I've been reading about using a light bulb limiter

[SmogFighter]

Thank you all...

Thanks to all who put their 2c in.
And Thank you to Mars for that schematic and pic. That's what I am going to build this weekend.

Raul

[R.G.]

You are not environmentally sensitive enough to buy light bulbs.

Just a caution. In their infinite wisdom, our political heroes are protecting us from using too much electricity by banning the manufacture of incandescent light bulbs. It's already happened some places. I recently read that the manufacture of them will be banned in the USA in 2012.

So you only get another two years of being able to buy light bulbs for a limiter if you want to. After that, it's black market, NOS bulbs, and smuggling them in from clandestine factories in lawless countries that have no sense of environmental sensitivity, which will probably become a felony if it's not already.

See, that's what you get for just doing what you want with no thought to what it does to the rest of the universe. Someone has to protect you and the rest of the universe from you.

[Enzo]

Glen, and anyone else for that matter, yes, the variac can provide 15A even at 2v, that is why the variac is only half the test instrument. It is not very useful without also a current meter in series. When I turn the dial and see current starting to ramp up even at a couple volts, I can back right back down.

[antieatingactivist]

There has to be a simple way to build a current limiter using some solid state components and an LED indicator or something. I use this tool way to much for it to just disappear.

[Chuck H]

I do love RG's glib sense of humor.

Someone has to protect you and the rest of the universe from you

God I hate people... In general anyway. And often times RG's intentionally skewed perspective demonstrates the irony of both sides of an argument. Humor is the best alternative to serial killing.

Chuck

[SmogFighter]

^^^^^^^^^^^^

That's too true! (Humor is the best alternative to serial killing.)

[Wilder Amplification]

NOS light bulbs...now that's funny shit. Tell me RG...would the light from some NOS GE bulbs look better than light from say...a current production Westinghouse bulb?

[Mars Amp Repair]

bulb limiter & audio sig tracer

yeah Enzo,
I hear ya on the current meter on the bench. It's a great idea. Since I have 4 benches that I have to duplicate test equipment on, I go for the simplest, most reliable solution to just about everything. Hence, the bulb limiter.

I've also posted my home brew (Klooge ;-] ) audio signal tracer repleat with powered computer monitor enhanced by a Mag phone/mic preamp, which I switch in & out depending on gain needs in the circuit. The monitors cost 5.99 @ Goodwill & the preamps I've found cheap at the thrift store or online for relatively cheap.

g

[defaced]

I do love RG's glib sense of humor.



God I hate people... In general anyway. And often times RG's intentionally skewed perspective demonstrates the irony of both sides of an argument. Humor is the best alternative to serial killing.

Chuck

Sigged. I feel like this so often it's not funny. I just smile and walk away.

[Chuck H]

Whew!

Glad that was understood and well recieved... I figured it could go either way.

Just keep smiling.

Chuck

[SmogFighter]

+1

Sigged. I feel like this so often it's not funny. I just smile and walk away.

As soon as I saw that I had to "Sig" it as well.

[bob p]

Just a caution. In their infinite wisdom, our political heroes are protecting us from using too much electricity by banning the manufacture of incandescent light bulbs. It's already happened some places. I recently read that the manufacture of them will be banned in the USA in 2012.

So you only get another two years of being able to buy light bulbs for a limiter if you want to. After that, it's black market, NOS bulbs, and smuggling them in from clandestine factories in lawless countries that have no sense of environmental sensitivity, which will probably become a felony if it's not already.

See, that's what you get for just doing what you want with no thought to what it does to the rest of the universe. Someone has to protect you and the rest of the universe from you.

Oh man, you should do stand-up.

I think there's a loophole in the law that will get us around the NOS bulb problem -- AFAIK the law only bans the bulbs that we most commonly use: greater than 40 and less than or equal to 100 watts. Special purpose incandescent bulbs are still permitted -- So it'll still be possible to buy low wattage appliance bulbs and high wattage special purpose bulbs. When the supply of NOS 100W bulbs runs out, we'll have to use other bulbs and gang them up in arrays.

[JHow]

Yes, CFLs are here in my neck of the woods on all new construction, and, yes, they have reliability problems - in addition to the $8 price-tag.

[retrorod]

WELL said R.G. WELL said

[Diablo]

So who here is going to buy 10,000 light bulbs to store in their attic and sell on fleabay in the year 2050?