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Electronic ignition

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robint Sun, 22/07/2018

Has anyone any experience of these

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electronic-Ignition-Module-For-Small-Engine-…

ca £12 on Ebay

Ive hunted around the web looking for a plausible explanation of how these work and only found specious BS

 

I can only guess that the electronic switch is triggered by the magneto when it reaches a certain voltage.  How the correct timing is achieved is a mystery to me as there is no sensor module like a hall effect attachment

the points wire is diverted to the module which then is bolted to ground - thats it

how is the timing controlled?

 

other posters have scratched heads over this so its a bit of a mystery yet appears to be widely used on small engines and is also reliable and maintenance free.  I believe Ransomes fitted this on their Certes machines and later

 

 

 

 

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wristpin Sun, 22/07/2018

Smoke and mirrors!  The most understandable (to me)  explanation is that it senses both the amount and rate of voltage build up. 

When I had a mower business favoured the Meco version and we fitted dozens over the years, and I still fit them to my own machines now. Some customers liked them fitted within the magneto so that nothing showed and the Meco being smaller than the one that you illustrate lent itself to that. Other people preferred the points and condenser to be left in the mag and we would then mount them externally. They are very reliable  - we never had one fail in service.

As far as I know, Ransomes  (Villiers) never fitted either module but the last version of the Sloper used a Wipac electronic system as standard.

 

 

robint Sun, 22/07/2018

OK the Meco one is out of stock with Central spares but I left a msg to advise me when in stock again.  Will try some electrical measurements on it to determin if it really does advance the spark on increasing revs

wristpin Sun, 22/07/2018

Not sure what measurements you have in mind but thinking about it a battery operated strobe and some white felt tip timing marks on the clutch flywheel  - leaving the recoil in place to start it - may tell a story.