206 distributor advance setting

I had quite a bit of problems getting my 206 motor to run properly when I purchased it as the weights were all messed up in the distributor. I purchased a kit from Superformance and its springs were so strong that the timing never advanced. I played with different springs and as best as I could guess put some marks on the crank pulley until I had the car running pretty darned good.

But it caused me to think I should get myself a distributor machine, they can be had for a few hundred bucks used (sometimes less) and I have been looking for one, now my timing light has gone out and I need to buy one of those.

Can I get a "timing advance" light and use it in place of the distributor machine ? I would think yes, these lights are supposed to delay the firing of the light so the actual timing lights on the pulley remain in place while you rev the motor allowing you to check the advance on the lights display. They are not cheap of course but I would prefer that over having to lose yet more space to a tool that I will use only a few times. The only downside I see is that every time I play with the springs I have to put it back on the car and test it again which will take more time than a distributor machine but theoretically, this is something I should only have to do once maybe twice while I own the car so its not a big deal.

And before you ask...I could not find a local shop that could set the advance curve, they all wanted to send my distributor out to be set and besides, I like doing ALL my own work. My car is running pretty darned good now but I think the advance curve is a little steep, meaning it is too far advanced at the low to mid-range of the revs as I sometimes can get a little popping out of the exhaust, could be carburation also. I just would like to confirm or deny my work on the advance because i am quite happy with how well it runs.