"jim" > wrote in message
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Kettering will work without a condensor.....for a short period of time. It
has little to do with the series
resonant circuit.

Kettering works by building an electromagnetic field in the coil during the
'make' or 'dwell' portion
of the points. When you open the points, the field decays, and a high
voltage is induced in the coil.

If you have a condensor which is badly out of range, or none at all, the
points will be compromised.

If you have a shorted condensor, then you get nothing.