Re: X10 dimming

["Timothy Morris" <timmorris@xxxxxxx>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Raymond [mailto:Reb.barnett@xxxxxxx]
> Sent: 30 March 1999 15:38
> To: 'ukha_d@xxxxxxx'
> Subject: [ukha_d] Re: X10 dimming
>
>
> I checked my halogen uplighter last night, and on it's dimmest setting
> the filament still glows slightly. This leaves me in a bit of
> a quandry:
> either the dimmer is really clever and implements the 'pre-heat'
> facility Keith describes, thus prolonging the filament life (at the
> expense of my electricity bill!); OR, the filaments are running hot
> enough for the tungsten to gradually evaporate but cool enough to
> condense on the glass (as described by Nigel previously),
> thus reducing
> the life of the filaments if I run the lamp like this for any serious
> amount of time...
>
Interesting, it doesn't use a Dimmable in-line bulb does it? (4" long
tube).
These don't seem to need much power to start them up.
>
> On a similar note, Tim Morris recently posted about Homation 2000 and
> said
> 	It does allow soft start with controllers
> 	that have to go "full on" before dimming
> How does it do that? Is it just doing it the simple way, keeping the
> light barely on, or is them some much cleverer process...

Nothing clever in how it controls the lamp. It just has a combination of
macros and events, and rather than (as with ActiveHome) set the value in
10%
steps, it allows dimming down to minimum, and up to maximum in response to
an X-10 input.

I have used it to set up a number of "scenes" which set circuits
to
different levels based on the scene selected. You could, if you wanted, set
a timer to turn all lights to full off after a certain time or period of
inactivity (or both), and a corresponding timer to set lights to minimum
dim
at dusk. Perhaps it would be easier to get someone to produce an advanced
dimmer for the UK?

Tim.

>
> Ray Barnett.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:	keith.doxey@xxxxxxx
> [SMTP:keith.doxey@xxxxxxx]
> > Sent:	29 March 1999 23:47
> > To:	REB.Barnett@xxxxxxx
> > Subject:	[ukha_d] Re: X10 dimming
> >
> > Adding to Nigels comments about the dimmer passing little or no
> > current at
> > its lowest setting.
> >
> > Most good commercial dimmer packs used in the entertainment
industry
> > have a
> > feature called "Pre-Heat" which basically does what you
are
> > describing. The
> > dimmer passes just enough current to keep the filaments warm to
> > eliminate
> > the surge when the lamp is turned on. There is no detremental
effect
> > to the
> > dimmer as long as it has an adequate heatsink to disipate any
heat
> > produced.
> > There is a positive effect on the lamps in that they last
> much longer
> > due to
> > being pre warmed.
> >
> > You may notice a slight increase in power consumption as the
circuit
> > would
> > be consuming a few watts at all times.
> >
> > A way around the constant consumption would be to actually turn
the
> > lamp off
> > at times when it was not going to be used. For example, if
> you have a
> > home
> > theatre but only ever use the room between 7pm and 1 am then
control
> > the
> > module like this
> > 6:45pm Lamp On, dim down to zero
> > 7 pm to 1 am use the module as you want with the simulated
> soft start
> > 1:15am Lamp Off until 6:45 the following night when you set
> it up for
> > soft
> > start again.
> >
> > Hope that helps
> >
> > Keith
> >
> > Keith Doxey
> > http://www.btinternet.com/~krazy.keith
> > Krazy Keith's World of DIY HomeAutomation
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Nigel Orr [mailto:nigel.orr@xxxxxxx]
> > > Sent: 29 March 1999 09:42
> > > To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> > > Subject: [ukha_d] Re: X10 dimming
> > >
> > >
> > > At 11:00 26/03/99 -0000, you wrote:
> > >
> > <SNIP>
> > > >I'm concerned because I don't properly know how the
> > > >dimmer works, and I do know that the cold resistance of
lights is
> > very
> > > >low, and hence am I pumping loads of current through the
> bulb when
> > I
> > > >think it is off? If current is flowing, is it likely to
> reduce the
> > life
> > > >of the bulb and will it kill the dimmer?
> > >
> > > The dimmer works by switching on the mains at a variable
> time after
> > each
> > > half-cycle starts, and switching it off at the end of the
> > half-cycle.  0%
> > > means the dimmer switches on at the end of the
> half-cycle, and 100%
> > means
> > > it switches on at the beginning of the half-cycle.  50%
means it
> > switches
> > > on at the peak of the supplied voltage, the sudden switching
> > > action is what
> > > makes dimmers electrically and acoustically noisiest at 50%.
> > >
> > > As for the dimmer, it depends how well it is designed...
> there are 3
> > > scenarios:
> > > 1) It is fully dimmed down, so it will not supply current to
the
> > light.
> > > If that is the case, the dimmer will still be dissipating a
small
> > > amount of
> > > heat, so its lifetime may be reduced slightly, but if it
doesn't
> > feel warm
> > > after 24 hours, it's probably not going to have much effect.
> > > 2) It is supplying about 10% of power
> > > If that is the case, it probably will get 'tired' more
quickly
> > > 3) It is 'intelligent' and goes into some sort of standby
> mode when
> > dimmed
> > > to minimum.
> > > If that is the case, it's 'designed' to run at minimum
power, and
> > > so should
> > > have no problems...
> > >
> > >
> > > Which _is_ a good thing for tungsten and tungsten/halogen
lights.
> > >
> > > Nigel
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
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