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Jon Elson[_3_]

wrote:

As per Boris - yes, it could be a timing light - but definitely a
stop-action device of some sort. I expect that there were other parts
associated with it - strobe-type timing lights have an induction trigger
device, usually, as one example. + & -attached to the battery, and the
inductor clamped to #1 cylinder spark-plug wire.
Really, really, cheap timing lights, like from the J. C. Whitney of old,
were just two pieces of spark plug wire with a coiled neon tube in the
middle. The spark plug and the coil were the current limiter. They were
very dim, and you could get chopped up by the fan trying to get them close
enough to the timing marks to see anything.

Jon