[Mr. Carlson] has an old-style 1940-era radio tube tester, the kind that used to inhabit grocery and drug stores. It is in amazing condition and he was kind enough to tear it down for us. The tester ...

From the late 1920s through the 1950s radio and television repair shops were almost as common as drug stores. Back then you could take your radio, TV, or record player to your neighborhood shop and ...

In August we ran a few photos of Steve Johnson’s excellent collection of radios. This month, we’re tuning in on his tube testers. All information courtesy of Steve’s website. Confidence Special First, ...

There’s still a mystique around vacuum tubes long after they were rendered obsolete by solid state devices, and many continue to experiment with them. They can be bought new, but most of us still come ...

Believe it or not, every Radio Shack – hell, almost every drugstore – once had a tube tester sitting at the back, available for all to use. Pulling a bunch of tubes out of a malfunctioning radio or TV ...

Marked: "DAYRAD Tube Checker / Mfd. by the Radio Products Co., Dayton, Ohio. / Licensed Under Weston Patent 1704566 Type B". Includes leather carrying strap. Tube tester designed for A.C. plug in ...

Moorhead type VT-32 radio tube, brass base with 4 long pins, tipped T-shaped envelope. Makers stamp "V.T. 32" on envelope. Donor's card reads: "Triode made by the Moorhead Laboratories of San ...

Recently I noticed an irresistible offer on Craigslist: a Majestic 3C70 AM/shortwave radio for just US $50. This model dates from the 1930s, when such radios came in gorgeous wooden cabinets. The ...

Ex-movie theater projectionist Steve Guttenberg has also worked as a high-end audio salesman, and as a record producer. Steve reviewed audio products for CNET and worked as a freelance writer for ...