  It is shown that in the absence of inter-strand current redistribution the
self-field effect is to always increase the power-law index of the volt-ampere
characteristic and to decrease the temperature and magnetic field derivatives
of the critical current line. We show that the take-off limit of a strand in a
cable made of insulated strands is equal to that of a free strand due to a
compensation effect between the increase of the power-law index and the
decrease of the magnetic field derivative of the critical current.
