Re: Ballast resistor

[Steve Stegmann <stegmann@domain.elided>]

Tom,

I was playing with my points when my MSD failed.  First I tried to wire 
it without the condenser.  Nothing! Put in the condenser, Perfect! Then I 
began to think about why I needed the condenser.  

When the points break the current flow to the coil in order to cause a
field collapse and generate the spark, the condenser serves as the ground
portion of the circut for the secondary side.  The coil isn't grounded
throught the case like I thought it was.  As the field is collapsing, the
current behaves as alternating current, not the DC we are all thinking 
about.. Thus the condenser serves as a path to ground. 

Look at the circut sometime.  Check where thepossible ground paths are.

Steve

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Steven A. Stegmann
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