document updated 16 years ago, on Nov 23, 2007
See here for the basic aspects of ignition coil drivers for high-voltage generation.
As this points out, a high-efficiency new one may be significantly better than an older one.
How much voltage/power can be applied to the primary winding?
OOPS... I put 120v through an expensive ignition coil, and it fried. BE SURE a coil will
support more than 12v before you try it (and when necessary, add an external ballast resistor to the primary).
What frequency should the primary winding be run at?
How should the feedback be implemented?
Where's a cheap place to get an ignition coil?
When auto-parts stores have their catalog online, you can search for 1975-1985 cars for the cheapest
ignition you can find. These can sometimes be just as inexpensive as getting one from a junk yard.
Condensers can be bought from:
Ballast resistor (1-2ohms, to bring the total resistance up to 3.2 ohms): radio shack, $2 ea