I see a lot of discussion about how someone switched back to magnetos after installing some EI system and having problems with it. Can't say if I blamed someone for taking this action if they've had a lot of problems that haven't been adequately resolved. Magnetos have been around a long time and have done a grand job in providing ignition for an engine. But it should never be assumed that magnetos are without their own problems. A friend of mine at Santa Maria has just had his second magneto failure when the capacitor failed. Those who favor magnetos should be religious in overhauling them on a 500 hour basis. a friend of mine gave me the excellent book on magnetos put out by Sky Ranch and you should obtain a copy if you are going to maintain your magnetos yourself. When you read through this manual it will give you a new appreciation of how necessary frequent examination of a magneto and its mechanical parts is. There is a failure mode of the stop-pin for the impulse mechanism that will cause total annihilation of the gears in the accessory section! An EI will give automotive-like starting, but so will a shower-of-sparks-equipped magneto. Where the EI shines is in advancing the timing at the reduced manifold pressures at higher altitudes to give back some measure of performance;there are ample reports of 5% to 10% reduction in fuel flow. Another area that is seldom considered is that the timing of the magneto can vary +/- 5 degrees cycle-to-cycle due to cam wobble, points pitting, gear slop, and cam wear. This is why some prop makers restrict certain of their propellers from being used on an engine with EI; the excellent cycle-to-cycle timing precision of an EI can excite vibratory modes in the prop that are less present with the sloppier timing of the magneto. So to sum up, magnetos are good, and so are some EI systems!