dimmer circuit idea for ac?

DVDdoug:
Of course, these ideas will NOT work ... with most AC LED lights which actually require AC (but a regular phase-controlled dimmer wont work with these either).

That's interesting.
My lamps work great, then I tried the two different LEDstrings I have with my dimmer and they were kind of sucky.
I tried them with my X10 and they go on/off OK with a Socket Rocket and an Appliance Mod, but they balked at "full intensity" from the Dimmer module - my dimmer's results were better.

I suspect a couple of issues, with my dimmer:

  1. a very narrow range of adjustment, of the conduction angle, before the LEDs cut out. My dimmer, with lamps, goes from 90-150 deg., and a 40W lamp isn't so bright at 90 where the LEDs were pretty much extinguished
  2. there's holding current (below which the TRIAC will cut out irrespective) and LED strings' low current probably forces an early drop out, too