Re: Decreased Avalanche Voltage: I guess not. Issue ended up being a damaged TVS across the transistor which had the reduced avalanche voltage. Very odd, usually those just short if clamped too hard.

@kuba, I think this answer was fine and didn't need to be deleted.

Difference between operations and plans is about the same as the difference between dating and ...ing off.

When I was a kid, I had a paper route. There was this one "old guy" whom lived alone in a tiny house. "Man" I thought, "He's missing out on life." Come to find out, he might have had the right idea all along...