As a matter of fact, they were NOT talking about modifying ETC dimmers. The only mention of that that I can recall is here:I just mentioned ETC specifically since it was their employees that you quoted. And odds are they were talking about modifications to their own products when you saw them speak against modifying modules.
It's sorta possible, but you have to cut open the power cube and scrape away some potting compound to do it. Definitely not a good or correct approach to something that could start on fire and/or electrocute someone if it fails. Liability is a thing...
Also, the chokes in a dimmer module are an important part in determining how much fault current the rack as a whole can handle safely. In bypassing or removing those, you're creating something that looks the same in normal operation, but is potentially much more dangerous when something goes wrong. The proper CC20 modules achieve the same results by including fuses in place of the chokes. Those fuses have a higher rating than the breaker so a normal overload (like 30A on a 20A circuit) will just trip the breaker. In a more extreme failure, those fuses can react faster than the breaker can trip and that limits the total amount of energy released.
Oh, and in case anyone decides to be half-clever: leaving the chokes in is not a good solution because they're actually more likely to be the cause of problems than the SCR when powering things that don't like dimmers. That's especially true for higher rise-time modules like the D20AF since the chokes are bigger.
What you've said is correct, but leads to more questions than answers. Please see https://www.controlbooth.com/thread...wg-extension-cord-to-a-wall.48968/post-433100 and its following post for more discussion. The OP, @microstar , either negligently or being intentionally nefarious, failed to mention the brand in question, But I think it's obvious to many the form factor of that particular dimmer module. Other posts in the same thread are enlightening as well.If you look at a”factory” CONSTANT module, that is exactly how they are constructed. No SSR, no coils, just a short length of wire from the breaker to the output pin (two circuits per module=two lengths of wire, one from each breaker to the corresponding output pin). ... Again, look at a “factory” made CONSTANT module. That’s all they are… two breakers and two short wire leads, one from each of the breakers to each corresponding output pin.
Please don't refrain. A cornerstone of ControlBooth is members helping other members. This includes helping a dumb ol' stagehand like me understand how to safely modify something a captain of the industry (and other respected members) says is a bad idea.I’ll refrain from trying to help from now on.
Bye.
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