Re: Role of the condenser

[John Hofstetter <hofs@domain.elided>]

>Let me add and clarify something I said on this earlier. I said the
>Jacobs controls the output of the coil. That is technically correct,
>but; there are also two types of coils. 
>   I'll dig out my DR. Jacobs book tommorow, but; basically, the normal
>coil only will put out what it is capable of. 

Me too!

>(Dependant on the voltage
>in the primary circuit) This is proven by the fact that the points
>circuit require either a resister or a resistance wire to limit the
>voltage to 5 V during the run cycle. However, when you want to start the
>car there is a bypass wire direct from the starter to supply 12V to the
>coil to produce a hotter spark to help on cold starts and just to start
>the first crank. 

I've always believed and still do that the bypass of the ballast resistor 
is necessary because when the starter is drawing a couple of hundred amps 
the available voltage is also drawn down and drawing down 25% of 12V 
produces a lot different effect than drawing down 25% of 8V. (In 
measuring voltage on the output side of ballast resistors 8 or 9V is 
closer to the average of what I've gotten than 5V, Danny.

I had an interesting experience with this today. My linear amp for my CB 
has never worked right. When I key to transmit on the CB, if the 350 watt 
linear is on, my engine will die. I looked for a bad connection, but with 
the number 10 wire that feeds it, my voltmeter shows that the voltage 
near the amp is 2.7V. The circuit breaker for the Holley EFI draws off 
that same 10 gauge wire, and I think what is happening is that the amp is 
drawing down the voltage, much as would a ballast resistor and the EFI 
controller can't operate on reduced voltage. I see a similarity in this 
to what I said above about the bypass of the ballast. I'm going to have 
to provide a bypass to supply the EFI when the amp is activated.

John H.