Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Contact Breaker shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Contact Breaker offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Contact Breaker at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Contact Breaker? Wrong! If the Contact Breaker is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Contact Breaker then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Contact Breaker? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Contact Breaker and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Contact Breaker wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Contact Breaker then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Contact Breaker site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Contact Breaker, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Contact Breaker, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

A contact breaker (or "points") is a type of electrical switch, and the term typically refers to the switching device found in the distributor of the ignition systems of spark-ignition internal combustion engines.

Purpose The purpose of the contact breaker is to interrupt the current (electricity) flowing in the primary circuit of the ignition coil. When this occurs, the collapsing current Electromagnetic induction a high voltage in the secondary winding of the coil, which has very many more turns. This causes a very large voltage to appear at the coil output for a short period - enough to arc across the electrodes of a spark plug.

Operation The contact breaker is operated by an engine-driven cam, and the position of the contact breaker is set so that they open (and hence generate a spark) at the exactly correct moment needed to ignite the fuel at the top of the piston's compression stroke. The contact breaker is usually mounted on a plate that is able to rotate relative to the camshaft operating it. The plate is rotated by a centrifugal mechanism, thus advancing the ignition timing (making the spark occur earlier) at higher revolutions. This gives the fuel time to burn so that the resulting gases reach their maximum pressure at the same time as the piston reaches the top of the Cylinder (engine). The plate's position can also be moved a small distance using a small manifold vacuum-operated servomechanism, providing advanced timing when the engine is required to speed up on demand. This helps to prevent engine knocking (or pinging).

Disadvantages of contact breakers Since they open and close several times every turn of the engine, contact breaker points and cam follower suffer from wear - both mechanical and pitting caused by arcing across the contacts. This latter effect is largely prevented by placing a capacitor Series and parallel circuits across the contact breaker - this is usually referred to by the more old fashioned term condenser by mechanics. As well as suppressing arcing, it helps boost the coil output by creating a resonant LC circuit with the coil windings. A drawback of using a mechanical switch as part of the ignition timing is that it is not very precise, needs regular adjustment of the dwell (contact) angle, and at higher revolutions, its mass becomes significant, leading to poor operation at higher engine speeds. These effects can largely be overcome using electronic ignition systems, where the contact breakers are retrofitted by a magnetic (Hall effect#Automotive ignition and fuel injection) or optical sensor device.

A contact breaker (or "points") is a type of electrical switch, and the term typically refers to the switching device found in the distributor of the ignition systems of spark-ignition internal combustion engines.

Purpose The purpose of the contact breaker is to interrupt the current (electricity) flowing in the primary circuit of the ignition coil. When this occurs, the collapsing current Electromagnetic induction a high voltage in the secondary winding of the coil, which has very many more turns. This causes a very large voltage to appear at the coil output for a short period - enough to arc across the electrodes of a spark plug.

Operation The contact breaker is operated by an engine-driven cam, and the position of the contact breaker is set so that they open (and hence generate a spark) at the exactly correct moment needed to ignite the fuel at the top of the piston's compression stroke. The contact breaker is usually mounted on a plate that is able to rotate relative to the camshaft operating it. The plate is rotated by a centrifugal mechanism, thus advancing the ignition timing (making the spark occur earlier) at higher revolutions. This gives the fuel time to burn so that the resulting gases reach their maximum pressure at the same time as the piston reaches the top of the Cylinder (engine). The plate's position can also be moved a small distance using a small manifold vacuum-operated servomechanism, providing advanced timing when the engine is required to speed up on demand. This helps to prevent engine knocking (or pinging).

Disadvantages of contact breakers Since they open and close several times every turn of the engine, contact breaker points and cam follower suffer from wear - both mechanical and pitting caused by arcing across the contacts. This latter effect is largely prevented by placing a capacitor Series and parallel circuits across the contact breaker - this is usually referred to by the more old fashioned term condenser by mechanics. As well as suppressing arcing, it helps boost the coil output by creating a resonant LC circuit with the coil windings. A drawback of using a mechanical switch as part of the ignition timing is that it is not very precise, needs regular adjustment of the dwell (contact) angle, and at higher revolutions, its mass becomes significant, leading to poor operation at higher engine speeds. These effects can largely be overcome using electronic ignition systems, where the contact breakers are retrofitted by a magnetic (Hall effect#Automotive ignition and fuel injection) or optical sensor device.