On Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:23:15 +0100 someone who may be Michael
Atkinson wrote this:-

Perhaps going OT, but I've long wondered what are the plans for dimming
circuits and such when traditional incandescent bulbs are retired. Half our
house uses such dimmers, and all the low energy bulbs I've seen state
they're incompatible.

Some are now dimmable. First there were the on/off switch dimmable
ones which had about four levels, there are now on/off switch
dimmable ones that are continuously variable.

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Lighting_Menu_Index/Lamps_and_Tubes_Index/Dimmable_CFL/index.html
has a few examples of ones which are dimmable via an existing dimmer
switch.

There are many frequently repeated myths about energy saving lamps.
Some of them were true with regard to the earliest such lamps, a
quarter of a century ago, but engineering has developed somewhat
since then so it pays to keep up to date. Examples of these myths
include that they should not be switched on/off frequently and they
take a long time to produce light. Both were true a quarter of a
century ago, but have not been true for a decade or more.




--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54