr-dot-com>
 >
 > 	Hi Jim-
 > 	The rate doesn't change, the phase angle changes. If the dimmer is at
50%,
 > the output will be off for the first 90 degrees of the of the AC waveform,
 > on for the second quadrant, off for the 3rd, etc. As you vary one from
full
 > on to full off, the firing angle becomes later in the cycle.
 > db
 >
 >
 >
 > -----Original Message-----
 > From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
 > Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 6:28 PM
 > To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
 > Subject: Re: Dimmers
 >
 >
 > Original poster: "Jim Mitchell" <Wrenchead-at-starband-dot-net>
 >
 > Correct me if im wrong but dont triac dimmers just fire at varying rates
to
 > make somthing appear dimmer since the filament of a light bulb never does
 > extinguish instantly, and that little resistor just changes the firing
rate,
 > right?  So if you put it on an NST which it probably wouldn't like much
 > since its an inductive load, wouldn't you just get pulses out of the NST
at
 > the SAME VOLTAGE AND CURRENT?  As when I measure the output of a triac
 > dimmer, it is always 120v, contrary to popular belife, these don't lower
the
 > line voltage and don't like inductive loads.
 >
 > Regards - Jim Mitchell
 > ----- Original Message -----
 > From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 > To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 > Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 6:00 PM
 > Subject: RE: Dimmers
 >
 >
 >   > Original poster: "Philip Brinkman" <peeceebee-at-mindspring-dot-com>
 >   >
 >   > I've been using an $8.00 lamp dimmer with attached cord on my Allanson
 >   > 15,000 volt 60ma
 >   > transformer for the past two months, It works great, it even has a
built
 > in
 >   > RF filter. It does get slightly warm when running for long periods...
if
 > I
 >   > have to buy a new one in a year or so..so what?. It has an attaced 6'
 > cord,
 >   > on off switch, and lets me control the power from a safe distance.
Plus
 > it
 >   > has a plastic case and switches. Just plug and go!
 >   >
 >   >
 >   >  > [Original Message]
 >   >  > From: Tesla list <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 >   >  > To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 >   >  > Date: 11/23/2003 7:48:38 PM
 >   >  > Subject: Dimmers
 >   >  >
 >   >  > Original poster: davep <davep-at-quik-dot-com>
 >   >  >
 >   >  >
 >   >  > >I was about to reply with "No, a dimmer just won't work with an
NST".
 >   >  > >This question has been asked often on this List and that's the
usual
 >   >  > >response.
 >   >  >
 >   >  >          ...and its mostly right.
 >   >  >
 >   >  > >  But since I happened to have a dimmer and had never
 >   >  > >personally tried it, I thought I would.
 >   >  >
 >   >  > >I was surprised to find that it did work - mostly.
 >   >  >
 >   >  >          ...and for how long.
 >   >  >          May things will work for briefish periods of time that
will
 >   >  >          work a lot less well for extended periods.
 >   >  >
 >   >  >          and each design of dimmers varies...
 >   >  >
 >   >  >          best
 >   >  >          dwp
 >   >  >
 >   >  >
 >   >
 >   >
 >   >
 >