Rider Chanalyst - Model No.11 - Powers On

In the late 1930s, John F. Rider designed an all-in-one bench tester aimed at the Radio Repair Man. The tester known as The Rider Chanalyst became the all-purpose instrument for the radio repairman's workbench.

From the 1930s through the 1940s, John F. Rider was a well known radio engineer and a technical publisher. Besides many books on radio theory and repair, he also published the popular Rider's Perpetual Trouble Shooter's Manual series of service manuals. Rider designed the Rider Chanalyst as a unique, single test instrument that would aid the repairman by tracing and visually indicating the signal in every stage of a broadcast receiver.

What It’s Worth: The Rider Chanalyst

The Rider Chanalyst indicated the signal in every stage of a broadcast receiver.

A unique feature of the Chanalyst that still stands out today was the use of several “Eye” tubes as indicators. Eye tubes were used extensively during the 1930s and into the 1940s as visual tuning indicators on home radios to show the peak strength when tuning in stations. A glowing green “eye” about one inch in diameter on the end of the tube would open and close to indicate signal strength. The Chanalyst incorporated four 6E5 eye tubes as an easy to see signal indicator. The use of multiple eye tubes in a single unit is most likely the main reason the Chanalyst is sought after by test equipment collectors today. Eye tubes are becoming harder to find. Used, working 6E5 eye tubes with a strong output sell for a minimum of $10 to $18 today, and it is not uncommon to see new old stock U.S.–made 6E5 tubes sell for $25 to $30 or more. A Chanalyst with four good working eye tubes can be a steal if you happen to find it at a low price.

The Chanalyst incorporates five independent “channels” for testing. Four of the channels use the 6E5 eye tubes as indicators. These channels consist of a three-stage tuned RF amplifier covering 95 to 1,700 kHz, an oscillator channel for testing the radios local oscillator (600 kHz to 15 MHz), an audio channel to measure a receivers audio stage (150 Hz to 15 kHz), and a wattage channel to measure the line power usage. The fifth and last channel uses a conventional meter. The fifth channel is an 11-MΩ/V vacuum tube voltmeter with a center zero movement, which allows it to indicate positive or negative voltages.

Electronics & Computers, Other

18%

Rich Monaco II | (203) 627-7651 | theauctionaut@gmail.com

Pickup Details

Private Residence

North Branford, CT 06471

When to Pickup

Saturday, 3/25, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

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