Too general I guess.

I think I got to the bottom of this, but I'll elaborate as there are other problems.

I set static ignition with the normal procedure described by Ron Kwas. #1 cylinder at TDC, timing mark at 15 degrees BTDC, Rotor point to #1 cylinder. #1 spark removed and held against the block. Ignition switch is turned to KPII and the dizzy is slowly turned until a spark is visible at #1. Spark point is checked again and dizzy is locked down. Spark plug is returned to #1 cylinder.

Normally the car starts perfectly, but in my case, I would get no sign of a spark from any of the wires using my inductive timing light.

Since there was no start, a lack of spark in the wires appears to be the culprit. However, the same timing light would read a spark from the coil wire suggesting that the system was working, no spark was getting out of the dizzy cap. Clear?

The the question is, how could there be a visible spark when setting static timing, but no spark when trying to start the car?

Well, I stumbled onto part of it. After bypassing the coil+ using the IPD diode kit, I got the car running. badly, but better than nothing at all. I reset the timing to spec (which with a hotspark is not where you'd normally find it)

Later I returned the ignition wiring to "normal" (removing the IPD diode kit) and the car started. Then I reattached the tach wiring and the same no-spark problem returned. When I unhooked the tach negative, the car started again and I could confirm spark in the plug wires.

The tach is a 3-wire small diameter 240 VDO tach. It had been working great, but it suddenly went dead during my ignition adventure of the last few days. I removed the tach and wiring and checked the resistance values of all three wires. Those came out fine (0 ohms). I then test-installed the wires under the hood and as soon as I hooked the negative tach wire to the coil, the engine began to die.

So something is wrong with the tach and it has been killing the ignition.
Several days of frustration comes down to this subsystem.

And that (I guess) is how you can have spark at the plug when setting static timing, but nothing at the plugs when trying to start the car.

I wonder if this is what killed my other blue bosch coil...?