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Thread: LED Dimmer

  1. #1
    Rolling Along Gyro Gearloose's Avatar
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    LED Dimmer

    I'm going to put in LED lights over my island. Going to put in something that I hope is really bright. With that said, if they are too bright I want to be able to dim them. Better mood lighting when it becomes a Bar ;-).

    It seems like some people are using the RF remote control style and some the really cheap knob controlled ones and what else? Any pro's / cons with the different versions?

    The really cheap knob style ones that I have seen on eBay or Amazon that are PWM have low modulation frequencies that are in the appx. 200-600hz range. (Pulse Width Modulated - {A pulse width of 60% on and 40% off would give you 60% brightness. Modulation is how many times it would be 60% on and 40% off per second.}) It seems many people complain about these because they are noisy because of their modulation frequency.

    I am considering using a PWM Motor Controller (have diodes in them so they will work with motors and have higher modulation frequencies 13khz - 24khz). I was thinking that the ones 15khz up you would not hear because of the frequency being so high (at my age). These are also very cheap. I am thinking of getting one that has 25khz modulation and is in a small waterproof case (bonus): https://www.amazon.com/RioRand-Contr...5818548&sr=1-7

    Anyone been using a PWM motor controller for LED dimming?

    Sorry for any geek talk, I will clarify if needed...
    Pat&Marlene Gyrogearloose - 2010 Itasca Meridian 34y - 6.7 w/Allison 6spd - Jeep Wrangler Rubicon - previous Reflection 303RLS

  2. #2
    Rolling Along Gyro Gearloose's Avatar
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    Well after reading many, many threads about people putting dimmers for their LEDs in their RV's, I found the most common comments were the search for ground wires to their light so they could make the dimmer controller work.

    I was doing a project for someone quite awhile ago where I need to explain PWM and typical controllers to someone so I did some diagrams to try to show the concept and thought I would share them here and why you are trying to find that ground wire.

    Typically PWM controls a device with ground switching, using an NPN transistor. The transistor is connected to ground and when turned on pulls the negative side of the device being controlled to ground. This is a very common way to turn high powered DC devices on and off. This method is also very common in digital circuits for turning things on and off. For example .6 vdc and low current can turn on a very high dc voltage, high current device.

    This is a very basic example and I'm not getting into the other types of switching devices like MosFet and SSR's etc.

    Ok, TMI.... Sorry

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Pat
    Pat&Marlene Gyrogearloose - 2010 Itasca Meridian 34y - 6.7 w/Allison 6spd - Jeep Wrangler Rubicon - previous Reflection 303RLS

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