Together with a unit oscillator http://www.pa4tim.nl/?p=4283 and the GR-874 MR mixer unit http://www.pa4tim.nl/?p=4686 this was part of a very flexible system to detect UHF and VHF signals. The AM signal is to be mixed to 30 MHz and then detected and amplified by the GR-1216A. It can be used as a RF voltmeter with a 100dB dynamic range and 5uV sensitivity and operates from 50-950 MHz. It can be used to measure Voltage, current, power and attenuation. Bandwidth is 700 kHz and the build in step attenuator is 70 dB. You could say, it was a sort of measurement receiver or selective voltmeter from the days before (affortable) spectrum analysers