is this a condenser or ballast?

tom_gonzalez@ve · Jul 10, 2014

flynbuick said: ↑

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You are mistaken. Ask yourself why a capacitor, which under your analysis is just an open circuit in a pure DC circuit, is being used in what you thought was a pure 12 volt DC circuit. A capacitor would be an unneeded component in a pure DC circuit.

They are also applicable terms when one has a transient circuit which is what happens when points open and close. AC circuits in this sense are just a species of a much broader term, the transient circuit --meant the voltage and current vary and are not steady state over time. In an auto circuit using points in a regulator, the current and voltage do not change instantaneously from 0 to 12 volts. So during this phase when the points activate, it is no longer a pure DC circuit. It is a transient circuit, meaning the voltage and current ramps up and down.

If one specified the circuit in its Thevenin equivalent, in the real world it would show a voltage supply in series with a switch and an inductor and in parallel with a resistor, a capacitor and an inductor. Even if one uses a transistor as the switch, this hold true.

So why do the wiring diagrams not show all of the this? The simple answer is, "For simplicity". Otherwise, one would have to call in an EE to try to explain all of this when 99% of the time it is not needed.
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You are incorrect in your analogy. If it was installed as a series component you would be correct, HOWEVER in both the radio suppression and points protection roles in both the ignition and charging circuits they are connected IN PARALLEL -- NOT SERIES. The capacitor ACCEPTS a charge as the contacts open, and discharge it again when the contacts close. If they were connected in series they WOULD block current flow as you said.

Check out a shop manual and look at the electrical section showing the schematic of the distributor and you will see the Cap spans the points, one end is connected to the positive points feed and the other is connected to the negative engine block. The same goes for the original type voltage regulator circuit.

iacovoni · Jul 14, 2014

Thanks for all the info and leads, it is great to have a AM radio with no buzz and blinkers that work like new. It's amazing how the small things breathe new life into these cars.

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is this a condenser or ballast?

tom_gonzalez@ve Well-Known Member

iacovoni The Buick.

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