Any body that understands
-that tranistorized dimming system (and its just not that complicated) SHOULD
-KNOW to verify that the light chain is not shorted before sticking in a new
-transistor. A short is about the only thing I've ever seen that will kill the
-otherwise beefy 2N3055 transistor.

And any engineer that designs a dimming circuit without short circuit protection
of the output device should be staked out with ants and honey.



-
-And to Mr. Weir......the 337 is for Major repair and Major ALTERATIONS.

And reasonable men interpret MAJOR differently. I have my sources that I've
published with a Chief Counsel's opinion. They are yours to google as you see
fit.



As
-the chief inspector for a large repair station, if I see an aircraft for an
-annual with some kind of aftermarket or home made dimmer system....it better
-have a 337 associated with it....not because I'm a jerk or an a**hole, but
-because that is what the regulations require.

And again, I beg to differ with your interpretation, as does the Chief Counsel.


Unfortunately, if I ignore that
-or miss that and the owner rolls the aircraft into a ball, even if it had
-nothing to do with the accident, I could be in big trouble with the feds or
-possibly be sued by the estate and loose every thing I've worked so hard for
-these last 30 plus years.

Them's the breaks, ain't they? Both of us have our respective hineys on the
line.


I've been the biz long enough

As have I, and we can disagree without being disagreeable.



"You seek your god in rule books and idols made by men, and all the while that
god is within you. Safety is that which you know, not what somebody else thinks
it would be nice for you to comply with. Ask your FAA inspector for the
approved definition of safety. There is none. How can any agency guide toward
that which it can't even define?" (Richard Bach, "Found At Pharisee")

Jim



Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com