Dimmer

Dimmer, from the word “n. dim, v. to dim”. Simple device to make light of incandescence lamps lower. Also, used to slow down colector motors. All this started because Lithuanian internet is full of old soviet circuits with archaic components. Meanwhile “other” world is using much better way to dim lamps.

Circuit is copied from real world China made halogen desktop lamp. Power of the lamp was about 100W and this circuit is typical.

In real world this looks like:

Component selection is not very critical: triak BTB04-600SL (ST semiconductors, 600V, 4A, trigger curent 10mA), diak or trigger diode- DB3 ( “fire at” 32V), inductors was about 3mH. There are lots of versions of this circuit in the internet. In one version I saw 50uH inductor, T0609MJ and BR100. Just check if maximum allowed values are not outmeasured.

Also, it is posible to find triak and diak in one package. I found one packade silicon device in some vacuum cleaner. As power of motor was about 1500W, triak-diak was with small aluminium cooler (~8 square centimeters).

WARNING!
This circuit is galvanically connected to live circuit. Do not touch the wires unless you want to be electrocuted.

More circuit collected from internet:

C1, L1- apsauga nuo radio trugdžių. R4, C4- apsauga nuo atsitiktinio suveikimo dėl tinklo trugdžių.

R4, C3- apsauga nuo atsitiktinio suveikimo dėl tinklo trugdžių.

L1, C1, R1- trugdžių sugertukai. R2- kad išsikrautu C1 atjungus iš rozetės.