"Alarm is on" Light

[Bill Husler]

On Aug 24, 2005, at 11:04 AM, John Brumleve wrote:

> So:
> If the only X10 transmitter in my house is the powerline interface...
> If that interface is controlled by XTension...
> If XTension has a unit - non-dimmable...
> If there is no script written to "accidentally" dim that unit...
> If the unit's REAL module happens to be a LAMP  module...
> And, if we plug a transformer into that lamp module...
>
> In short, a wall wart transformer is plugged into a lamp module
> that will never receive a dim command...
>
> ... The transformer should be OK? (I guess)

Well, not optimal - at least from my understanding. Transformers are  
designed to work best with pure sine waves. Even at 100%, the power  
coming out of a dimmer will not be a pure sine wave. This is the same  
reason that if you put a fan motor on a dimmer it will hum. Also,  
since the transformer really wants a sine wave, it will "push back"  
on the dimmer to try and get what it wants and this will cause the  
dimmer to run much hotter.

I'm sure others will respond with better discussions, but I'm first!
Bill