We’re going talk about two basic types of practical dimmers, a standard dimmer that’s used with tungsten lights, and electronic dimmers that work with everything including LEDs and dim-able CFLs.
There are many types of dimmers: (Top L clockwise) Slider, Rocker switch with slider above, Rocker switch with slide on side, Flip switch with slider on side, dial dimmer.
Dimmers come in various types, dial, flip switch with slider on the side, slider on the top, the switch is the dimmer, rocker switch etc. Which type you use is really up to you but I prefer a dial for standard dimmers and a flip switch with a slider for electronic. I find rocker switches are prone to getting bumped on or off too easy and it’s hard to tell if they’re in the on or off position. With a flip switch, it’s pretty clear.
Seems silly to mark On/Off on a switch but because we made it portable vs mounted to the wall, it's easy to forgot which end is up. Here I'm marking on tape the position I need to dim the light up to during a shot.
I like dials or sliders because I find it's easier to mark the level I need to dim the light up or down to, especially during a shot. Now I have a standard dimmer in my kit but I prefer electronic dimmers because I use a lot of LED bulbs. Note that the issue with dimming tungsten is that as you lower the light level, its color temperature lowers as well. That’s why I prefer to use dimmable LED bulbs for practicals in a shot, as their color temperature doesn’t change.
I also like to use electronic dimmers with LED pars since I use them a lot for eye lights, back lights and fill. They’re a great way to control their light level without affecting the color temperature. Note that all LED’s are not dimmable so you’ll want to check that your’s are.
Now before we wire up these dimmers if would be helpful to understand a little bit about how electricity works. In a circuit, electricity comes out of the outlet through the hot side, which in the US is the smaller slot, and goes towards your light via the the black wire, the hot, into and through the lamp, and out of the other end along the white wire which is called the neutral or the return, back into the wall. That's a complete electrical circuit.
A simply wire diagram showing how a switch or this case a dimmer, is wired into the "Hot" link (black wire) vs the neutral (white wire) in a basic electrical circuit.
If you break any part of it, the circuit is cut, there’s no flow of electricity and your light goes out. That’s how a switch works, by breaking and reconnecting the electrical circuit. For safety, we always put switches into the hot wire so no electricity is going into it when it’s off. A dimmer not only cuts power on or off, it also affects the voltage which changes the light level in your bulb.
Now I’m going to show you three configurations to wire up a dimmer. Note, we’re not putting it into a wall but taking it with us to use anywhere we need it, in-between a lamp and the outlet where it’s getting its power.
So basically what we need is a male and female connector on either side of the dimmer. This one I’ll make grounded so I’ll use a grounded plugs.
We’ll also need wire, wire nuts and either plastic or metal box to put then into along with a cover plate.
In the U.S., the Neutral is the bigger prong on a plug, and bigger slot in an outlet. The Hot is the smaller of the two.
In the US, there are two sized prongs. The larger is the neutral, smaller is the hot. Since we’re wiring the dimmer into the hot line, the neutral will just be wired right through. Remember we are not breaking the neutral but the hot. The hot goes to the smaller pole, we’ll connect the incoming hot to the incoming pole of the dimmer, brass screw), and out via the out (silver screw). Then we screw the dimmer into the box, add a cover plate and we have a portable dimmer.
For the second configuration, instead of using separate wire, I’m going to wire them up into a 6ft non-grounded extension cord. This one is 16 gage wire which is good for 13 amps, way more then we need with practical LED’s.
I separate the two wires, hot and neutral, on the cut ends of the extension cord, strip the insulation off the ends so I can wire it up, and insert them through the holes of an outlet box.
This is really no different then the first configuration except we already have wire plugs. I cut the extension cord so I can fit it into the box. Then I wire the neutral back together with a wire nut. Then I wire the incoming hot wire into the brass screw on the dimmer, out on the silver screw. That’s it.
Ah but wait, how do to you know which wire is the hot, as there is not black or white wires here. The insulation. If it’s grooved it’s the neutral, smooth it’s the hot.
So in this configuration, you get a 6 ft extension with a dimmer. But a lot of times, you want to control a light from a distance, either during a shot or while you’re setting up a shot. In this case, it would be handy to have the dimmer offset.
Always test your dimmer after wiring it up.
Simple, we’ll take the same 6ft extension, cut it in the middle, separate the hot and neutral, and pull the plugs together. Now we cut the neutral short, wire it back together, and tape it good. Extend the hot wires out together, which will be about 3ft, wire them to the dimmer.
We now have a dimmer that can control a light from 3 ft away. Use a longer extension cord or add more wire, to make an even longer remote.
Music & Audio
Intro Audio this week:
“What the…”
by afterguard
A American westerner expresses his confusion. This was recorded in stereo on a Zoom H4.
https://www.freesound.org/people/afterguard/sounds/39960/
Links
Digital Dimmers
Lutron TGCL-153PH-WH Toggler CFL/LED Single-Pole/3-Way Toggle Dimmer, White
http://amzn.to/2lpfUY5
Lutron TT-300H-WH Electronics Plug-In Lamp Dimmer, White
http://amzn.to/2kNlrUX
Homedepot
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lutron-Toggler-150-Watt-Single-Pole-3-Way-CFL-LED-Dimmer-White-TGCL-153PH-WH/202746671
Outlet boxes
Plastic
Leviton 42777-1WA Surface Mount Backbox, Single Gang
http://amzn.to/2lwhLHd
Metal
Raco #8660 4x1-7/8d Draw Handy Box
http://amzn.to/2kNifbZ
Extension cord
6ft Extension Cord, Indoor, White
http://amzn.to/2kNh38C
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