Stupid question about coils

madcarpenter · Jan 21, 2009

OK,

so I bought a couple of 12 volt coils from my local brit bike shop owner. I got to my shop and looked at the coils. No + or - on the coils, just a number 1 on one post and a number 15 on the other post.

Presumably, the 1 is negative and the 15 is positive?

DS

daveh · Jan 22, 2009

It's a valid question, and why manufacturers can't just put + or - on the terminals is beyond me. I had to call the suppliers of a magneto coil about this recently. 1 = earth, 15 = live.

batrider · Jan 22, 2009

Earth can be positive or negative depending on whether you have a positive or negative ground system. Which is plus and which is minus?

Norvin · Jan 22, 2009

15 = +
1 = neg

L.A.B. · Jan 22, 2009

daveh said:
why manufacturers can't just put + or - on the terminals is beyond me. I had to call the suppliers of a magneto coil about this recently. 1 = earth, 15 = live.

Some do have both.

I dug out an old BMW Bosch coil, one terminal is marked = "1" & "-", and the other terminal is marked "15" & "+".

The numbers are part of a German?/European?/Bosch? standard for electrical circuit marking, I believe.

Stupid question about coils

madcarpenter

daveh

batrider

Norvin

L.A.B.

Moderator

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