Dimmers

A very useful device in the living room, as, indeed, in any other room, are dimmers, dimmers. What are they needed for? There are several reasons.

First, it’s comfortable. For example, you have a holiday – the lighting is on at full brightness. But now the celebration is over, the guests have left, and the family wants to relax in a calm atmosphere of muted light – the brightness decreases.
Secondly, it’s beautiful. Choosing the brightness of different groups of light in different parts of the room and throughout the house gives the designer new possibilities. For example, when receiving guests, you can illuminate the center of the hall, leaving the periphery in semi-darkness. Thirdly, the power consumption is reduced (up to 60%), and sometimes the service life of lamps (incandescent and halogen) increases by 20 or more times. This is due to the fact that the lamp operates in milder temperature conditions; “soft start” is provided when turned on, the brightness gradually increases from zero to the desired value.

Luminaires are grouped together, each of which requires a separate dimmer. At the command from the remote control or kleipad (a special panel for setting different lighting modes), groups of lamps begin to consistently change their brightness. Control centers can combine from two to six zones. Light zoning is carried out from one remote control. Several dimmers can be connected in one network, which will allow you to control the whole house.

Against the background of the general base light, you can create accent lights. Anything that you consider worthy of special attention as an actor on stage requires special lighting. And it doesn’t have to be the central group of furniture: a sofa in the living room, a table in the dining room, or a bed in the bedroom. With the help of thoughtful lighting, you can make the main thing and some important, but at first glance imperceptible details, the very little things that revive and inspire the interior. Bright lamp above the painting, soft light. Filling in niches with your favorite vase, bookcase lighting from the inside will help showcase your pride. Any object or decorative element is able to come to the fore if provided with appropriate light support..

ABB Busch-Dimmer 6520U
Rotary dimmer with push switch and backlight (Germany)

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

LOAD POWER: 200-1000 W.
TYPE OF LOAD: 230 V incandescent lamps, 230 V halogen lamps, low voltage halogen lamps with conventional transformer.
FEATURES: connection to the break of the load phase conductor; illumination of the rotary handle; adjustment of the minimum brightness of the luminaire to avoid flickering of transformer halogen at low voltage; overload and short circuit protection; operating temperature range – from 0 to 35 degrees; installation in an installation box with a diameter of 60 mm.

CONSUMER ANALYSIS

The rotary dimmer Busch-Dimmer is a box-mounted mechanism. Its appearance and color are determined by the design of a series of wiring accessories chosen by the consumer to equip his home.

The lamp is lit by pressing the knob of the regulator. Rotating it, set the required level. The next time you switch on, this “mechanical memory” immediately brings the luminaire to the specified brightness. It is rational to use a dimmer in the lighting scheme in conjunction with switches located at different ends of the room.

Busch-Dimmer is notable for being designed for powerful luminaires. However, it must be borne in mind that it is able to manage a kilowatt load only when it is installed in a massive stone or brick wall that removes heat well, and when the ambient temperature is less than 35 degrees. A wooden, plasterboard or aerated concrete wall is not able to dissipate the heat generated by the device itself, which reduces the maximum permitted power of the connected installations by 20% Like other similar dimmers, the performance of the model is greatly affected by an increase in ambient temperature, and already at 50 degrees the permissible maximum load power is halved. If overheating, the electronics automatically turns off the device.

There are a number of other factors to consider. In the transformer feeding the halogens, up to 20% of the energy is lost. If it is not loaded (the lamp is burned out), it can fail, damaging the dimmer, so it is necessary to prudently connect at least two halogens to it (alternatively, two transformers per dimmer). Busch-Dimmer handles so many consumers with ease.

Eunea Merlin Gerin SM180, Ref. 30347.99
Touch dimmer with indicator light (Spain)

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

LOAD POWER: 50-380 W.
TYPE OF LOAD: 230 V incandescent lamps; halogen lamps 230 V; low voltage halogen lamps with traditional (ferromagnetic) transformer.
FEATURES: LED backlight; connection to the break of the phase conductor of the load; fuse; installation in an installation box with a screw spacing of 60 mm.

CONSUMER ANALYSIS

SM180 is a new series of wiring products under the Eunea Merlin Gerin brand, created with the participation of the Peninfarina design bureau. The touch dimmer presented in it is an electronic unit located in an installation box like a conventional switch. It is not visible. Only a plastic trim with a round platform and a frame with side decorative inserts are available to the eye. It is not difficult for the consumer to “adjust” his appearance to the interior of the room – the designers have provided 6 colors for the linings, 9 for the frames and 19 for the decorative inserts. The dimmer, by the way, is easily combined into a multi-seat unit with other installation products. The device is clearly visible in the dark thanks to the luminous rim around the central circle.

The way to connect the dimmer is very simple – it is installed, like a conventional switch, in the break of the load phase wire. Control it by lightly touching the surface. With a short-term impact (less than 0.3 sec.), The circuit is closed / opened. For a longer time – lighting control. The dimmer remembers the last set level and, when turned on again, immediately goes to it.

Regulate the luminous flux, if desired, from several places – using conventional push-button switches (there can be as many of them as you like). Connected to the third, control, terminal of the SM180 model, they act as a capacitive sensor, applying phase voltage pulses to the electronic circuit

Kopp dimmat
Touch dimmer (Germany)

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

LOAD POWER: 40-400 W.
TYPE OF LOAD: 230 V incandescent lamps; halogen lamps 230 V; low-voltage halogen lamps with a conventional transformer; fan motors.
FEATURES: connection to the break of the load phase conductor; fuse; installation in an installation box with a diameter of 60 mm.

CONSUMER ANALYSIS

Kopp series wiring products usually contain a Dimmat dimmer, the appearance of which is determined by the design of the series.

There are no mechanical parts in the device – it is controlled by changing the capacitance of the sensor when the hand is brought up. To close-open the load circuit, it is enough to briefly touch its central circle. The tension is regulated by holding the hand for a while..

The dimmer is placed in a flush-mounted installation box. As with a conventional switch, two wires are connected to it: one is phase, the other is from the load. It also has a third terminal for connecting one or more additional pushbutton switches. With their help, the lamp is controlled (also by adjusting its brightness) from several places. In many cases, this option is more convenient and preferable than a circuit with pass-through switches..

As the Dimmat heats up a little, it is recommended that no luminaires over 300W are used at ambient temperatures above 25 degrees. This limitation is especially important in the case of walls with low thermal conductivity (gypsum, wood).

Legrand Pro 21 Smart Dimmer
Dimmer with remote (IR) and keyboard control (France)

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

LOAD POWER: 40-500 W.
TYPE OF LOAD: 230 V incandescent lamps; halogen lamps 230 V; low-voltage halogen lamps with conventional or electronic transformer; fluorescent lamps with electronic ballasts.
FEATURES: connection to the break of the load phase conductor; phase cut-off switch on the leading / trailing edge; manual and remote control using Legrand IR remote controls or any other ones with RC5 code; electronic overvoltage and short circuit protection; LED indicator of operating modes; setting the lower and upper limits of the brightness control range; installation in an installation box with a diameter of 65 mm, a depth of 50 mm.

CONSUMER ANALYSIS

The Smart Dimmer consists of two parts: a Pro 21 series dimmer mechanism that fits into a conventional back box and a control module – a two-button lamp dimming device combined with an IR receiver.

Accordingly, there are two ways to adjust. First, press the upper or lower key. Briefly – to turn on / off. A little longer – to increase or decrease the luminous flux. The second way is controlled remotely. Legrand offers for this purpose a small IR remote control with three pairs of buttons (any other with the RC5 code will do), each of which is “assigned” to its “own” dimmer using a channel switch and a certain procedure. The remote control buttons have the same functions as the dimmer keys. Its maximum range is 10 m.

Smart Dimmer is “omnivorous”. It has a 2-position switch that sets the phase cut-off mode on the leading or trailing edge of the supply voltage. Therefore, it is suitable for controlling not only incandescent and 230 V halogen lamps, but also low-voltage halogen lamps with a transformer of any type and fluorescent lamps with electronic ballasts. In this case, it is necessary to consider whether electronic devices allow “dimming”.

To control the luminaire from multiple locations, peripheral devices are connected to the dimmer. Outwardly, they are the same (but without an IR receiver), but structurally simpler (in particular, there is no phase cut-off switch). Ordinary pushbuttons are also suitable..

The Legrand dimmer is one of the elements of the Smart Control system, where the replacement of parts of devices with a change in their functions and capabilities is provided. For example, this model has keys with and without an IR receiver..

Lutron grafik eye
Multi-zone lighting control system with the ability to create light scenes (USA)

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

LOAD POWER: per zone – 40-800 W (with a power amplifier – up to 1.8 kW); maximum total power – 2300 W.
LOAD TYPE: 230 V incandescent lamps.
FEATURES: preset and subsequent recall of lighting scenes; LED indication of the set power level in each zone; instant or smooth (max. 1 hour) transition from one light scene to another; control from anywhere using additional button panels; possibility of remote IR control (at a distance of up to 15 m); control unit modifications with 2, 3, 4 or 6 lighting zones; integration of up to 8 control units (with control of up to 48 zones and 128 scenes); short circuit protection; switch-on mode without “dimming”; 18 body color options; installation in a rectangular box with dimensions 205×95 mm, depth 76 mm.

CONSUMER ANALYSIS

The Grafik Eye system serves to regulate the brightness of several loads – up to six lighting zones are created in the room, each of which is controlled by its own dimmer. The set levels are clearly visible on the corresponding LED line.

Suppose that in a room during a family celebration, the upper chandelier is turned on at 70% of its power, the side lamps – by 20%, and the decorative lamps – by 20%. We fix this “disposition” in the device memory.

This combination of levels is no longer suitable for watching TV. By pressing the dimmer buttons, we lower the level of the chandelier, for example, to 20%, increasing the brightness of the side and decorative lamps up to 30%.

Grafik Eye can store up to 16 such lighting scenes in memory. In order not to engage in reconfiguration several times a day, they are set in advance and called by pressing the corresponding buttons. Four of them are on the control module itself, and the rest require auxiliary panels. Grafik Eye also allows remote scene switching using the remote control. The IR receiver is located both in the main unit and in additional panels (if the customer has chosen just such a configuration).

There is also a pair of buttons on the main module and on the remote control to increase or decrease the brightness of all included light sources at once. Of course, you can always change the level of a particular zone, whether or not you save new values ​​in memory.

Of course, scene changes are not instantaneous. It would be too rude. The lamps change brightness smoothly and comfortably for the eyes (even almost imperceptibly if you set a sufficiently long transition interval).

Grafik Eye is designed for both residential and public spaces. And in the latter, sometimes the power consumption in one zone is more than 800 watts. Lutron specialists solved the problem by proposing to connect the load through a power amplifier – in this case, the upper limit rises to 1.8 kW.

Grafik Eye integrates seamlessly with computer or A / V control systems, making it great for lecture halls, conference rooms and home theaters.

Simon 75305-39
Backlit touch dimmer with timer function (Spain)

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

LOAD POWER: 40-500 W.
TYPE OF LOAD: 230 V incandescent lamps, 230 V halogen lamps, low voltage halogen lamps with electromagnetic transformer.
FEATURES: connection to the break of the load phase conductor; touch control of the brightness of the lamp; memorizing the set brightness level; the possibility of programmable shutdown of the luminaire after 1-15 minutes; button illumination; fuse; operating temperature range from -5 to +60 degrees; installation in an installation box with a diameter of 60 mm.

CONSUMER ANALYSIS

Strictly speaking, the model 75305-39 is a “pseudo-sensory” dimmer, since it does not respond to changes in electrical capacitance, but to a slight movement of the central button. Since the applied force is very low, the Simon dimmer practically does not differ from its sensor counterparts.

As usual, by briefly pressing the button, turn on and off the light, and holding it down, set the required brightness value.
The 75305-39 model is interesting in that the developers have perfected the idea of ​​saving energy (and user money, it should be noted) by combining a dimmer and a timer in one device. To prevent the lamp from burning in vain, a tiny button hidden under the front panel sets the time interval (from 1 to 15 minutes) during which it is allowed to illuminate the room. Of course, this function need not be used, and then the device will only serve as a dimmer.

With the help of additional Simon mechanisms with a similar switching method (externally they are the same, but without a timer inside), it is easy to create a luminaire control circuit from several places.

Bella S16-65
Rotary dimmer (UPP-11 VOS, Moscow)

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

LOAD POWER (max.): 1500W.
TYPE OF LOAD: incandescent and halogen lamps for 220 V; heaters.
FEATURES: connection to the break of the load phase conductor; operability at mains voltage from 60 to 285 V; installation instead of a conventional switch in an installation box with a diameter of 65 mm, a depth of 35 mm.

CONSUMER ANALYSIS

The Moscow educational and production enterprise No. 11 of the All-Russian Society of the Blind produces several series of wiring products, including “Bella”, characterized by strict straight lines with slightly rounded corners. It includes six dimmers, and the C16-65 model is one of the simplest.

Turn on the lamp by turning the handle of the device “with a click”, and by rotating it, adjust the brightness.
The model is unassuming – it works in a wide range of supply voltages, and manages very powerful loads.

Sapphire 2503
Touch dimmer with IR control and presence simulation mode (Nootechnika, Belarus)

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

LOAD POWER: 40-400 W.
LOAD TYPE: 220V incandescent lamps.
FEATURES: connection to the break of the load phase conductor; touch and remote (any remote control) adjustment of the brightness of the lamp; mode of simulating the presence of a person; automatic shutdown after 12 hours; smooth load switching; fuse; four color options of the product: white, beige, silver, golden; memorizing the set brightness level; installation in an installation box with a diameter of 60 mm.

CONSUMER ANALYSIS

Nootechnika is a Belarusian company that has been operating in the electronic equipment market for over eight years. Among his developments are timers, halogen lamp protection units and a Sapfir 2503 remote dimmer. It should be noted that the specialists of the neighboring republic offer not a simple dimmer, but a multifunctional device.

They turn on the lamp and adjust the brightness by touching the dimmer key with the palm of your hand (it can be called so only because of the shape – in fact, there are no mechanical movements). “Sapphire” remembers the set level and, when switched on again, goes to it, and smoothly.

They also control it remotely. Any infrared remote control from consumer audio, video or television equipment is suitable for this..

The dimmer also performs a guard function along the way. Turning on the lighting in the house automatically according to a certain program, it creates the illusion of the presence of the owners in it.