Early 1940's RTL Airline Tube Tester Teardown With Explanation.
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2022
- Lets look inside and see how it's assembled. Then, will it test a tube? Let's find out. Enjoy! For links, click the SHOW MORE tab below.
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#learnelectronics #repair #restore - Наука та технологія
To learn electronics in a very different and effective way, and gain access to Mr Carlson's personal designs and inventions, visit the Mr Carlson's Lab Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/MrCarlsonsLab
I would really like to see a full restoration of this vintage(!) tube tester🙂
About the shadow on the test screen: Could it be that the metal plate sagged downwards in time but should be up to the top of the meter? Maybe give the metal plate a little push upwards to make it 'right' again? I can't imagine this was supposed to be like this from factory.
Agree,well said
Yes, please restore this tube tester. While i do not work with tubes, I love listening to and watching your videos on these old machines.
In the early 70s, I worked for a chain Drug Store in the states. They had a large tube tester in the corner of the store. Prior to bringing your tubes in to be tested, you would pick up a pamphlet with
numerous stickers in pairs. 1 sticker went on the tube and the other on the chassis so a person could put the tubes back where they belonged. It was amazing to watch a person bring in a lunch bag with a bunch of tubes to test. I recall one customer getting angry and hit the machine with his fist, the manager told him to stop or leave the store. Eventually, he bought a few new tubes and put them in the lunch bag with the others. When he got outside, for unknown reason(s) to me, he dropped the bag on the sidewalk. He was really mad and wanted the manager to refund his money. I just went back to scooping ice cream and laughing to myself. They took the machine out a few years later.
Thanks for sharing your story!
This is where my career in electronics began in my uncles grocery store. He sold Radio /TV tubes. It was my assignment to help people do the tests , especially the ladies. Markup on tubes in a grocery store was good profit. Tube sales were slow as no one else was pro active in sales. I earned a commission on every tube I sold. In my senior year I signed up for RCA Technical Institute in New York City. The rest is all my history of a lifetime in electronics. I am glad I had mentors like Mr. Carlson.
My father-in-law started his activity in the electronics industry as a field man for Tung-Sol. This would have been the mid-1930's. He had a route (various drug stores, hardware stores and such). He would inventory the tubes, bill the store, restock, and test the tester. He had some great stories.
I absolutely love the really artsy Art Deco stuff, and the rarer the better. This thing deserves a full restoration and needs to be used as your main tube tester for future videos. Probably one of my favorites along with the Supreme Vedolyzer.
Mr Carlson proves once again he is a time traveler. How else do you get such old electronics, in good shape? He obviously built a time machine out of old tubes and handmade circuit boards and went back to restock all his tube and test equipment needs
Maybe he's friends with This Old Tony and borrowed his time-travel lathe.
Can I have it back now Paul?
Would love to see the restoration of this since it shares some similarities to my 50s Taylor 45c. I think these are some of the best for beginners since they can give a good/bad indication as well as been cheep and easy to use.
Yes, would love to see restoration of the tub tester. Thank you
Please!
Yes, I would definitely love to see you restore & calibrate this lovely meter!
Me too.
This being an early (1940's) tester you might bring us through what a typical customer repair looked like back then.
Contrast that with the roadblocks we currently suffer under just to change the battery on a cell phone.
Thanks for your input Jerry.
So true!
I've only used a store tube tester once in 1966, when I was 16. My father asked me to test all the time tubes in our television set. Every tube tested bad, which I found hard to believe! Shortly after that, I purchased a late model Precision Apparatus tube tester from the estate of a radio and television man. Testing the tubes with that tester showed the tubes as good. Since then, I never trusted store tube testers.
interesting. you could sell a lot more tubes if the tester was off kinda shady practice but i;m sure some did it.
You sir truly own some beautiful pieces of historical art.
Wow the humour in this episode! The jibes at "doubtful" and the black-hole of the bad tube within a tube... becoming a grandfather has brought out a bit of cheeky joy!
Id love that tube tester just lit up , even the neon bulb 💡 is awesome ..old stuff beautiful ..awesome piece test kit Mr Carlson hope you restored fully bud
If there's one thing Mr. Carlson is good for besides his vast technical knowledge then it's how he is able to and does explain EVERY - SINGLE - THING he shows in his videos, which is why I keep watching. He leaves no room for imagination with how the stuff works. Keep up the good work Mr. Carlson!
Yes I would like to see the restoration. When I was a kid there were vacuum tube testers in Radio Shack stores. My two favorite stores back then were the Hobby Shop and Radio Shack. Thanks for sharing another great video!
Love learning little bits of trivia like deckle vs decal.
Of course you must restore this item. I never miss any of your restoration videos they are quit informative on the vintage tech.
Yes, Paul I would like to see the restoration of this device. I believe we can learn a lot from an odd piece of equipment that is expertly restored. I am looking forward to your videos and it is great to see you back, I hope all is well.
Yes, please do restore that lovely tube tester. I had to laugh with surprise at the ear piece, I'd never seen one before. How many people knew what it was? I have a suitcase type tube tester.
Absolutely fascinating!...Please put in the queue for a restoration video!!
My father was a pharmacist for Eckerd Drugs back in the 70's & 80's and they had a tube tester till about the early 80's. (my great grandfather was friends with Eckerd family way back when, they hunted and fished together, and whenever Jack Eckerd would pass through town he would stop and see dad to check on the family :-) When they stopped selling tubes they gave dad the tester AND all the tubes that were in the locked case below the tester... I miss those days... And I miss my father!!!
Yes, definitely want to see the restoration of this tube tester!
This was great Professor Carlson and thank you for the explanations and tour of this classic tube tester. Brings back memories for me when I was a kid going to Sears (early/mid-1960's) and next to Customer Service was a tube tester. Absolutely would like to see this tester restored.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This channel would not have been complete without a tube tester review. Fantastic!
Excellent Paul. Thanks for sharing. If you have time, it'd be great to see this restored. 👍
Yes! Please restore this historic piece! Thank you!
For the rookies in this hobby like myself, seeing a tube tester restored is valuable information, please add it to your list.
Mr Carlson
It would be beautiful to see you wave your doctor electronic magic on this beautiful 1940's test equipment.
I so love watching your vids and seeing your work as it reminds me of the days when I was a child and seeing repair worker's actually repairing the machines.
Neat! It's a Radiotechnic Labratory Tube tester. This has to be from the early 40's the shortcircuit detection patent (US2033347A) was granted in 1936. Apparently "Airline" was the trade name for Montgomery Ward branded tube radios so I'm betting that's the store this was made for.
There were indeed guitars and guitar amplifiers branded Airline and sold at Montgomery Wards which were made for them mostly by Valco in Chicago.
Although I do not like some aspects of UA-cam, people like you being able to share all of these interesting & fascinating things that we love with a whole bunch of people across the globe is invaluable ! Gotta love teh internet !
Mr Carlson, I would like to see this tube tester restored. Thank you for the techniques and knowledge which have made available to us.
You're very welcome Jack!
Awesome tester. I'm old enough I remember going into Thrifty Drugs with my Mom (or older brother) and testing our TV tubes. Was always a cr*pshoot if they'd have a replacement for the bad tube in the bin below the tester...but if they did and the new tube fixed the TV...WooHoo! Those were the days. Needless to say you get my upvote to restore this one. Looking forward to it!!
DT
Thumbs up for the restoration project!
Love it.. more testers need a 'doubtful'
And a restoration would be super.
That’s a beauty, I love tube testers and love watching you restore them and I love restoring them.
I'm from Michigan, and went to College in Sault Ste. Marie just across the creek from Ontario, and in my 72 years of life I have never heard the pronunciation 'deck-al'. I learn something new every day, eh. BTW, I call a variable resistance adjusting a voltage a potentiometer, or 'pot', and I call a variable resistor adjusting a current a 'rheostat'. And it looks like that's pretty much the definitions you'll find online as well.
BTW, I have a Heath tube tester to refurb, so your channel was the first place I came to learn more about tube testers. In fact, it's the first place I come to pick up tips on all of my old tube gear. I've seen several tube testers over the years, and I've never seen one of those that you have, so they must be pretty rare.
A potentiometer must have 3 terminals on it, one at each end of the resistance element and a third terminal for the wiper. A rheostat only needs or only has 2 terminals. A potentiometer can be used as a rheostat if you ignore one of the connections, and assuming that it can handle sufficient voltage or current without overheating, but a rheostat cannot be used as a potentiometer.
New to the channel. Didn't know Bob Ross did electronic teardowns as well! Such a relaxing video.
Welcome aboard!
You make learning electronics fun, in part because of diversions like the one here: 8:41 - 9:04 😂
Mr Carlsons you are good at electronics and restoring vintage shortwave receivers and alignment vintage shortwave receivers
I would suggest that since this was in a grocery, hardware or drug (or other type) of store with public accessibility, they wanted to keep someone from pulling out a screwdriver and seeing what was inside. Maybe just for curiosity, but maybe for malice. Hence the use of nuts on machine screws to attach the front panel. The chrome strip attachment clips are definitely similar to what is seen to hold similar strips on 1930s and 1940s cars. That is a classic attachment mechanism for the times. I think that this is definitely an early 1940's vintage tester. The late 1940s, 1950s and 1960s testers would have been much more complex.
These devices would often check only the tube filament and maybe listening to the signal from transmission between anode and cathode (later replaced by a transconductance meter). Hence, only three (or four) connections to many octal and loctal tubes. The four to seven pin tubes would have needed more switch settings to configure the pins on the front-panel sockets. It may have even tested mechanical "vibrator" devices (which I recall were four to six pin devices) used to generate pulsed DC to step up to high voltage DC for early radios (basically a mechanical switch-mode power supply). Having no miniature tube sockets (let alone Compactron or Nuvistor), and none of the older 3-pin tube bases like the "Pee-Wee" and European types used starting in the 1920s.
As for bulbs, I've seen some older equipment like this where there were early bayonet sockets used. The filament would have had a "side", and so putting the bulb in 180-degrees out of the sweet spot would cast a shadow on the dial. That was not a problem with the screw type sockets or the bayonet types that had one pin track higher than the other. The neon bulb used to be available in several types, but all would trigger at 90 volts, so I'm surprised that your unit didn't have its neon bulb light up. The "D" electrode types were very useful for polarity determination, as could the pin-type (like the NE-2), with other types available, but not as intuitive for polarity detection.
This would be a fun restoration to see.
Sorry to hear of your loss and the joyous news about a new grandchild. Condolences on your loss, and congratulations on your new family member!
I vote restore. I would also like to see 7 and 9 pin miniature sockets installed (maybe replace the unwired sockets) so that modern tubes could be tested. Figuring out the necessary settings on the tester for these modern tubes sounds like a fascinating exercise.
Please restore this. It is such a cool looking and (as you say) rare piece.
With out a doubt, your funniest video. It's doubtful that without the tube quality indicator I wouldn't have laughed so much. It's brought to mind the Simpsons and Moe's love tester.
Dear Paul: I remember going with my dad taking tubes from our living room TV to Walgreens pharmacy to check them in the tube tester in the store.
Absolutely old stuff like this has some strange childhood magical feeling about them 😊
Thanks you for explaning the difference between a de-cal and a dek- all.
In my opinion this is worth a video restoration even if its only because its so old. Liked the teardown. Randy/GA
Put them all on the list Mr. Carlson, every single one.
Darn right you should restore this tube tester!
It's so interesting how you trouble shoot!
I sure have learned a lot from you. Thanks.
Absolutely would love to see the restoration of this beautiful piece
I would love to see the restoration of this device, especially given your comment that very few of them have survived. It both has a historical value, and would likely serve as a good lesson in how early electronics were constructed, which I find very insightful into understanding how they have since evolved - and as importantly, why things evolved in that way.
Oh what memories that brings back. I remember having to walk into Thrifty's Drug store, to find the tube tester. I found one that supposedly still works at a electronics store in San Bernardino called "Mac's Electronics" Just another one of the places where you can find old vintage parts for whatever you can think of.
Paul,
I can't believe you own a bucket truck. I have no earthly use for one, but I am still oddly jealous!
Dam, being old is remembering the tube testers in stores.
It's interesting to think of some fellow in a fedora walking into the drug store in 1943 and testing a vacuum tube and then going home and shoving it back into his old RCA and listening to war time radio. Different time. Different place. Different everything. Please restore this old time capsule soon!
I have a bunch of tube testers because when I started there were still plenty of tube and hybrid TVs and radios in service so they were needed fix the junk I picked up to fix and sell or for myself. I have a military I-177b two box setup from the early 50s that will accurately test almost any tube ever made. I have a suitcase modern tester I was given by one of the TV repair shops I picked up reject customer sets to repair. I also have a cool wooden box one from the late 30s very similar to what you have in a much smaller box. I also have several Belton CRT rejuvinaters that were very useful to bring back TVs with weak picture tubes. I don't really use them or the many boxes of tubes I gathered up over the years. I don't really want to get rid of them but who knows, some are probably worth a lot of money now.
Always enjoyed fixing and modifying anything I have. Pretty cool piece of gear and useful for fixing antique radios to this day if you have the charts which I'm sure it does.
I really remember the tube testers at drug stores and hardware stores when I was a young. I remember trying to fix our family's radios and TVs by putting all the tubes in a bag, taking them to the store, and testing them. Today, I really doubt the quality and calibration of those retail store testers. They usually seemed to identify a lot of tubes as being bad. And, chances are, they didn't have the tubes you needed in stock to sell, anyway. I remember buying tubes we didn't actually need, and the problem not being fixed.
I also remembered when the professional TV repair guy would make a visit, he's carry in some big tube caddies, and just immediately start substituting tubes, not using a tube tester at all. When you understood the circuitry, a lot of potential problems were obvious.
Seeing this restored would be great! Thanks for all you do.
That may not be the most valuable thing, but I love it! A great pice of Americana worth preserving.
Yes this needs your touch! It is a beautiful piece of history. Thank you for the videos I have learned more from you than some of the teachers I had in college on electronics!
As an American I really enjoyed this episooooude of Mr. Carlson's Lab.
Seeing this restored would be awesome!
I surely would love to see the restoration of this old tube tester. I’m a big fan of vacuum tubes! Love anything and everything about them. So you bet I want to see the restoration of this rarity.
Wow that is an old one. About 45 years ago now I fixed first TV. Eventually moved on to get ECE degree and left that career behind, but still enjoy watching the videos to recall my early roots in electronics. Things sure have changed.
Yes Paul, I certainly would love to see you restore this good looking tube tester. It is so good to see you back with these projects. Hello from Tennessee.
"Doubtful" leaves no doubt about that poor tube. I got a real laugh out of that. But all joking aside this is really a real gem of a project to restore. I can't wait to follow along.
Yes I would love to see 👀 the restoration of that, vacuum tube tester.
Most definitely like to follow the restoration process of this. Thank you so much for sharing
The pronunciation of decal made me smile. I got hooked on Corner Gas during a trip to Prince Edward Island, and Brent Butt pronounces it like you do. You're right... down in the states we say Dee-cal not deckle. :-)
this tube tester is so neat. Electricians tester NE34. looks like out in the country the radio repair people were sparse so mom goes to town and checks the tubes and gets supper. 😎
Yes, I have 2 testers that I plan on tackling. This would be very informative.
This video was also worth watching. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Yes restoration of the tube tester is something i am interested in seeing
What amazes me the most is that back in that day the average professional homeowner would know how to use that tester with ease. Someone else I watch on UA-cam points out that automobile owners manuals used to tell you things like how to time your car, how to tune the carb, give you an electrical schematic...Now they tell you how to turn on the radio...
MR. CARLSON,
KINDLY TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY. HOW MANY CHILDREN YOU HAVE AND IF THEY ARE INTERESTED IN YOUR WORK AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO WORK IN YOUR HUGE WORKSHOP AND WILL MAINTAIN THE WORKSHOP AFTER YOU.
I PRAY FOR YOUR LONG LIFE AND WISH YOU CROSS THE 100TH BIRTHDAY 🎂
Wow, neat. Made right up the road in Evanston IL.
By all means please DO proceed with the restoration of this unit! No hurry, but please do make the video.
This one is quite interesting. I learned a bit that I wouldn't have expected to have learned with your showing the things you did on this one. I was thinking that it would be a good idea to use LED'S on this one to illuminate the metering display, but I do understand your desire to keep it as original as possible.
With almost every device of this vintage, there are always things you "could" do for one effect or another, but there are always consequences of every action of that sort.
You and your videos are much appreciated!
Love to see this restoration. Lovely bit of kit. Thanks for sharing Paul.
awesome stuff ..what a sweet looking tube tester form back in the day ... big thumbs up
About that 3-wire socket...
1. I'd search the table in reverse to find matching tube.
2. There were directly heated cathodes - heater wire *is* the cathode in that case. Directly heated diode would have just 3 wires.
3. The red wire in the middle of the front panel intrigues me - it might be for the lamps that have anode terminal on top of the bulb. This would allow to test indirectly heated diode or directly heated triode.
Best regards and glad you're back.
This would be a fun restore I would love to see it fixed up.
Radiotechnic Laboratory model X tube tester from 1945. Incredibly rare condition with glass signage . The list of tubes
it can test was found inside on the bottom of the tester. Very nice and rare find in itself! Awesome looking inside and
testing it out for a rather so so performance. It is what could you expect from a dime store tester from 1945. Thanks
for showing it Paul.
Yes, we know all of that because it was shown in the video... including the list of tubes that it can test. Perhaps pay attention to the video before commenting?
@@johncoops6897 I almost always reveal the model number after watching a video by Paul and a few other YTers in my comments ( my right to do so) in case someone doesn't know the model number /manufacturer. You aren't "we all know"! Do me a favor delete your post so everyone won't know what a jerky comment you made! Apparently Paul liked it and gave it a personal thumbs up with the heart emoji at the end.
@@hestheMaster - You aren't _"revealing"_ anything. Everything that you wrote (including the manufacturer and model number) is already clearly shown and explained within the video. Paul truly doesn't need you to re-state what he already showed us, despite how important and clever it makes you feel.
BTW: Paul "hearts" all comments in his videos, it's nothing personal.
@@johncoops6897 Never seen a hearts on yours! But you are really not a positive contributor anywhere. You are a most hateful commenter instead.
Yes please, I would very much like to see the restoration of the tube tester. Thank you
Yes, i would like to see the restoration of this tube tester. I picked up a Mercury 2000 tube tester a few months back and it needs some work. So, i am interested in seeing how you tackle this restoration. Thanks for great videos!
jay the florida pool pump motor repair guy when service calls Longwood approved ! that was good info 2 see/know 👨🔧Mr Carlson's Lab
Any restoration you do is enjoyable, and I like the antique vacuum tube equipment the most.
Very cool. Would love to see it restored!
Definately want to see the restoration of this valve tester. :) It's beautiful.
Yes, please do a restoration on this !
Mr. Carlson, I have been watching you for over two years - it is one of the best pick me up to watch your work. I love it.
I have meaning to inquire, I have an old 1980s TenTec 4 mutiband ham gear. I serviced the VFO works fine changed all the caps. BUT it badly needs alignment. Would you be interested in having fun with it and of course I will be great full. Cheers!
I love that you’re posting more frequently! Of course restore the tester!
Good stuff Paul, you are doing important preservation and education work
Would love to see the restoration of this device. I absolutely love seeing old equipment being revived. It truly tells the story of the time line of electronics...
Yes! We would like to see the restoration of the tube tester. Thanks.
Thanks for bringing us along to take a look at this device. I can tell you definitely had fun filming this video.
I, for one, would definitely like to see this device restored. I think it's doubtful that such a video would go unappreciated.
If/when you do restore it, could you also cover the significance of the 'Airline' term on the decals. Thanks for another interesting and informative video Paul.
I’d love to see this restoration. Nice!
Absolutely! It's working but I wonder how accurate. Only the Mr Carlson treatment will reveal the truth
Love to see you restore this!