12V dimmers for MR16/MR11 bulbs

[Arno]

Hello,

Can you provide to me some companies or websites wich provide low voltage
dimmer, I mean :
- Input : 12-14.4V
- output : MR16 light
- all in a very low dimensions

This is vor handy applications

Thanks all in advance

Arnaud

 

[Brandon Anderson]

Not sure, but a pot may work. Pot as in... damn, I forget the word...
potential something... It's a resistor based control used especially in
sound equipment. They are cheap, too!

 

[Andrew Gabriel]

Not sure, but a pot may work. Pot as in... damn, I forget the word...
potential something... It's a resistor based control used especially in
sound equipment. They are cheap, too!

Get damn hot (depending on lamp power rating).

I would use a MOSFET driven by variable duty-cycle square wave signal.

 

[Adam Aglionby]

Get damn hot (depending on lamp power rating).

Normal potentiometer, name you were reaching for, would toast in under a
second, up a level wirewound types you may have been thinking of , for
loudspeaker controls, come in possibly 20W ratings, but as Andrew said will
run hot.

I would use a MOSFET driven by variable duty-cycle square wave signal.

Most MR16s are AC driven, need to rectify it before using fet. Same problem
with conventional Triac dinmming on LV side, voltage drop, a fet,triac or
scr will drop up to 1.7V across it, leaving at full as little as 10.3V
getting to your lamp at, er, full brightness. So need to boost input voltage
to compensate into realms of very non standard high current transformers and
regulation can wander on lightly loaded large inductive transformers

Easisest way is to dim the mains side and use Dimmable
ElectronicTransformers which can be tiny matchbox sized items and use any
cheap dimmer.

Adam

 

[Brandon Anderson]

Is I said, I wasn't sure. I've used them to dim 12v lights, but at around a
watt max, usually less. Also great for dimmable flashlights

 

[Victor Roberts]

It's short for potentiometer... kusually they can't handle very much current.
Watch for smoke when you hook it up for the first time.
Charles Minx, Lighting Guy

Well, I don't think that a potentiometer is a good solution because of
the high energy loss. However, it is certainly possible to buy high
power potentiometers. As with all electrical controls, the
potentiometer must be able to handle the load current. As far as I
know, these high current variable resistors are known as rheostats,
they look rather different than a normal "volume control, and they are
considerably more expensive.

 

[Clive Mitchell]

Can you provide to me some companies or websites wich provide low voltage
dimmer, I mean :
- Input : 12-14.4V
- output : MR16 light
- all in a very low dimensions

This is vor handy applications

Try a video camera specialist. The little dimmer units are available
for use with the lights on the cameras.

 

[Donaldson-Selby Gavin]

There are people ( and comapanies) on the Show Control
mailing list who could help you with this.

[email protected] <[email protected]>


Regards

Gavin D-Selby
http://www.lightviz.org