The small dome ceiling lights are all dim red. One thing I did notice, is the longer the system is plugged in the brighter those dome lights became. They never get what I would call bright, but they were better after about 15 minutes. Some of the plug in floor and table lamps and newer looking wall sconces are much brighter.
I agree, its probably not the connections. In some cases a bulb was simply loose, but a light is either on or off. It must be the bulb type used in those dome lights is weaker somehow or it maybe similar to using a tiny nightlight vs a 100 W light bulb in your