Good point RonH.
While the diode does appear to be unnecessary, I believe it does interrupt current flow for one half-cycle as I mentioned.
This is another example illustrative of the fact that it isn't always easy to reconstruct what the designer had in mind in choosing a design path.
It is possible that the designer had nothing more in mind than to cut down on the brightness of the lamp that was used in the design by including the diode.
hgmjr
While the diode does appear to be unnecessary, I believe it does interrupt current flow for one half-cycle as I mentioned.
This is another example illustrative of the fact that it isn't always easy to reconstruct what the designer had in mind in choosing a design path.
It is possible that the designer had nothing more in mind than to cut down on the brightness of the lamp that was used in the design by including the diode.
hgmjr