unless the coil is internally ballasted, you do need the resistor, and if it's a new one, the most likely cause of smoke is simply the coating burning off, if you've got things right that should stop but those things do get smokin hot, as the saying goes wink

Bill


Moved over to the Passing Lane

"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