Originally Posted by
Dan Friedrichs
Jim, that "style" is exactly what I was thinking, though!
With LED bulbs, I'm suspicious that the diode approach might not work, although I love the idea.
Certainly many ways to do this, I was just surprised that there isn't a commercial switch with this option.
The commercial switch with this option lost favor when the adjustable dimmer switch came on the market. Some dimmer switches do not work with LED lamps. Some LED lamps do not work with dimmers.
An LED lamp made to work with a dimmer could possibly work with a simple diode in the circuit.
Like mentioned in an earlier post, if it was my project, a test set up would be built as proof of concept. This would be done using the same lamps as are to be controlled in the finished project.
Another approach, if this were my project, would be to look up > dimmer switch circuit diagram < and build my own unit to a set level to incorporate with a Hi-Lo switch to accomplish the desired result.
There are multi-level switches in ceiling fans that use capacitors to vary the motor speed. That might be another consideration. Though with motors it might be more of how a capacitor acts like a resistor in AC circuits. It could also be due to a capacitor having phase shift characteristics opposite of a motor. One of my college instructors wanted me to stay for his course on motor controls, but I needed to graduate and get a job.
jtk
Last edited by Jim Koepke; 01-15-2024 at 3:45 PM.
Reason: Punctuation & wording
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)