VERY GOOD STATEMENT
I do my own thing also, being an olddddddddd engineer and attorney and retired debt free with money in the bank and a pension and health insurance I can afford it lol
As you already know I am duty and personal character bound to give the best possible engineering and safety sound answer and then hey its the posters choice, its his money and his life and safety at risk no one elses. I'm like Fox News, I report you decide. Years ago when attending NEC seminars and updates as we were required to do, I learned most code sections were the result of a fire or the loss of a life so a panel of experts devised the best current known method for the safest possible installations. Of course, professional trained engineeers and electricians may have differing opinions and if so theres a means and method to present them to a panel of experts who will study the issue and perhaps make changes BUT THATS NO EASY ROW TO HOE TELL YOU THAT The changes better be based on sound engineering and proven. But if a trained professional or lay person likes to poo poo the NEC its their right, its NOT law generally speaking, communities have the right to adopt some or all of it or use their own like Chicago or none at all. Due to all the training and experience I've had with it, however, (maybe know why the rule is there even if Billy Bob dont understand it, and how it might save a life) I just prefer and choose to recommend it to electrically challenged gents on here or even professional electricians.
Anywho I sometimes tell people here who cant make a decision they might consider THAT MAYBE JUST MAYBEEEEEEEEE the NEC panel of trained experienced experts are wiser then untrained ignorant Billy Bob and Bubba who wired their own homes over a case of beer n by golly it works just fine lol lol Also if ANYONE here, a trained electrician or Billy Bob, have a better safer way to do something BY ALL MEANS TAKE IT TO THE NEC PANEL you may save a life!!!!
Again, for what youre doing a bit of voltage drop (strip resistance heater and a light) doesnt concern me like if I was doing a design for a retail store etc and if there was an accident the store and designer would be in deep doo doo AND KINDA LIKE POSTED BELOW a person has the right (legal perhaps, maybe not Moral) to to someting stupid or unsafe n kill himself or his family I reckon???
For no more then the cost and the safety it brings and since its outdoors ID STILL USE GFCI but again its your free choice
Great great discussion maybe it has helped some here, my thanks to you
John T BSEE, JD