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Re: more about e-ballast





>>I installed the new dimmer designed by Niche Engineering.
>
>Is this the dimmer rig that Champion sells?

Yes.  It is the non-programable one.  It sells for about $130.  The fully
programable one sells for about $350.  The non-programable one requires an
external timer.
BTW - Both Champion and Niche do a good job of walking you through the
installation, which is fairly straight forward -  as long as you accept the
fact that no fluorescent lamp will be linear during dim-up and dim-down
like  incandescent lamps.  The ground plane (a 1-1/2" wide piece of Al foil
running the length of the tube and wired to the main ground) is essential
in reducing the impedance and thus getting many small increments of light
intensity changes during the ramp-up/down cycles.  Also the bulbs need to
be "broken in" for 50 hrs or so before they dim properly.  The Hg is not
properly dispersed throughout the bulb until this time.

Augustine Rodriguez
Elk Mound, WI, USA