Fluorescent light dimmer - electronic control of up to three tubes

6-42 — elektor june 1982 fluorescent dimmer electronic control of up to three tubes Before taking a closer look at the dim- mer described here, there is one miscon- ception we wish to do away with right from the start: dimmers are not necess- arily economical energy consumers! On the contrary, an awful lot of electricity is wasted by keeping a high-power light bulb permanently dimmed. Although dimmed light bulbs consume less mains energy, their efficiency — their light to power consumption ratio — does not compare favourably with their full power performance. In short, it is much more economical to replace a dimmed bulb by a lower rated type. To give an example: a 100 W bulb dimmed down to 40 W provides less light than a fully lit 40 W bulb. Dimmed light has to be paid for dearly and that is why it is often considered to be a luxury. fluorescent dimmer Electronic light dimmers are a welcome asset to the living-room. They enable lamps to be adjusted to suit everyone"s individ...