Specifications

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Dimming Products
As you look through the EDI dimmer
range, you will see different models with
different specifications. Taking the Big Stik
as an example, we would describe it as a
6 x 10A dimmer. This means that it has 6
channels, and each can handle up to 10
Amps of load.
An Amp is a unit of electrical current which
can be calculated quite simply from Watts
and Volts.
As an example, if we have a theater light
which has a 500 Watt lamp, the equation
for working this out is: Amperage =
Wattage divided by Voltage.
The Voltage is simply the mains supply
voltage in your country (e.g in the US it is
120 Volts), the Wattage we know is 500
Watts.
So, the Amperage is: 650 / 120 = 4.2
Amps.
A dimmer channel with a rating of 10 Amps
could easily control this light. In fact, it
could control two of these lights together.
Working it out the other way around, we
can see that a 10 Amp dimmer could
control 10 Amps x 120 Volts = 1200 Watts.
EDI make a range of dimmers from 5 Amps
to 20 Amps.
In terms of the physical connections to
the dimmers, there are many different
choices available. There are versions with
'hardwired' terminals, with an individual
socket for each dimmer channel, and also
there are 'multiple' connectors, which can
carry many dimmer channels. The exact
choice will depend on your application.
For control, the dimmers will have
connections for Analogue, DMX, and often
for both; again the choice will depend on
your application. Most new systems will
use DMX to connect the dimmers and
control desk as this offers a flexible, reliable
solution.
Dimming Basics
A dimmer is the part of the lighting system that connects
to the mains supply and controls the amount of electricity
going to each of the lights. Normally, each dimmer channel
will have its own fuse or circuit breaker to offer protection
against overload or electric shock.