[ARC5] Capacitor Versus Condensor

[Fuqua, Bill L]

Points and condensers are rarely used these days except for antique cars.
I suspect the same in aircraft. Mechanics only knew them as condensers and did not 
usually encounter them anywhere else except in ignition systems. Oddly enough many
believed their only purpose was to prevent pitting of the points since bad condensers
cause points to wear out quickly but with out them you also loose energy in each spark.
73
Bill wa4lav

________________________________________
From: ARC5 [arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net] on behalf of Robert  Eleazer [releazer at earthlink.net]
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 8:10 PM
To: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [ARC5] Capacitor Versus Condensor

I have found it curious that capacitors used in automobile point type distributors were called "Condensers" long after the term Capacitor had become the norm in the world of electronics.  I would bet that many people thought they were two different things, although some ignition "Condensers" do have capacitor values printed on them.  Condenser is still the term used in the Bendix Magneto parts list.

Wayne
WB5WSV