SPECO "Signal Tracer Amplifier"
 

Here is a pretty interesting piece I acquired recently. Like many things I mention, I really didn't need one having a real nice Heathkit T3 "Visual-Aural Signal Tracer." Those units seem to be a fairly hot item recently when offered at auction and I am satisfied with the nice, compact, multi-function unit.

Anyway, I never saw anything like this Speco and can find little reference to anything by them. What little I did find was pretty positive, but on some other model I assume by some description. Mine has no model number; only the logo tag on the front with the Speco name surrounded by "Special Products Company-Silver Springs, Maryland.

Just on a guess I would place it in the mid 40s to early 50s time frame. Mostly due to the huge size of the detector probe. It's like working with a cucumber in your hand! It is strictly a single function unit bearing only the probe and of course the 6E5 "tuning eye tube." There is one meter output.

It does the job it was designed to do. The strange cabinet design renders it a but unfriendly to my small bench area. Since getting it I have seen a few pieces of equipment by other companies with cases the same shape. One was by NRI which leads me to wonder if this was a kit such as was very popular at that time. I have found some very bad mistakes in some kit stuff I have bought, but nothing that couldn't be corrected. Sometimes I find critical mistakes to be a plus as they caused the equipment to be stashed virtually unused. :thmbsp:

Anyway, has anyone seen one of these; or better yet does anyone have a user or build manual/schematic (preferably .pdf)?