Dimmer

[blueroomelectronics]

Is this project for fun or a school project? At least take the effort and practice good wire splicing techniques. Does the wire you used look anything like the wire your home is wired with? You have the common sense to use an isolation transformer that's good, but you seem to have very little 110VAC electrical experience. Take a course, they teach this stuff almost everywhere even if it's just to get the basics. Your local library will also have plenty of books on home wiring, worth a look at the very least.

From wikipedia on Solderless Breadboards.

A modern solderless breadboard consists of a perforated block of plastic with numerous tin plated phosphor bronze spring clips under the perforations. The spacing between the clips (lead pitch) is typically 0.1" (2.54 mm). Integrated circuits (ICs) in dual in-line packages (DIPs) can be inserted to straddle the centerline of the block. Interconnecting wires and the leads of discrete components (such as capacitors, resistors, inductors, etc.) can be inserted into the remaining free holes to complete the circuit topology. Typically the spring clips are rated for 1 Ampere at 5 Volt and 0.333 Ampere at 15 Volt (5 Watt).

As for the "Electronics for You" burglar alarm, you'd think the publishers would have the savvy to test their articles. The OP should have written them about it.

As for the smoke... give it a chance, put enough current / voltage through those breadboards and they will arc, probably already are. Over time the contacts will pit and the electricity will start looking for a shorter path as the resistance increases. Puddles o fun.

If this IS a school project STOP it's a bad one
If this isn't and you need a light dimmer, you're in BC you can get em anywhere for a few dollars.
If you're trying to learn electricity then learn the basics first.
If you're trying to burn your house down then proceed, don't expect your insurance company to cover it though. Not really CSA or UL approved

PS never trust any electronic projects on the Aaron cake site. It's a bit of a joke round here.
https://www.aaroncake.net/circuits/dimmer.asp

 

[sammy004]

Hi Sammy,
Chill, its just a little humour, no offence intended.

On that pot, one of the end terminals has to be connected to the centre terminal [wiper].

The end you choose to connect will determine which way the pot dims the light, CW or CCW,...OK.

Do you follow,?

Thanks alot Eric do you think if I just get the right Pot it will be easier.

 

[sammy004]

Is this project for fun or a school project? At least take the effort and practice good wire splicing techniques. Does the wire you used look anything like the wire your home is wired with? You have the common sense to use an isolation transformer that's good, but you seem to have very little 110VAC electrical experience. Take a course, they teach this stuff almost everywhere even if it's just to get the basics. Your local library will also have plenty of books on home wiring, worth a look at the very least.

From wikipedia on Solderless Breadboards.

As for the "Electronics for You" burglar alarm, you'd think the publishers would have the savvy to test their articles. The OP should have written them about it.

As for the smoke... give it a chance, put enough current / voltage through those breadboards and they will arc, probably already are. Over time the contacts will pit and the electricity will start looking for a shorter path as the resistance increases. Puddles o fun.

If this IS a school project STOP it's a bad one
If this isn't and you need a light dimmer, you're in BC you can get em anywhere for a few dollars.
If you're trying to learn electricity then learn the basics first.
If you're trying to burn your house down then proceed, don't expect your insurance company to cover it though. Not really CSA or UL approved

PS never trust any electronic projects on the Aaron cake site. It's a bit of a joke round here.
https://www.aaroncake.net/circuits/dimmer.asp

BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA.......ARE YOU DONE YET?

 

[ericgibbs]

Thanks alot Eric do you think if I just get the right Pot it will be easier.

Hi.
I would ensure that the pot is rated for mains use, also I prefer plastic shafts.
Be sure to earth the metal wall switch internal casing, when you put the dimmer into service.

Dimmers for Halogen are different from the standard Tungsten.
Also you may need a simple mains filter.

As you may know, shop bought dimmers upto 250W are quite cheap have you considered buying one.?

 

[Torben]

Sammy,

What wattage are you wanting to control with this? What wattage is the light you're testing with?


Torben

 

[sammy004]

Hi.
I would ensure that the pot is rated for mains use, also I prefer plastic shafts.
Be sure to earth the metal wall switch internal casing, when you put the dimmer into service.

Dimmers for Halogen are different from the standard Tungsten.
Also you may need a simple mains filter.

As you may know, shop bought dimmers upto 250W are quite cheap have you considered buying one.?

I couldn't find the one I need I have a pole light and all the ones I seen were for a house wall switch. but maybe if I look hard I might find one.
Thanks

 

[sammy004]

Sammy,

What wattage are you wanting to control with this? What wattage is the light you're testing with?


Torben

It is a 50 watt bulb.

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Radio Shack X10 stuff have wall dimmers. About $20

Won't work on the new compact fluorescent bulbs though, Canada is phasing out old incandescent bulbs.
**broken link removed**

 

[sammy004]

Radio Shack X10 stuff have wall dimmers. About $20

Won't work on the new compact fluorescent bulbs though, Canada is phasing out old incandescent bulbs.
**broken link removed**

don't need a wall dimmer IT"S a pole light in the living room.

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Ok here you go, $6 on eBay.
**broken link removed**
The controller will set you back $13
Still about $20 and remote control too.

 

[sammy004]

thats not going to work, i need it to fit inside a 2 inch pole light. I see lots of the ones your showing me but the one I want is on a small circuit board and has a knob on it so you can turn it on "click" and rotate it to dim it "diiiiiiiimmmm"

see here is something similar to what I have and there is a switch on the pole to turn the light on and dim it and thats what i'm looking for.
**broken link removed**

Thank you

 

[blueroomelectronics]

*** Festivus ***

 

[sammy004]

*** Festivus ***

??? huh .....

 

[blueroomelectronics]

https://festivusweb.com/

 

[sammy004]

Oh Happy Festivus to you too

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Your lamp reminded me of the Festivus pole.

Wouldn't it be easier just to get a 3 way dimming switch?

 

[Torben]

I had a friend who did something similar. He just hid the dimmer unit behind a chair.

You obviously have a good reason to want this thing to fit inside the pole? You can't hid it in the base or something where there is more room?


Torben

 

[blueroomelectronics]

http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-Table...ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1208838432&sr=1-2
http://www.easy2diy.com/cm/easy/diy_ht_index.asp?page_id=35720230

 

[sammy004]

I had a friend who did something similar. He just hid the dimmer unit behind a chair.

You obviously have a good reason to want this thing to fit inside the pole? You can't hid it in the base or something where there is more room?


Torben

Yeah I looked under there as well but seams like it is pack with some sort of weight I guess to hold it upright and up top is where the bulbs are inside is where I have the room. See I had a 3 way switch on it before (it came like that) and it had 3 setting little dim then medium dim then full wattage, but when I usally watch a movie I like to make the room dim and this did not go down that much. So eventually that switch broke some how and I tried to look for the one where I can control the dimmness kinda like volume but I was unable to find one and so that why I came to and thought I can just build one as I have built a few circuits before. but they were all 12 volt or 9 volt. I would like to keep it original style if I can. I know blueroom is going through the trouble of showing me a bunch and they will work but not what i'm looking for. Well I guess I'll just keep hunting around or just try to work on this circuit. Oh and by the way I apologise for some of the earlier post and some of the people here I get out of hand sometimes under pressure. haha

 

[ericgibbs]

hi Sammy,
We seem, to be losing our way on your thread, [obscured by smoke I guess.. ]

In the UK you can buy a plug assembly [like a wall wart] that has an inbuilt dimmer, you then plug your pole lamp [standard lamp for UK readers] into the socket on the wall plug.
There is a small dimmer knob on the wall plug..

Do you follow, OK.?