[Gerry O’Hara]

I’ve just acquired a ‘Baby Emerson’ (see photos). This is a one tube set that can drive a loudspeaker due to it being a triple triode – possibly the earliest multiple valve construction in one envelope! The tube is actually called the ‘Multivalve’ and was only made for a couple of years around 1926 by the Clearton Vacuum Tube Co., who’s premisis was back-to-back- with the Emerson factory. The following website provides some furtehr details: https://www.antiqueradio.com/bintliff_multivalve_4-97.html. This tube is also mentioned in ‘The Saga of the Vacuum Tube’ by GFJ Tyne. The horn is original but a bit worse for wear – it has an interesting construction, looking like it was made from papier-mâché stuffed into an old sock.

Unfortunately the tip of the tube is snapped-off and it has no vacuum. I think sourcing a working one from anywhere would be next to impossible given they limited production life and use in only one set type (as far as I can ascertain) – if you know better or have one of these tubes for sale, or know more about the set or the tube, please contact me!

Gerry

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[Robin in Kansas]

Gerry,

Try contacting George Found @ Grandpa’s Radio Shop at 519-576-2570. He’s in Kitchener Ontario.

He had a rare tube there that I had been looking for. In fact, he had two of them!

Robin

[Gerry O’Hara]

Thanks for the tip Robin – I will give him a call.

Gerry

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