On Mon, 14 Aug 2006 01:45:24 -0500, Al Bundy
wrote:

About 3 mos ago I tried testing a dimmer with a DVM before installing it.
Nothing. Dead. I got another one. Put the DVM and analog on it. Nothing.
WTF? I Put it in. It worked but yet NG with meters.

Now I am very curious as a lifelong debug method is out the window. I
actually called the tech line at Leviton. Guy says yea you can't do that
any more. The dimmers are all solid state. Nothing works until power is
applied.

Maybe the WallyWorld is unloading all those dimmers with coils left on
the planet :-)


In a solid state dimmer switch circuit the control is a timer circuit
that sends pulses to a triac. The triac is normally OFF. Each pulse
switches ON the triac to conduct electricity and light the bulb.
During the dimmer LOW setting there are fewer pulses and therefore
less current passes through the triac. At HIGH setting the pulse
train is almost continuous and the lamp is at full illumination.