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These exceptionally beautiful UV Le Radion and Le Clairton vacuum tubes, made in the 1923 time- line, imply they were made by a French maker, but were they? It seems not. A contemporary shipping box for the Le Radion brand indicates they could have been made by the “Standard Radio Light Company”, New York with the words “French Importers” added. The label on this box could have been printed in French for sales in Canada, it could be assumed, in the Montreal and Quebec areas. Other possibilities could be the “Chicago Lamp Company”, or the Le Radion Company, Chicago. I can postulate that the words French Importers and made at different locations was a ruse to keep the patent police confused, but of course, I cannot be certain of this.

I have three amplifier samples shown in figs. 1-3 above. All 3 are inked on the base in an identical fashion with the names Le Radion and Le Clairton. Further information below.

Fig. 1. This Le Radion was in the Tyne/Vanicek collection and while there are remnants of the inked name, according to Vanicek, Tyne choose to further ID it by writing “French Le Radion” in orange grease pencil. The phosphorus getter gives this tube a more gold/orange and rainbow color than the other examples. This tube was also part of the Tyne/Vanicek collection.

Fig. 2. This example is clearly inked “Le Radion, amplifier, and for experimental and amateur use only”. The phosphorus getter has given this tube a purple, green, pink hue.

Fig. 3. The Le Clairton in fig. 3 uses the same font in ink as in samples 1, and 2 but has the letters and numbers CDE 28A and amplifier words only. It has similar phosphorus coloring as in fig. 2.

Fig. 4. Each of the three examples has identical fiber tybe material surrounding the 4 pin bases that has 4 pinches into the brass bases to secure same. Those pinches almost always cracked the brass but only the tube in fig. 2 has the customary crack from the side pin down.

Information on both brands is quite hard to come by and the little there is may not be reliable. I can say, without a doubt, the internal structure on all three examples is identical in every way. Also, I can be nearly certain that the Le Radion and Le Clairton came in a clear bulbed detector version as well. More info is welcome.

Sources:

All three tubes are in this authors collection.

Be advised.: The 2 websites below are not secure.

Condon, Bill website here: http://www.bill01a.com/index.htm

Schultz, Mike website here: http://uv201.com/index.html