Zenith color roundie -- or just B/W?
 

This set is free on the Seattle Craigslist. I'm too ignorant to tell from this photo whether it's color or B/W.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ele/291872093.html

Either way, the price is right!

Phil Nelson

Brotha, that's CoLoR!!! (and an early one at that) Somebody better jump on that before the aquarium people call! :yes:

DAMN too far away! I would grab it in a heartbeat.



polaraman

Any idea how early, and how it might compare in quality to others of that vintage?

I'm within driving distance, but I'm so totally out of room that all it takes is one phone call to the divorce lawyer and I'm camping in a storage unit with my junk :-)

On the other hand, if it's a prime example, maybe I could figure some way to . . . well, we'd figure out that part later.

Phil

I hope you can't read this because you're already in your car driving over there to get it. It's early 60's, or end of the roundie era, because Zenith toyed with color in the 15gp22 days, but didn't really do anything big until about 62 or so.

They are regarded by many as the best color roundies. I think that one (with the knobs diagonal like that) may be the first chassis. They have a pair of rectifier tubes instead of hat diodes. Even if it's not the first one, they're all extremely well-built sets. It's worth getting. Probably 1962-1965.

John

29jc20
 

that is one of Zeniths 1st models after re-entering the color race In fact I have the same model, that needs a flyback.

:banana: That is definitely a color roundie.

As far as quality of the set is concerned, it would be top notch. Remember that with Zenith, "The Quality Goes In Before The Name Goes On." Or rather the quality WENT in before the name WENT on.:D

If you don't rescue that sweet old girl, you will receive 1000 lashes with a wet noodle.:yes:

Seriously, if you can and have the room, save that set! Oh how I would love to get my hands on a Zenith color roundie. Good stuff! :thmbsp:

Darned thing might have a booster on the crt. Even comes with free cataract, and a follow-up visit from Mai Aichinback the next morning. If I went and got it, I'd be in trouble with every one of my ex's back to the Nixon years, not to mention my better half. Lotsa luck, Phil...

Id like to have this set. Are those legs original? They seem darker than the color of the cabinet?

GET IT! It could just be the best TV you ever own. It will be worth whatever it takes to get it going. I'm going to have mine refinished so my wife will let me put it in the bedroom, after I get it working that is.

It definitely should go to someone who will appreciate it and bring it back to life. If you get it and fix it, I would love to read one of your detailed restoration chronicles about it.

When I restore mine, I'm thinking of doing a video restoration chronicle and posting it on YouTube.

Another YES vote
 

I know pictures can be deceiving sometimes, especially if the photo angle reflects the set's "good side" only, but I totally agree with all previous posters who said "GET IT". I live in Everett, so if you don't I will!!:yes: No :scratch2: required !!

Go For It !!

Ok,

So far so good. Im going to get this set. I called up the owner (Mark) and got some information about it. He said the set was his grandmothers and he's had it in his basement and just doesnt want it. He says it still works too.
Im setting up a plan with craters and freighters to have it picked up and delivered. I did some checking up and this is a 29JC20 chassis set. Ive never seen or worked on this chassis before and is a must for my zenith collection.

drh4683,


Good going! Free plus shipping, woo hoo. This is a heavy Tv set. I could not lift mine by myself. Does it have a remote?


polaraman

I guess that explains why he didn't answer the voicemail or email I sent him yesterday.

Early bird gets the worm. Enjoy!

Phil

I had mine working fine Doug, until the fly went south, the picture quality was excellent.

I had one once
 

I had a 63 model with that chasis that i kept running for a little over 25 years.
It was 3 or 4 years old and had be hit by lightning. Insurance claim totaled it.

Just needed new antenna coils. That 29xxx chasis is built like a tank. I replaced the pic tube once and kept a supply of all small tubes on hand. Never did a single component (other than tubes) ever fail. By 1964 they were down to the 25LC20 chasis and some way got rid of 4 tubes along the way.
I may be wrong, but I think that Zenith chasis had more tubes that year than any other 1963 chasis. The picture tube it came with had a separate non frosted face plate. I liked it better than the newer ones and you never had to worry about the cataract problem.

I LOVE mine!!
 

I just think it is cool to watch that big chassis, with that huge power tranny and the twin 3dg4 LV rect. tubes come up, and then produce a picture that "only a Zenith Roundie" can.

The CRT is starting to weaken in mine now though, but I still run it here and there to "keep things fresh--just like my GE 810 roundie BW set.

I didn't mean to pull the rug from anyone who was interested. I figured it was still up for grabs.
I've wanted a 29JC20 in my collection for quite some time. Having the first generation zenith color set would really complete my collection.

I also got mine for free through a connection Charlie made. I had to drive 1,800 miles round trip to get it. Mine has the Space Command 400 option. I really need to get at this set. My test jig is sittin on top of it.


polaraman

No blood, no foul :-)

If I had been desperate for it, I wouldn't have blabbed on an international forum in the first place.

I'm glad that someone with room to spare will rescue it -- especially someone willing to crate & freight it halfway across the continent.

P.S. If you can talk the seller into it, I would ask if he's willing to try removing those skinny legs from the cabinet before the packers arrive. Lotsa potholes and speed bumps when you're driving a thousand miles or more.

Phil

no remote on this one Polarman, this is get up off your chair tuning on this baby!

well polarman i was glad to give you the set(and thanks for helping me unload my hammond organ).i was gonna ask you when you were gonna start working on it.

charlie sheen

Hey! How is it going charliesheen??? Was that a Hammond B2? Wish I could have stayed to help you recap that beast. It was a nice organ and very flexible for the ranges of music you can play. You were right for going back to get it at the estate sale. You and your Mom were very nice hosts. I loved her tales of being in the record industry. Please tell her I said hello.

You should have been here to help me move the 29JC20. I got it from you and transported it to Georgia. I have since moved to South Carolina. It is here sitting right behind me as I am typing. That set is going to be an interesting restoration. I bought the Zenith factory repair manual off ebay. The owner of the manual must have repaired a bunch of the 29JC20 sets. His personal notes are all over the inside of the booklet. I have a couple sets in need of attention before I get to the Zenith.

I will PM you later.

polaraman

FYI...

The 29jc20 was actually a 1962 Chassis, and while it may had been sold into 1963--for 1963, Zenith brought out the 27Kc20 chassis. About the ONLY difference in the two chassis is that the 27KC20 has SS top-hat diodes in the power supply as a doubler, and as slightly smaller tranny. ALL of the other stuff looks the same--including the OCTAL HO, damper and vert. Out tubes that the 29JC20 uses.

BUT....

LATER in the 1963 model year--Zenith brought out the 26KC20 chassis--and NONE of the chassis tubes are octal. It looks a LOT more like the ones that followed it(the 25LC20, the 25MC33 and such.)

I have NEVER seen or heard of ANY set that was available or in ANYONES collection that used the 27KC20 chassis--it MUST have been replaced by the 26KC20 chassis in short order. I know of several 29JC20's, but NO 27KC20's!!

Has anyone here seen a 27KC20 set, or know of any around??

Zenith 29JC20!!! GO FOR IT!!!
 

That set is the exceptionally nice Zenith 29JC20, which was Zenith's first 60s roundie. As I recall, J-series was about 1962. Yes, it did use two rectifier tubes instead of "hat" diodes. The rectifiers were 3DG4's. As I recall, it used a 21FBP22 CRT with separate, curved safety glass, and the "FB" tube was immune from "cataracts" because its safety glass was a separate piece which was not laminated to the face of the tube with resin as the later 21FJP22's safety glass was. Its safety glass was merely set into the mask before the CRT was installed, held in place by the CRT mounting brackets and cushioned around the edges. That set was built like a tank, as were all of the Zenith roundie models from the 29JC20 to the 25NC33. I've serviced several of these, mostly 26KC20's, 24MC32's, and 25NC33's. Even if there's a booster on that "FB" it's worth the cost of a re-gunning. That set is a true CLASSIC. Even the later solid state sets Zenith made during the 70s were legendary for their quality. I had a 19EC45 in my room during most of my teenage years, bought at a garage sale for $5 from someone who had no idea how simple the issue was that had stopped that set from working.

Hi,

Your set is a 1962 model sold into 1963. Zenith's first year of color production. Very high quality set and a superb picture when working well. We have a combo deluxe version that is a daily watcher and have 2 other Zeniths from that era (both color roundies).

i told my mom what you said and she says that was nice of you.but yea with all of this talk about zenith's im gonna go out and search for another one.all of my roundies that ive had over the years ive found on the road,like the one polorman has,i had to lift that sucker by myself,and its wierd when i find something like that the excitement in me gives me extra strength.but it seems that dallas didnt have a lot of roundies......:scratch2: