Touch Dimmer

[Kidd6488]

Ok, here's on on the electronics side. We recently installed under-cabinet lights (puck lights) in our kitchen. There is one 'touch dimmer' that feeds three transformer (it's within its rating), and the touch wire is wired to three touch pads around the kitchen, so touching any one will dim/switch them all.

But I've noticed that the system's sensitivity is quite low. I think it might have something to do with the fact that the touch wire might be capacitively coupled to the ground wire, because it is run the entire way right next to the circuit conductors (120V).

I think these things work off your being grounded, correct? Because the dimmer functions when I touch the (insulated) touch wire to the ground on an outlet. So what If I gave it a little ground anyways, so it wouldn't need as much of my touch ground to operate? I'm thinking maybe a high value resistor, or a low value capacitor, between "touch" and ground. Any EE's or people with more electronics knowledge than me have a say? I'm not sure of the exact theory behind it, but it makes some sense in my head.


Thanks!

~Jonathon Reinhart

[HayZee518]

The thing works off "body capacitance" Your body is an electrical generator and not the static variety. When you touch the device it's indictively picking up your electrical charge and applying it to the internal circuit through a transistor and amplifier circuit.

[Kidd6488]

Why then, does it work when I touch the wire to ground? (without touching the wire myself)

~Jonathon Reinhart