Does anyone know if there exists, preferably on the web, a set of graphs that show current vs voltage (or resistance vs RMS power or any other equivalent) for common low-voltage bulbs?
I'm specifically looking for bulbs which may serve as a decent AC current regulator. (Think "ballast tube" if you're old enough). I've done some experiments with bulbs I had laying around and they seem pretty good in the glow-dull-red region.
If anyone has any good rules-of-thumb (e.g. "run at 0.5 the rated voltage and it'll pass sqrt(0.5) the rated current") I'll gladly consider them too as starting points. Above sample rule-of-thumb was chosen out of think air and while it works for some bulbs it doesn't really help me find points which will be good for constant current operation.
Worst case, I buy one of each kind of bulb from Mouser and make the tests myself :-). But I'd prefer to find manufacturer's curves on the web. I already checked Chicago Miniature and they didn't have anything obvious.
Tim.