Aspect Posted April 22, 2007 Posted April 22, 2007 I've just installed my HPM Superdimmer switch, and by christ it's a noisy bastard!!! Does anyone else that has one of these notice any "hum" or static type noise from theirs? Sitting at least 3m away I can here it! I'll call HPM and ask them, but I thought I'd ask here also. Cheers, Chris
RodN Posted April 22, 2007 Posted April 22, 2007 I have one and there's no noise even when my ear is touching the panel and making the lights go on...! .... ok maybe that close there's an ever so slight hum however it's not detectable once I'm a few inches away.
Foggy Posted April 22, 2007 Posted April 22, 2007 I have one and there's no noise even when my ear is touching the panel and making the lights go on...! .... ok maybe that close there's an ever so slight hum however it's not detectable once I'm a few inches away. Mine is the same as nobby's. What sort of transformers are you running Chris, wound or digital? .... mine are wound.
JoshH Posted April 22, 2007 Posted April 22, 2007 Mine is the same as nobby's.What sort of transformers are you running Chris, wound or digital? .... mine are wound. My brother is running one - no problems - very quiet.
Aspect Posted April 22, 2007 Author Posted April 22, 2007 I'm using Atco Possum transformers. Theyr'e electronic, and supposed to be suitable with leading edge dimmers. I was running the old Atco type. You know, the big heavy black ones, but they wouldn't light up properly. I'm tipping there's a problem with the switch itself, that seems to be the only reasonable explanation, especially since all you guys have no noticeable noise. Cheers, Chris
Roderick Posted April 22, 2007 Posted April 22, 2007 I've just installed my HPM Superdimmer switch, and by christ it's a noisy bastard!!!Does anyone else that has one of these notice any "hum" or static type noise from theirs? Sitting at least 3m away I can here it! I'll call HPM and ask them, but I thought I'd ask here also. Cheers, Chris The noise is probably coming from loose wire windings on a torroidal ferrite choke (inductor) that all these dimmers seem to use. I recently assembled a DSE kit for a table lamp dimmer, and the instructions suggested coating the wound choke with epoxy resin to stop any buzzing noises. I did not bother, and seem to have gotten away with it. The HPM Superdimmers seem to be electronically quite similar to the kit job I made, and may well use the same PIC1 microcontroller IC chip. They use "phase control" to vary the voltage -- a sort of switching variable voltage PSU. If you feel brave, open it up and slop a bit of epoxy on the ferrite choke coils. Otherwise, take it back! Rod
Aspect Posted April 24, 2007 Author Posted April 24, 2007 I think I'll just return it. probably be easier in the long run...
Aspect Posted April 25, 2007 Author Posted April 25, 2007 Swapped it over. MUCH better. Minimal noise now. Cheers, Chris
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