just to clarify, I'm pretty sure the MJE3055's are NPN type. If you
have a PNP it probably wount work.
Double check your pinout of the tranny. It's different than the
mps8099's.
left to right (front view) it's BASE COLLECTOR EMITTER
also make sure that diode has the white tip going towards the BASE
from the EMITTER, having it backwards will short out any possibility
of triggering.
When I was measuring the trigger voltage, I had the RED lead connected
to the top wire (out side) of the the trigger coil, and the BLACK lead
connected to the bottom wire (inner wire I believe). No resistors or
anything, just the winding strait to the meter in VDC, and when I
passed the magnet SLOWLY at first I got -20mV and when the magnet went
away I got about +20mV.
Try taking the Grain Of Wheat bulb out and just have the resistor in..
or if you have any other resistors put a 100 ohm in there (Brown Black
Brown (silver/or gold))
That transistor wount fire until the rotor has enough speed to move
those magnets across the coil fast enough to induce 0.7V (700mV).
Really, it shouldn't be that fast for it to trigger.
If you have the Charging Battery out of the picture you'll notice that
the tranny is firing because the Neon Bulb will light up to absorb the
Back EMF.
Those welding rods are probably affecting the overall circuit, but I
believe that if all is wired correctly and functioning you should
still get it to spin. If anything the proximity of the rods will only
add magnetic friction and make it have a higher threshold of speed to
get it to sustain rotation.
oh oh oh .... I just remembered..... one of the first things I did to
all the coils was keep my Inner Wires on the bottom (base of the coil)
and move my Outer Wire to the opposite end (Top) so that I was certain
to get my orientation. It's easy to get those mixed up. Also, and I
highly doubt this, but it is a possibility that some coils might be
wound the wrong way. You never know, some one might have changed
shifts and did a whole set of bad coils. But I would rule out
everything else first. however, if the Bifiler wires were wound
together then I don't think it would make that much difference, at
least not until you add the slave coils and they have an opposite
orientation. That's why it's good to start with one coil and work your
way up... That's what happened with Rick and the 30 coiler, some one
wound some coils backwards and they assumed it was all good until
nothing happened.
I'm sure you are getting close.... I can feel it.
=D