Re: Car Ignition Coil (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: List moderator <mod1@xxxxxxxxxx>



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 10:56:16 -0700
From: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Car Ignition Coil (fwd)

Tesla list wrote:

>Original poster: List moderator <mod1@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Thu, 17 May 2007 22:08:30 -0600
>From: Michael Robinson <muze801@xxxxxxxxx>
>To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Re: Car Ignition Coil (fwd)
>
>Thanks for the replies everyone
> I just didn't understand how dimmer switches worked before now (i
>thought they were just variable resisters) so i thought it wouldn't
>seriously affect the coil if i omitted it.
>
>I'll see if i can find one laying around or buy one and try again later.
>
>Thanks again
>Michael Robinson
>
    The fact that the dimmer does work in this very simple application 
is fortuitous and the mode of operation is fairly obscure with the 
capacitor ending up being charged to effectively twice line voltage [it 
can stay charged when you disconnect things so be careful].  The problem 
with using this kind of a driver is that the narrow primary current 
spikes are drawn directly from the power line and can cause all kinds of 
mischief because they can easily hit 10 amps or more.  When I 
experimented with light dimmers I ended up hooking a 20 ufd motor run 
capacitor across the line to "keep the spikes at the bench" and of 
course that capacitor drew a slug of current when first hooked to the 
line...............

Ed