Potionmeters

jeroen · Post by **jeroen** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:10 am

He I just got a thought. Would it be possible to get potionmeters out of dimmers (you know those things you use to dime your lights with.)? Because els I have to order them from the internet and stuff.

S q u e e ! · Post by **S q u e e !** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:12 am

Yes, but it depends on which kind of dimmer you have, and chances are, it will have the wrong rating on it.

nos_slived · Post by **nos_slived** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:07 pm

There are 2 types of dimmer switches: the traditional pot, and the newer alternating power regulator. If the dimmer switch is more than 10 years old, it probably has pots for the dimmer switch. These are traditionally cheaper, but waste more power in the form of heat, so it actually increases your energy bill, making it more expensive in the long run. The second type contains a small circuit which alternates the current slower than 60Hz(50Hz outside North America) to make the light dimmer. This type is more expensive to buy, but wastes less energy.

Like Squee said though, you probably won't find any the right value. Find an electronics store near you.