1967 Zenith 24NC31Z roundie color tv

[Jeffhs]

I have also restored old radios and TVs to operating condition by simply wiggling tubes in their sockets, cleaning said sockets with contact cleaner, and straightening pins. Sometimes the most obvious and simple things (such as your set's 6EH7 failing to light) can stop a TV right in its tracks. When I lived in a Cleveland suburb some years ago, I would pick up old radios and televisions on trash day; many of these sets had literally nothing wrong with them except one or more loose or dead tubes. I once had a Zenith table radio which I picked up at a thrift store; the set wouldn't work, but within five minutes I found out why. A fusible resistor under the chassis was open. I replaced it; the radio immediately began singing again.

Hold on to that Zenith 24NC31Z TV if you can, as they don't make them like that anymore. Those older Zenith color sets were built to last and to work well, which is more than I can say for a lot of the offshore flat-panel sets these days (although my Insignia 19" FP, bought new in August this year, has a better picture, IMHO, than either of my CRT sets, both 19" as well). When you bought a Zenith you could expect it to last 15-20 years easily; today's FPs (yes, even the ones with the Zenith lightning bolt on the display panel frame) are made, or so it seems, to last two years or until the end of the warranty period, whichever comes first. The original Zenith Radio Corporation's emphasis was on quality, not just in the television chassis itself but also the cabinetry -- those old sets had solid wood cabinets, although compared to other sets Zenith cabinets were rather plain-looking.

The pictures on these older sets, however, were excellent by late-1960s NTSC standards; typical Zenith. Hook up an ATSC->NTSC converter box and an antenna to your set and get ready to enjoy TV as never before -- the converter box will allow you access to more channels (carried on subchannels of your area's network affiliates) and will even convert your set to remote control, except for power switching. The TV on-off button on a DTV converter box remote will not work if the television is not already set up for remote power switching, although all other basic functions offered by the box (volume +/-, channel +/-, mute, et al.) will work perfectly.

I mentioned in another post to a different thread that the remote on-off switches on a very long cord can be used for TV power switching, although I don't think these switches are available anymore except, perhaps, in thrift stores or at flea markets. The trend these days is to wireless remote control, so your best bet is probably to find a wireless remote unit as used for lights. However, be sure the controller (the unit that plugs into the AC outlet and that your TV plugs into) can handle the power draw of your set. Many if not most of these wireless remote systems are intended for use with lights only; they cannot handle a 300-watt-plus load -- the relay in the controller will be damaged or destroyed instantly if it is used with an old TV, or anything for that matter, that draws more than 100 watts.