RE: {Definitely Spam?} Can you gang C-Bus Dimmer o/p

["Nigel Giddings" <nigel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Keith and all,

Thanks for the replies... I did say I thought it was a no no, it's just
me trying to be lazy.

The fittings are ceiling hanging type things, each with 3 x 60W BC Lamps
giving a total of 360W, that bit more than the 230W for the 1A dimmer...

As Keith pointed out it will give me resilience if I wire them
separately... I suppose that is a plus...

Because of the way I am wiring the lighting with the Basement and Ground
floor from Node 0 and the 1st floor and Loft from Node 3 I only have
this one 'Node 0' channel requiring more than 200W. There are a couple
of larger channels in Node 3, Hall chandelier, for example, has been
allowed 400W (10 x 40W) although I hope this will be permanently
dimmed...

Another concern that I have is people replacing bulbs with larger
wattages, for example using 50W lamps instead of the 20W especially
where the dimmer is close to it's maximum rating. I hope adding 1A MCBs
will help with this? Anyone experienced this?

Nigel


-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Doxey [mailto:ukha@xxxxxxx]
Sent: 06 February 2006 22:49
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: RE: {Definitely Spam?} [ukha_d] Can you gang C-Bus Dimmer o/p

Hi Nigel,

> Subject: {Definitely Spam?} [ukha_d] Can you gang C-Bus Dimmer o/p
>
> I don't suppose you can but I'll ask anyway...
>
> Is it possible to connect together 2 dimmer o/ps to up the power
rating
> of a channel. I would like to use two dimmer channels from an 8
channel
> 1A dimmer to provide 1 x 2A (actually 360W) o/p?
>

I dont know about C-Bus specifically but I would say a definate NO.

It is highly unlikely that both dimmers would fire at exactly the same
point
in the mains cycle so whichever one fired first would take all the load
momentarily. Even when both triac were conducting they may not share the
load 50/50.

At the same time, the overload would probably not blow the fuses or
triacs
immediately but would fail sooner or later

>
>
> What I may have to do is wire two fittings separately but program them
> as one... means running another cable though and it is the most
awkward
> in the house....
>

Sods law says it would have to be. I take it you dont have any 2A
dimmers
available to use instead, perhaps replacing an existing 2A circuit with
2 x
1A circuits if they are easier to rewire.

Programming two or more dimmers to act as one provides some resiliance
as in
the event of a dimmer failure you would only lose part of the lighting
in
that room.

Regards

Keith