Big Clive coined the name and here is a very old post of his about it. He's also made videos, of course.That is more commonly known as a step-up transformer. I had not come across the expression"joule thief" prior to attending this forum.
Also, on most ignition coils, the two primary connections are one to the battery positive and one to the breaker points. Usually single points distributors only had one wire exiting, which went to one terminal of the primary winding, with the other terminal connecting to the battery, either directly or through a ballast resistor.
by Duane Benson
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