Lamp containing soft-start power supply

1. A lamp comprising:

a lamp voltage conversion circuit within the lamp and connected to a lamp terminal,

the voltage conversion circuit that converts a line voltage to an RMS load voltage by clipping or modulating a load voltage,

said voltage conversion circuit including a time-based signal source that triggers conduction in said voltage conversion circuit independently of line voltage magnitude, a transistor switch whose gate receives signals from said time-based signal source to trigger said voltage conversion circuit, and a microcontroller that increases one of a rate and a duration of the signals from said time-based signal source sent to said gate of said transistor switch when starting the lamp, the one of the rate and duration increasing in plural steps from a first value to a steady state value that defines the RMS load voltage, and wherein during subsequent operation of the lamp, said time-based signal source is arranged and adapted to send the signals at constant time intervals to said gate of said transistor switch to cause said voltage conversion circuit to provide the RMS load voltage independently of line voltage magnitude.

2. The lamp of claim 1 , wherein said voltage conversion circuit clips the load voltage and said microcontroller is arranged and adapted for a user to select at least one of a location and range of a conduction angle of said voltage conversion circuit.

3. The lamp of claim 1 , wherein said voltage conversion circuit pulse width modulates the load voltage and said microcontroller is arranged and adapted for a user to select at least one of a frequency and duration of a duty cycle of said voltage conversion circuit.