In article
. com>,
wrote:

> jim wrote:
> > With out the condenser hooked up
> > it had a little spark, but the spark was very weak.
>
>
> I showed this same thing in a different way trying to test the coil on
> my Sportster motorcycle. Used a plain piece of wire instead of points
> and condenser, touching the wire to ground manually and pulling it off
> to create the spark, seen by looking at a spark plug out in the open
> (grounded to the threads, of course). The spark generated in this
> manner was so puny it was hardly visible. When I added a condenser
> the spark was big and audible.

Try he same thing but do the make/break by scratching the wire
across a file. Plenty hot spark...

Then again, Chrysler service manuals in the late 70s early 80s
showed how to rig up a coil tester that used a condenser in
parallel with the make/break wire.