Adjustable Brightness Driving Lamps

[Ian B]

I’ve fitted some driving lamps to my Series III Landy but I need to find a way of dimming them for various conditions (in exactly the same way that a house dimmer switch works). So I have been trying to find a rheostat/variable voltage switch that I can add into my 12v wiring. So far I have found nowhere that makes such an item.
Anybody know where I can get one?... or someone who could make one up for me?

Thanks in advance.

[greenlandy]

googled these:
www.cpemma.co.uk/rheo.html
www.sailorsams.com/mall/dimmers-ilvpc.asp

Also speak to these guys: www.autosparks.co.uk/

HTH Matt

[Ian B]

greenlandy said:

www.cpemma.co.uk/rheo.html
www.sailorsams.com/mall/dimmers-ilvpc.asp
www.autosparks.co.uk/

Many thanks for trying Greenlandy, I checked out each one of them.

The 1st one suggests buying from Maplins, but they no longer sell rheostats.
The 2nd one looks good but it costs about £60 (+P&P) due to it being for marine applications and would have to come from America, there must be someone in the UK who produces this item...
The 3rd one, Autosparks, emailed me back to say they don't do one and suggested I try Maplins.

I would have thought that this would be a readily available part for about a tenner? Any ideas where else I could try?

[greenlandy]

I think you need to sit down and google for an hour have you tried your local car electrics specialist or as a last resort go to a scrapyard and see what you can find.

[cpas]

Whatever you go for, remember it's running an awful lot of current with 2x55W headlights at 12V - much more than a 100W home light bulb at 240V or car fan!

[talkwrench]

Just a thought. If you only need bright or dim, how about rigging up a circuit that runs the two lamps either in parallel (bright) or series (dim) and a switch to alternate between the two. Should be easy enough, very cheap (just the cost of a switch) and very safe.
If you need a wiring diagram, let me know. I'll draw one up and mail it to you.

[talkwrench]

Ian, YHM!