Can you tell me what this thing is?

[Electronic M]

It's possible the octal socket is not for a tube but a wiring harness. RCA TVs used octal socket as yoke plugs and convergence chassis harness connectors for decades.

[YamahaFreak]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

It's possible the octal socket is not for a tube but a wiring harness. RCA TVs used octal socket as yoke plugs and convergence chassis harness connectors for decades.

Oh, definitely. My suspicion is that this unit had a remotely located control head, and it connected to that octal socket. I'm thinking another modular part of the whole system connected to it using that 11-pin plug in the clip up top, as well.