Recent content by Charlie Cheap

How about those times you are really into a movie and a storm moves in. I installed an old "regular" antenna just for that purpose. A flip of the switch and I am back on...if the show is locally broadcast. We lived 20+ miles out in the country and 50 miles from the towers. I stacked 2 half a...

Mike, I can't find proof electronic spark is "better" than points at what I call normal RPM. Even MSD's testing did not show their system was better than points. All the way from idle to over 5000 RPM, points/HEI swapped the most HP position back-and-forth. At racing revs it is better at higher...

I misstated my question. I too have used HEI with the coil on top of the dizzy (distributor) without any computer or sensors. In order for the little 2.3 to make any real power it needs a turbo and fuel injection. For any serious gains a computer controls fuel mixture and spark with several...

Having made/modified my own distributors for years, I was surprised to see MSD (Multiple Spark Discharge) company show their graph using Points, HEI, and Performance HEI comparisons, with little difference in Horse Power made, up to about 6000 RPM. I know a points mechanical system makes a...

sophiecentaur, that "trick" was in every TV tech's toolbox. While we are on the subject, I once had an attractive woman leave the room while I was behind the TV working under the chassis, replacing diodes on a bridge rectifier. She walked back into the room wearing only a fancy belt, a ribbon in...

Okay, now I will go to sleep with old memories of CRT's, Cycles rather than Hertz, Heterodyning, Degaussing a TV screen, and trying to avoid the 50K volts shock of a fly-back transformer, while adjusting high voltage with a plastic diddle stick. Turning the tuner to a non-station so I could see...

sophiecentaur, THANKS for twisting my brain further. As I remember theory there is a field of energy around the wire delivering the spark to the plugs. THAT I think is where the ringing happens. If one could reduce that energy around the wire, which I believe the resistance wires do, damage to...

I am reminded of an instructor's comment while in school. "Gentlemen, what I am about to explain is NOT what actually happens, but it is the only way I can explain it so you can understand, with what little knowledge you have now." This was Elkins Institute in 1969 (YES, I am old), and we...

Thanks for the info. My 4-cylinder has wires as short as I can make them and I ran copper wires in a 40 Ford coupe with a 289 V8 for years, with Pertronix replacing the points for the last two, with no problems. I called Pertronix about using copper and he said he would not recommend it. In old...

It has been decades since I was in electronics school and I forgot a lot. I was told using copper plug wires could hurt modern electronic ignition parts, and I was wondering if an RFI capacitor (.5 mfd.) would help protect things. I have a 4-cylinder with points that have been changed to a...

I got into a similar debate on the "automotive" site when I said old points ignitions work fine up to about 5K rpm. That was proven by MSD company (Multiple Spark Discharge). Between 1000rpm and 5000rpm electronics work better at some rpm's and points do better at others. A back and forth...

I get the impression my question was much like asking, "How high is up?" All the answers were what I expected but now I at least have others opinions to show my son-in-law. THANKS.

I am certain this has been answered...but I missed it. Why do so many guitar players swear by TUBE amps? My son-in-law says they just sound better. Because I was a TV/Radio service tech for 20 years with a degree from Elkins Institute, he asks me why? My guess was, maybe amplifying a signal...

There was an AFC (Automatic Frequency Control) button that locked the channel to a pre-set frequency. There was also a pre-set 'picture' button that locked brightness, contrast, and color intensity to a pre-set level. Before PLL (Phase Lock Loop) things tended to drift, then very compact IC's...