Joe, one thing to keep in mind.  Your static timing setting is really setting your Maximum possible advance - in other words, you can NOT advance the timing beyond that point by electronic means.

Ed A

Ed, that makes a lot of sense. The ECU/Controller/Distributor – they all only know where the engine is when those pickup points on the CA align. Everything that the ECU/Controller/Distributor does is only after it knows what position the rotor/piston is in. Yes, I guess the ECU could calculate an advance beyond that static point based on speed and when it last saw the contacts/pickup fire – but in that case it would be just a really really retarded firing because it would have to be based on the LAST time it saw the CA pickup fire.

That really helps my understanding to look at it that way…maybe I’m becoming just a little less retarded myself J