saturation operational linearity

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Jim Mora" <jmora@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Steve, All,

The math benders may be able to confirm this, but maybe the 
proportionality of iron to windings and flux have something to do 
with the way a MOT acts for instance and suddenly saturates at some 
critical voltage. I want to believe that it is possible to have a 
somewhat linear control of a ballast, else what would be the point? 
On or off. I would go the other way and used double ganged 1256d's in 
series starting at max inductance and turning down, and one in normal 
config to control the voltage. People do this, yes?

This is not to say that a solid state like ballast somewhat linear 
can't be done. I don't do heavy well. Sounds cool to me! Go for it!

My first Electronics teacher said "I can't imagine a chunk of silicon 
that will ever dissipate more than a couple hundred watts." "The 
8080a Cookbook" forward stated that: "the authors never could imagine 
microprocessors being used for much more than smart thermostats and 
that sort of thing."

Build it a one or two "U" 19" though, I'm running out of rack space :-))

Regards to All,
Jim Mora