Subject: Re: Dimming fluorescent lamps

From: [email-masked] (Parapsycho)
Date: 26 May 1995 00:18:00 -0400

I have been doing research for myself on this very topic and am very new
to the internet.  I am thrilled to see this message posted.  The question
I had was concerning dimming fluorescents with Radio Shack's Plug and
Power incandescant dimming module.  If you're not familiar with this
product, basically it uses a control center which sends a RF signal
through the existing wiring in the room/house which gets terminated at the
transformer outside the building.  I contacted Luitron, Inc. (610)282-3800
and spoke with Jim.  To my knowledge one can use a basic incandescant
dimmer with the electronic dimming ballast, if I'm wrong please correct
me.  If not will the magnetic work with a standard dimmer?  I have used
the incandescant dimming module with my 4 foot fluorescant fixture as an
experiment and found if I simply connected an incandescant light in
parallel with the fluorescent (standard ballast), it dimmed down to a
certain point then shut off.  My point is I was able to keep the circuit
hot, or at least jump start the fluorescant in this way.  So what I must
know is in order to take the incandescant out of the loop, do I need a
magnetic or can I use the electronic dimming ballast?  Of course price is
also a consideration being that the magnetic runs about $60 and the
electronic about twice that.   Thank you for you time

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From: [email-masked] (Naomi Johnson Miller)
Date: 25 May 1995 18:58:47 -0400

In response to Michael Shapiro's question on fluorescent dimming, I have
had the best success with Lutron's HiLume system.  It uses an electronic
dimming ballast that permits dimming down to 1% of full output.  For
conference rooms and auditoria, this is a wonderfully useful feature.  It
must be used with their own dimming controls, as far as I know.  There is
a special additional wire or two that must be run between the control and
the HiLume ballast, so you can't just retrofit an existing incandescent
dimming installation.

Lutron has come out with a bunch of new fluorescent dimming products.  They
can dim the standard length T8, T12, HO lamps, as well as some odd-ball
lengths, too.  They also have a system for a few of the compact fluorescent
lamps.  I believe they also have a dimming controller that will dim the
Advance and Motorola dimming ballasts, but these only go down as low as
5 or 10% light output, which is frequently not low enough for slide
presentations or theatrical productions or video presentations.

I have seen Prescolite's CF dimming, but have no personal experience with
it yet.

I have personal experience with fluorescent dimming using magnetic ballasts.
It's a minor nightmare unless installation of lamps and ballasts and
aging of lamps is done perfectly.  Also, you can't mix lamp lengths success-
fully.  Oh, and it's noisy and usually doesn't dim below 30% light output.
It's worth the extra bucks to go with electronic dimming ballasts.Ã

Lightolier has many new dimming products for compact and full-size fluorescent.
Has anyone had experience with those products?

Naomi Miller
Lighting Research Center

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From: [email-masked] (ZARNOTT)
Date: 26 May 1995 16:57:04 -0400

The Lutron Eco-10 (10%) and Hi-lume (1%) Fluorescent Dimmng ballasts CAN
NOT BE controlled with a regular incandescent dimmer.  They operate on a
phase control method which employs the use of an additional 3rd wire.  You
have hot, dimmed hot, and neutral.  The new LightOLier ballast uses a 3
wire configuration as well.  However, it uses a pulse modulated control
method which does not make it interchangable with Lutron controls.

Also - Advance and Motorola have 4-wire systems.  Hot, neutral and 2 for
the 0-10 volt signal.  In most cases people feel it is easier to retrofit
these ballasts. Not alway true.  Example - In Chicago you need to run
conduit for the high and low voltage wires.  This could make the retrofit
for 0-10 volt ballasts more expensive.  Pulling a third wire through the
wall is a pain too.

Also if you hook up a Lutron or LightOlier ballast incorrectly - it just
doesn't work.

If you hook up the Advance or Motorola ballast incorrectly - you can blow
up the entire circuit of ballasts.  (It does happen)

Lutron ballast cost more than the Advance or Motorola.  In the past these
dimming ballasts were very specialty items and produced in small
quantities.  Now with the Eco-10, the price of the ballast has fallen by
50%.  I expect the price of the Hi-lume will fall as the volumes and
technology improves.  

Regardless of what ballast you use - as power costs exceed 8 cents per kWh
in your service area, and you have ample daylight, the use of daylight
sensors and dimming ballasts is an economically good idea.  First costs
are higher of course. Dimming ballasts have more components than fixed
output ballasts.

I'd like to see a company make a decorative IR control that sits on a
persons desk that incorporates a daylight sensor and manual dimming.  The
fixtures above that persons area would be constantly changing with the
available light - and the person could manually adjust the lighting lower
to get a better lighting environment when the needed to do computer work.

Some day............

Mike Z

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From: [email-masked] (mark stephens)
Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 15:04:22 -0400

What is the "average" cost of these units?  In the aquarium world, a
company called IceCap produces a unit which accepts up to VHO bulbs and
has a dimming capacity.  Cost for 4 bulb unit is about $160-180.  It's
nice in that you can mix standard, HO and VHO bulbs.

I'm very interested in these ballasts for aquarium and terrarium use... it
scares the hell out of the wild life when the "sun" goes off all at once. 
Are they avaliable from my local electrical/lighting distributor?

Also, I would want to connect the dimmer wire to a microprocessor, either
directly or thru an interface circuit.  I get the impression that the
companies want to sell you a dimmer, but do some also publish the specs?

thanks!

mark

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From: [email-masked] (HARDBALLER)
Date: 2 Jun 1995 17:16:42 -0400

Lutron makes a very nice infrared remote control for use with their
dimming systems.  The Ranax remote dimming control is compatible with many
of their fluorescent dimming ballasts.