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Author Topic: Dimmer choices Oscar Neundorfer Master Film Handler Posts: 275 From: Senoia, GA Registered: May 2000 posted 11-26-2002 07:37 AM                        Brad, SMART makes a line of dimmers rated at 3 kW each. They are available for console mount, in wall mount packages, and with manual override buttons in the wall mount packages. They are 3 stage with an emergency instant full capability. Also, they are UL listed. Panastereo also makes a line of 3 stage dimmers which have either contact closure control (for automation connections) or RS-232 control capability if you need that kind of thing.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-26-2002 07:46 PM                     Mark what are those issues with the ash dimmer. I have installed thousands of them with out any grief other than the odd triac killed by a contractors short circuit They also have a very good curve unlike the kelmar  |  IP: Logged Daryl Lund Film Handler Posts: 88 From: Chehalis,WA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 12-01-2002 01:04 AM                     Check with paul. some of his friends go to Home Base or lowes and sometimes ACE Hardware  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-01-2002 10:26 AM                     Gord, have had a number of PCB card failures with them. Also the cabinet which is just thin sheet metal leaves someting to be desired. I know they are good dimmers but the construction could be a bit better. Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-01-2002 04:28 PM                     Onely had 2 pcb failures booth where there was a open neutral on the feed. The cabinets are not thing metal but standard CSA spec steel back plate and alimunium U shaped cover. The shape and material of the cover is designed to specific limit physical noise from magnetic coupling of the torroid choke that could make it noisy. This was develeped for a museum we were doing way back when  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 12-01-2002 08:23 PM                     The only thing that troubles me with the Kelmar dimmers are that if some doofus changes a light bulb with the dimmer powered up and the light bulb or its socket accidently shorts out, there goes the Triac! I have seen that happen twice in the last three months or so. Whether or not other brands of dimmers can be easily damaged in the same way, I really don't know, but: ...never let the janitor change a damn light bulb!  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-01-2002 10:10 PM                     Most lower capacity dimmers still use triacs and they are usually destroyed by a dead short instantly. In fact the fuse blowing or the breaker tripping is usually what causes the damage as the collapsing field in the filter choke causes a massive dv/dt that exceeds the rating of the dimmer starting usually around 3.6K and up a SSR block is used that is two discrete SCR's and they are less suseptable to dv/dt related faults  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-01-2002 11:00 PM                     Pretty much the same thing happens with a Solid State relay as does with the triac. Have seen this happen on Strand, Colortran, and ETC systems many times. The main thing in the first place is to prevent any dufuss's from entering your site........ Mark  |  IP: Logged

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