Signedplate on side: TUBE MOUNTING / FOR / CATHODE-RAY OSCILLOGRAPH / TYPE 497A / SERIAL NO. 17 / GENERAL RADIO CO. / CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
FunctionMounting for a Cathode Ray tube.
Cathode Ray Tube oscilloscopes are a Labratory tool for the observation and recording of oscillations, specifically when high frequencies and a short interval of time are involved.
Historical AttributesThis mounting, and the cathode ray tube oscillograph that goes with it were one of the first oscilloscopes in the market. The General Radio Company was a pioneer in the development oscilloscopes in the early 1930s, based on a 1929 patent.
The company was aiming at a market of radio product testing, but the oscilloscopes were not very successful, being too sophisticated and expensive for that market, but not precise enough for laboratory work. The development of oscilloscopes remained very slow through the 1930s and it only took off due to radar research during World War II.