Re: Halogen lights / Transformers (robots in disguise)

["Campbell" <c.macd@xxxxxxx>]

Just a thought...

I have some what I consider expensive halogen lights, with donut
transformer
and have found when dimming it can be noisy, even more so when using x10
dimmer switch or lamp module. I presume the x10 module is actually
interfering more with the "full brightness" signal than the
normal rotary
dimmer. In the end I used an appliance module and just a normal switch.

Campbell
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nigel Orr" <Nigel.Orr@xxxxxxx>
To: <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 8:59 AM
Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Halogen lights / Transformers (robots in disguise)


> At 21:08 23/06/00 +0200, you wrote:
> >Here goes - oh and by the way most of this means nothing to me but
I
*can*
> >turn off the mains and wire up modules!
>
> As no-one else has replied, I'll try to help...
>
> >Each Halogen light has a transformer 'attached'
>
> That's a little unusual, but not a bad thing, usually one transformer
does
> a couple of lights, with each one being 20W.  I presume yours are 20W,
as
> 11 x 50W ones would be _very_ bright (and hot!)
>
> >The input voltage is 230-240v @50hz the output voltage is 11.5v
[max 2m]
> >(I'm assuming that the [max 2m] means a maximum distace from the
> >transformer is 2meters(?))
>
> Yup, they might mention a cable size too (something like 1.5, 2.5 or 4
mm^2)
>
> >Electronic Transformer
>
> Are they quite small/light, or about the size of a small coffee jar
and
> heavy?  I presume the former...
>
> >20-70w
>
> That means the output voltage should be in the right range for halogen
> lights if you connect between 20W and 70W of bulbs to it (ie between 1
and
> 3 20W bulbs, or 1 50W bulb).  If the minimum power had been 40W, and
you
> only connected 1 20W bulb, then it would probably have too high a
voltage,
> and would burn out prematurely.
>
> >Dimming by leading edge
>
> That's an unusual way of putting it, but it _probably_ means that it
will
> work with a standard dimmer.  This is probably on howstuffworks too,
but
> briefly, and without the benefit of a safety net (or pictures!)...
>
> A mains dimmer works by chopping out some of the AC waveform.  The
voltage
> coming in looks like a sine wave (stop me if I'm not making sense...),
and
> the dimmer decides how high the voltage gets before it is switched
through
> to the bulb (or transformer in your case).
>
> So, if the dimmer is set to 0%, it will wait as the whole sine wave
goes
> past, and not allow any power through to the light.  At 100%, it will
let
> power through to the light the whole time.  At 50%, it will start
letting
> power through when the sine wave reaches it's peak.
>
> There is another way of dimming, which is more complex, and is
required
for
> fluorescent lights etc.  this 'spec' seems to be saying that these
> transformers are happy with 'standard' dimming.  You could phone Osram
and
> ask them if the transformers just need a 'standard' dimmer, they will
> probably be able to give a yes/no answer.
>
> >Phase control for inductive loads
>
> Probably means it's got a capacitor in it to make it 'look' like a
normal
bulb.
>
>  > anyone got any ideas here?
>
> No guarantee, as the spec on the transformer is suitably technical
sounding
> but not very meaningful, but if it was mine, I'd be happy trying one
on an
> X10 dimmer.  At absolute worst, the transformer might go up in smoke,
but
> the remaining 10 are over-rated, so you can just connect the bulb to
one
of
> 'em :-)
>
> In this case, I wouldn't expect that damaging the X10 dimmer would be
> likely.  But as ever, free advice is worth exactly what you pay for it
:-)
>
> Nigel
>
>
>
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