folks do operate without, but it really is better to have one - no repros I've ever seen, you'll need to find a used one, a post in the parts wanted might find one soon
"When we tug a single thing in nature, we find it attached to the rest of the world" ~ John Muir "When we tug a single thing on an old truck, we find it falls off" ~ me Some TF series details & TF heater pics