The insulation turns brown with age even in the absence
of smoke.

Rick N6RK

"Fred McKenzie" wrote in message
...
Ovens
very rarely run away. It is far more likely the fuse will fail
or its socket will corrode (can't solder it in because the solder
would melt the fuse). If the oven does run away, the heater
transistors will open up and serve as fuses

Rick-

I've seen photos of these ovens on E-Bay, that had been stained by smoke
coming
out of the adjustment hole. I'd rather have some kind of protection.

I believe the oven uses proportional control, so the transistors' maximum
dissipation would occur when the heating element is half on. In a
"runaway"
mode, the transistors would be switched on with maximum current but nearly
zero
voltage. Also, one transistor failure mode is a short-circuit.

With regard to John Miles' comment about the thermal fuse being to far
from the
oven's heating element to be effective, perhaps that is true. However,
the
earlier thermal fuse was rated at 108 degrees C, and it occasionally would
open
in an oven that was apparently operating correctly in the range of 80 to
84
degrees C. The newer fuse is rated at 115 degrees C. I suspect the
problem is
that it is opening due to a combination of time and temperature, not
temperature alone.

I've been running one of the new parts for about two years without a
hitch.
The frequency has not been adjusted since about two years ago, and it
still
takes 15 or 20 seconds to drift one Hz against a 10 MHz rubidium
oscillator.

That HP 5334B is one nice counter!

73, Fred, K4DII