Old Kokuyo transistor universal checker

[RJMiranda]

Several months ago I got an old Kokuyo transistor universal checker, model TCB-6. It was going straight to the junk when I picked it.

Kokuyo Electric, the maker, seems to have got out of business some time after they made the telegraph, but way before the Internet. Can't find even pictures of this model, much less the user manual nor the schematics.

When I started testing it some measurements looked weird, so there must be something wrong with the instrument.

I wonder if someone has some info on this little monster. I will start recapping it, testing all the components (there are not too many), cleaning the many contacts on the pushbuttons, selectors and potentiometers, but it would be nice to have at least a schematic at hand.

When I studied electronics between 1973 and 1978 at the Eduardo García Delgado institute at Boyeros, Havana, I remember they had two CRT curve tracers from this maker: one for transistors and another for valves. And I think a transistor tester like this one. Thats why I picked it up.

Most ot the instruments at this school were Japanese: Sanwa multimeters, Iwatsu 'scopes, Trio audio oscillators and VTVMs (all solid state, of course) and lots of YEW-made AC and DC voltmeters, milliammeters and microammeters. Plus the first ever digital-reading multimeters I saw in my life, from Yamaha. And a few Philips solid state multimeters. These all were for use by the students at the laboratories. The Kokuyo tracers/testers and some other more esoteric instruments were for the use of the staff of the repair department.

Well, if some of you can give me some info on the Kokuyo TCB-6 I would be most grateful. And it felt fine to remember the good old days at my school!