TP what amount of parasitic draw are you getting? After doing the voltage divider mod (your post #14) I’m still getting ~125uA while off.
I get less than 1 microamp…
OK, I joined the club, ordered!
Actually I was already in the club, Here’s my old membership card 
This contraption could only measure 2 parameters of a transistor, IF, you set it to the proper type and connected the leads properly. For power resistors one would clip the alligator clips directly to the transistor leads. For smaller ones I made the box in the middle with various sockets for different types. Back in the late 60’s and early 70’s I thought this was a hot setup.
It really was time I renewed.
BTW, I just checked EBay and that Knight KG-677 on the right auctioned for $55!
and it was still in kit form!
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Unbuilt-KNIGHT-KIT-KG-677-TRANSISTOR-CHECKER-ADAPTER-Radio-Tester-VTG-Heathkit-/221350071853
I think you need some information about tunnel diode:
Tunnel diode – semiconductor diode characterized by a small thickness of the pn junction, a very high concentration of dopants on both sides and a negative dynamic resistance for a certain range of polarizing voltages. It was invented in 1957 by the Japanese physicist Leo Esaki (hence sometimes it can be named Esaki diode). During research on semiconductor junctions he noticed their thus far unprecedented feature based on the tunnel phenomenon. This phenomenon causes charge carriers move through the narrow barrier layer at a very low voltage.