The VTA is an electronics research and development group, based out of Dayton,
Ohio, which specializes in the study, preservation and implementation of obsolete military and industrial technology. In addition to
maintaining an electronics museum, the VTA also develops electronic instruments through our Yilane Systems design division.
We are experienced at interfacing even the most disparate technologies; there is no limit to what we can build, given a
reasonable development period and a source of parts.
Why decadecounter.com? Decimal counting tubes are our specialty. We are indisputably the leading
experts on dekatrons and magnetic beam switching tubes, the two major classes of counting tubes. We develop
the world's most advanced dekatron drive circuits, and are likely the only company in existence still
developing drive circuits for beam switching tubes.
Yilane products.
The Museum
Like any museum, our goals are restoration, preservation and documentation.
We've spent decades researching and working with obsolete electronic hardware, and the museum is a reflection of those activities.
It is important to note that we do not typically archive consumer electronics in our museum. If you're looking for old tube radios or TVs,
amateur (ham) radio equipment, vintage video game systems or other similar devices, you have come to the wrong place.
The VTA museum focuses almost exclusively on business, industrial and military hardware.
So, what exactly is vintage? As far this site is concerned, anything at least 20 years old can be considered vintage,
though occasionally a more recent device may see inclusion because of its rarity or historical relevance. We try to focus
on the technology of the 1940s through the 1980s, the meat and potatoes of the electronics revolution.
You may be wondering where we get all of our information, what are our sources? Well, what it comes down to is, citing
every single source would be virtually impossible, so we don't even bother to try. We may have got the information from
another website, some old datasheet, or we may have read it in some anonymous electronics book 25 years ago. There is also
quite a bit of information on the site which originated through our own live experiments and some very
paleontological examination. We wish to have the absolute best quality information possible, and are constantly editing the site, with no notice made to the reader. All we can guarantee is that the information presented here is as
accurate as possible, and that we are very careful researchers. If we discover a mistake, we correct it immediately. If
you are looking for a reference for a particular bit of information, we will do our best to track it down, but we will
not be making a comprehensive list of citations available on the site.
Facilities
The VTA component testing lab is specially equipped to test virtually any vintage
electronic component, from a DeForest Audion to an Intel polynomial error circuit. The testing lab is populated by precisely
calibrated vintage HP instruments, permitting us reliable examination of older devices using diagnostic instruments from the same era.
The testing lab is also equipped with a large component repository, comprised of several thousand specially selected tube and
semiconductor reference samples.
The VTA development lab is responsible for circuit design, assembly and testing. The development lab
is thoroughly equipped for circuit design and fabrication, programming, component selection and batch testing, and houses a tremendous
volume of specialized display devices, assembly components and associated hardware.
A stack of equipment in the component testing lab.
Computerized dekatron drive circuit prototype.
Site Contributors
Richard Kline, Senior Engineer (userid AnubisTTP)
Richard Kline is a professional electronics engineer from Dayton, Ohio. Richard has over 20 years of experience in circuit design,
fabrication and programming, and has an immense collection of obsolete industrial technology. Richard is our lead instrument designer,
and is responsible for the development of our custom electronic instruments. Richard also hand-coded the custom database system for this site.
Micah Mabelitini, Curator (userid Accutron)
Micah Mabelitini is an illustrator and technical writer from Dayton, Ohio. Micah has been working with computers and electronics for over 30 years, and has a
large collection of vintage computers, test equipment and components. Micah is primarily responsible for the design, editing and maintenance of the VTA
website.
(Coming Soon)