LScamper wrote:
A dimmer chops up the power 120 times a second. With some bulbs you can hear them vibrate as the power goes on and off...
I think you are referring to an electronic/solid state dimmer here. Others have made references to an autotranformer or a rheostat that can can be adjusted to the voltage you need with most common voltmeters. Rheostats have been around since day one in the electrical world and where some of the first types of dimmers available. Typically a rheostat can handle fair amounts of current. A rheostat's drawback is that it will generate heat as the voltage/load changes.
