Mark Devin Newland wrote:

> After all, there is a safety factor if they don't have a fuse or have
> bypassed the fuse.  It could overheat the wires causing insulation to
> melt and short.  Do you want your device being responsible for causing
> the fire that burned down someone's car.

  OK, you *are* wagging us here, aren't you?  "They" put the nail in the
fuseholder and "you" are responsible for the fire?  Should we sue petrol
stations for Tibetan monks then?  A bit odd!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Look, while this discussion was in relation to PICs, the use of
"crowbar" diodes in radios is based on one consideration: efficiency.
1V series voltage drop (*not* 700mV; we are talking power diodes and
sundry *amps* or tens of same) is 8% of the supply voltage and converts
to a minimum 20% RF power output loss.  Therefore radios use crowbar
diodes instead.

  If you buy a CB second-hand, you look at the fuse.  If it is the
original rating, (1A for AM, 2A for SSB) you proceed to evaluate the
radio.  If it is absent (or in fact the fuseholder is absent) or has
been replaced with a 35A one, the offering price is now $2 (and that
only if the accessories are in good condition).  Them's the rules.

  Cheers,
        Paul B.