Hello All

When i first bought my Ilight source controller lighting was simple

I have four channels that had 2 60watt lamps and 2 100watt celing lights connected to it.

Normal voltage lights with normal bulbs

I went into a DIY shop yesterday and everything has changed everything is energy saving this and 12volt that.

Can anyone explain the updates? Can i dim these new bulbs, is there some sort of transformer that will take a dimmable 240V and convert it to the 12-24 volt needed for these little tuny bulbs that have appeared.

Help Please

Thanks

For the 12V halogen bulbs, you need a "dimmable halogen transformer". These are all electronic, forget about the cheap iron core transformers.

The "energy saving" (hah) or more correctly compact fluorescent lamps generally are not dimmable at all. Wait some more years and we might have reasonable LED replacements... (definitely not yet).

Ill go with the Halogen transformers as some of those little 12v lights are quite bright and look really nice.

Any recomendations on good transformers?

Do the all electric transformers buzz while not at 100%??

Some do buzz, but it's hard to say how they will be until you try them... Can't really recommend any particular type since you probably won't have the same selection there as we do here.

I have a couple of noname 80W max electric transformers that cost less than 20 euros a piece. They are practically silent, the Innovus dimmers that control them make more noise...

The good thing about low voltage (12V) lighting is that you can legally install them yourself. That doesn't rule out using common sense, though - the currents are actually much larger than with 230V, and bad connections or too thin wires can get dangerously hot. As do the light fixtures themselves - 60W is still 60W, even if the bulb itself is small.