As a minimum you should make yourself a static light for initial timing (and can be used to check staic timing for various changes made dynamically).
Go to radio shack or your local equivalent and get a panel light (incandescent, 2W or so) in a colored housing. There should be one available with short pig-tails on the housing but if not, soldering them on is dead simple. Also pick up two alligator clips for the wire you have attached to the light housing.
Assembled, you will have a small colored light with two wires with alligator clips on the ends. Attach one end to the "-" terminal of the coil and the other end to a good ground.
The light will be off when the points are closed. At the moment the points break your light will come on.

And do check the filter again.

Mike!