Haven't forgotten my post. I am trying to get enough time to go over the sequence again.
Doug I know that a compressor should not stop and start suddenly because it needs time to equalize to prevent damage to the compressor. The reason I said compressor was because there is a "thunk" and then instantly something starts again. I have a voltage meter plugged in to a receptacle and spent some time yesterday listening and when it happens there is no drop in voltage although the needle fluctuates 1-2 V. constantly.
I will try to verify that it is not the fan. Barttletj says the fan shifts speed but I did not notice that.