Depending on the coil design/insulation often times a regular probe will capture a signal that allows to measure burn time, at least. Even without coin. Although you only get a fraction of the information the secondary can offer at least it allows a relative comparison between coils/cylinders.
An expert is someone who knows each time more on each time less, until he finally knows absolutely everything about absolutely nothing.
Wow this thread really picked up since I was last here.
I believe the attenuation is for a few reasons. One, liability. They don't want to be buying you new oscilloscopes when a spark jumps to the probe or if the voltage output becomes to high and overloads your scope or your scope settings can't be set high enough to get the entire waveform in view.
The pico probe may also work better with the Pico scope. I've never tried.
The improvised probes, well your dancing with the devil but honestly I've been using my liquid tape coated coil of wire for a long time now without issues. I find shielding in the coil is tough with professional probes and sometimes even with the improvised probes.
I've used coils of solder wrapped in electrical tape on top of multiple coils, or solder wrapped around ignition wires, (Hopefully good wires) to get signals. I've also had luck with just putting on a large alligator clamp directly onto a spark wire to get the signals.
Someday I would like to build a safer circuit. Haven't had the time.
