A
magic eye indicator, called in technical literature an
electron-ray indicator tube, is a
vacuum tube which gives a visual indication of the amplitude of an electronic signal, such as an audio output, radio-frequency signal strength, or other functions. It is also called a cat's eye, or tuning eye in America. Its first broad application was as a tuning indicator in
radio receivers, to give an indication of the relative strength of the received radio signal, to show when a radio station was properly tuned in.