stan2004 posted:If you're willing to give the AC-to-DC converter a try, that's the way to go and you'll like the results.
But to answer your original question, it depends on how many bulbs and and much dimming (reduction in voltage) you want. These might run $5 -10 for, say, a 10 ohm, 25 Watt variable resistor. See photo below.
Another method which is the subject of many threads is using pairs of diodes or bridge rectifiers to reduce AC voltages in steps...about 3/4 Volt per pair of diodes. Add more diode pair or more bridge rectifiers to cascade as much drop as you want. A bridge rectifier which provides 2 "taps" or drops of either ~3/4V or 1-1/2V AC runs about 50 cents.
What's nice about the bridge rectifier method is if you cascade several bridge rectifiers you can "tap" the string at various points so that different lights can use different taps at the same time. The other two methods only offer a single output so if you want an additional output at a different voltage you need another variable resistor or another AC-to-DC converter module.
Here's a photo of what a cascade of 4 bridge rectifiers might look like which provides 8 "taps" that drop the voltage in ~3/4V increments. So if starting from 14V AC, this provides drops/taps of about 13-1/4, 12-1/2, 11-3/4...8V AC which are simultaneously use-able.
That's a neat setup with the terminal strips and a quick solder free build. On this first round I'm going to run one converter for street lights, one converter for buildings then give the yard flood lights straight 14v off the buss.
