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Author Topic: Recommend me a dimmer Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 03-22-2009 01:07 AM                        What's a good 3-step dimmer? Also, how the hell much does it cost?  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 03-22-2009 01:11 AM                        Probably depends on what you need for wattage, Joe. The Kelmar 2-channel dimmers work very well. You can put the stops where you want them, and set the timing from seconds to nearly a minute & a half. Mine have been running for 7 years with zero problems. Don't remember what the cost is, but I don't remember them being that bad. Check with your supplier.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 03-22-2009 02:31 AM                        I don't have direct contact with my supplier. I don't even know who my supplier is. Trying to recommend new dimmers to the owner and want to throw them a ballpark figure. The auditoriums are mostly small with one Large Giant Screen.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 03-22-2009 06:51 AM                        Joe; I concur that the Kelmar is really good, reliable, and is also available as a 3 step. See Kelmar website; we are a Kelmar dealer. Louis  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-22-2009 09:03 AM                     I'll concur with any of the Kelmars. They are totally reliable. We are also a Kelmar dealer but give better pricing!!  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-22-2009 09:25 AM                     The Ash TEC8112 dimmer is probably one of the best The Hitech and the Smart were the worse Lindsay Fairbanks are a little weird in there design The Leigh is good as well  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 03-22-2009 02:01 PM                     Gordon: Yes, the TEC 8112 was a great dimmer, compact and rugged and very reliable. But wasn't that only a two-stage dimmer? (Bright and dim?) I last worked with them back in 1993. I do recall they had up to 4 output circuit breakers, don't remember if they were actually separate dimmer channels. And what's so weird about the Lindsey-Fairbanks? It was a pretty good dimmer, very heavy though from the choke coils in the back can. (They were standard coil and core, not toroidals which would have been lighter in weight.) One drawback we did discover with the L-F's though: if the load is shorted the triac assembly would fail violently and send 120vac through the control lines, we fried an LP Assoc. automation that way.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-22-2009 03:36 PM                     Gee Mark...so you work for Wal*Mart too?  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-22-2009 05:32 PM                     The TEC was originally a 3 state dimmer up down preset with a double stacked card All the ones sold into the us were a 4 state dimmer with either Triac or SSR outputs and optionaly flurescent dimming  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-22-2009 05:40 PM                     quote: Steve Guttag Gee Mark...so you work for Wal*Mart too? Thats what our customers say... It apparently has something to do with volume and getting beter breaks on the cost... similar to Wal-Marts idea but down a different track. Mark  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 03-22-2009 07:43 PM                     Yep, and I have twelve of those Stanley Ash 8112 "Theatre Decorators" to play with. The ones with the triple breaker were set up kinda interesting- one breaker was the mains breaker and the other two could be tied together so it could feed two locations at once.. And we do have dimmable flourscent light fixtures in our houses..being old Cineplex Odeon plexes. Course, for Joe's interest is that he needs to check in the total wattage each house would use in lighting so he can get the right size of dimmer pak. Thus, if he has a giant screen house, he would need a dimmer pak (prob a pak that would have a triple triac in it) that could handle the megawatts that house would need. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-22-2009 08:15 PM                     the reason for the secondary breakers is that often the dimmer was ordered as 2.4k 3.6k or 4.8k capacity and under the nec the maximum breaker size protecting a medium screw base lamp socket is 15amps so even a 2k dimmer needs 2 secondary 15amp breakers  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-22-2009 08:39 PM                        Another vote for the Kelmar here. We have one and have had no problems in about 15 years at least. quote: Mark Gulbrandsen It apparently has something to do with volume and getting beter breaks on the cost... similar to Wal-Marts idea I think Wal-Mart is far more ruthless than CLACO!  |  IP: Logged Tony L. Hernandez Expert Film Handler Posts: 158 From: Windsor, CO, USA Registered: Dec 2005 posted 03-22-2009 10:22 PM                     Joe, Give Allen Christiansen at Aster Seating & Audio (formerly Quality Cinema Supply, Bob Tankersley) in Denver a call, seeing as you're in my region. He's a great guy and should know exactly what you need and how to get it at a reasonable price. He's always worked with me and my theaters and taken good care of us.  |  IP: Logged William T. Parr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 823 From: Cedar Park, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 03-23-2009 05:35 PM                     I would also have to throw in my vote for the Kelmar dimmer. I ran two of them at the Cine 6 in Corpus. No problems at all. I am planning on being in the Denver area again between labor Day and the 11th. maybe I can stop by and look at your current place.  |  IP: Logged

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