[Amps] R. MEASURES PRAYERS ANSWERED

[Paul Christensen]

K7FM:
> Rich talks about prayer cloths - but in fact his nichrome suppressor is
> acting as a prayer cloth.  This is a case of putting that in will make
> sure
> something bad will not happen.

Fuses.
Circuit breakers.
Lightning arrestors:
Discharge gaps.
VSWR alarm circuits.
Crowbar over-voltage protection.

What do all these devices have in common with the parasitic suppressor?
Why, they are all "prayer cloths" designed to protect against something that 
*could* happen, not necessarily something that is *pre-disposed* to happen.

So here we are -- more than a decade later since these parasitic debates
began and we're still debating the use of a one-dollar component in
multi-kilobuck amplifiers.

If we hire the best design engineers who do the best job they know how to
ensure that every component selected for an appliance will test
in-tolerance, and stay in-tolerance during the product's life cycle, should
we then eliminate fuses as being an unnecessary "prayer cloth?"  Or, if I
build my home in the safest part of the country where no known floods,
lightning, hurricanes, tornadoes, sink holes, excessive winds or other nasty
environmental factors exist -- am I smart in terminating my homeowner's
insurance policy to save some money?

All this over a one-dollar component?  Please.

Paul, W9AC