Indeed it is possible if you use dimmer doubling. You would then use the HPL550W/77V lamps.Is this even possible?
(Please reference the March, 2008 issue of Live Design; page 34.)
Dimmer doubling quick and dirty. Basically the dimmer doubling adapter splits the AC waveform so that the "positive" side goes to one fixture and the "negative" to the other. The SCRs (or SSRs) in the Sensor dimmers are capable of chopping the AC waveform in a non-symmetrical pattern. Meaning you could chop half of the positive and 75% of the negative at the same time. In normal SCR operation the same amount of both positive and negative gets chopped.My god! I never knew.
I don't believe this has come up on CB before?
Does anyone here use dimmer doubling? I've read briefly about it, but am not positive about what the deal is with it. Can anyone shed some light on it? And why does dimmer doubling necessitate the move to a 550W lamp?
Although I can see some advantages, personally I've never used it, as I feel the cons (special "two-fers," lamps, and connectors) outweigh the benefits. But I work in places that bring in as many dimmers as are needed for each show. .
The most interesting thing to me is the fact that you get better luminous efficiency from lower voltage lamps. I don't know offhand why that is, but for the HPL575/115V you get 28.73 Lumens per watt, while the HPL550/77V gets 29.4 lumens per watt. I know that we had this discussion when I was in school, but I don't remember why it works out this way.
Also, as I said, there is a reason you get 77V from the DD system, but I don't remember what that is either.
From the ETC Dimmer Doubling Data Sheet: "77V HPL lamps have an additional pin that prevents you from installing them into a non-Doubled fixture."
Does this mean that all the fixtures that you use on Dimmer Doublers need different lamp bases? It also says that the DD's use 15 amp twist-lok connectors. I can see the cost adding up quite quickly. How much are the doublers themselves? Anyone have a rough estimate?
The UL Listed connector for a Source Four fixture used with a Dimmer Doubler is the NEMA L2-15P: 15A, 125V, two-pole, three wire, grounding Twist-Lock® connector
Two Pole, 3-wire would be an L5-15. Two Pole, 3-wire implies a grounded connection: two poles=Hot + Neutral, the third wire being ground. Besides, in this case it has to be a grounded connector to comply with code.
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