Dating rca vacuum tubes

By today's standards, the "Super-Wasp" is a very primitive shortwave/ham receiver but performance can be surprisingly good if the operator has patience and is willing to put in a few nights learning how the "Super-Wasp" works.

Around the time that the "Super-Wasp" was introduced, Pilot changed the name of the company to "Pilot Radio & Tube Corporation" (April, 1929.) "Super-Wasp" receivers were quite popular and sometimes were found in ham shacks of the late twenties and early thirties.The stock circuit used a type 22 screen-grid tube as an RF amplifier, a 201-A as a regenerative detector and a 201-A tube as the first AF amplifier and a UX-112A as the second AF amplifier.The user could substitute a 201A for the last audio stage and reduce the plate voltage and bias voltage if a UX-112A was not available.All of the Pilot "Wasp" and "Super-Wasp" receivers found today will vary greatly in the quality of workmanship.Since these receivers were kits, the assembler may have had little or no experience in soldering, wiring or mechanical building.