Quote Originally Posted by skeptic
...specifically the southwest of France for nearly two years. The power distribution system there stinks. Like everything else I saw, it was designed and built on the cheap.
I have no reason at all to defend the French!


Quote Originally Posted by skeptic
In Britain, if you buy an electrical applaince it comes without a plug. You have to buy your own and it's always the same one. It's designed for an appliance which can draw up to three kilowatts. And that's the one you use even if the appliance is a two watt alarm clock. Somebody from Britain, please say it ain't so. At least not anymore.
While I'm not from Britain, the wife did purchase a hair dryer last year in Scotland and it comes with its own molded plug with built in fuse.

Quote Originally Posted by skeptic
(regarding IEC plugs) As a consumer, I don't like it any better.
To each his own. I always prefer choices to not having them.

Quote Originally Posted by skeptic
By the Way, the FCC sets standards for RF emissions from all electrical appliances sold in the US. Just look at the back or inside of any remote control or any cordless telephone or the beginning of any operations manual for an appliance. Certificaton of compliance will be there.
Setting a standard and assuring it fully works are separate matters. Here's the standard disclaimer found immediately following that FCC Class B note:

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
-Reorient or relocate the receiving attenna.
-Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
-Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit diffferent from that to which the receiver is connected.

Disclaimers are there for a good reason.

rw