Two 60s Zenith Consoles I just picked up.

[ctc17]

My first post!
I just got home with 2 new to me Zenith consoles. I have a few 60s rca consoles I have restored and want to get these Zeniths going.

The first one is a 16z7c50z chassis. I dont see a model number on it.

My main question is how do I remove and clean the safety glass. I cant stand the yellow ring. I have done a few rcas with a heat gun and have read that a hot wire must be used on Zenith. I would like more detail if someone has had success with this. crt is a 25ap22.

Electrically there appears to be no B+. The filaments light but other than that its dead. I checked the fuse and its good. Should be an easy fix so long as the transformer isnt open. Ill get it in the house later today and figure it out. It is a smoker set so maybe it has cancer.
All the tubes appear to be original.



The 2nd one is a combo unit. The owner told me it was a custom made cabinet. I dont know if this is true. It is HEAVY. Looks to be solid 3/4" Maple.

This one has a replacement crt, non smoker. Electrically its got a very dim raster, really no sound. Very weak hiss, not really static. When I turn the tuner it crackles and the crt flashed fairly bright so I'm optimistic its not totally weak.
This thing is just heavy duty. The tank of tvs. The speaker grills are metal and the cabinet is a truly beautiful work of art. These pictures just dont do anything for it.






Any thoughts or info on these would be truly appreciated! Especially on the green ring crt thing...

[sampson159]

both are winners!car battery and a sawblade on the green halo.zenithfan1 is an expert on this topic.i love the combo.i would move it from the attic to the basement just to own it!!!

[ctc17]

16z7c50z is fixed. The degaussing thermistor was burn to a crisp and the degaussing coil was unplugged. That was to easy!

[drh4683]

That combo is a factory cabinet, 1966 model. Looks like an AGC problem. Check the setting of the AGC control and check the 6BA11 sync/agc tube. Also check the IF tubes. Rock the IF tubes around in their sockets to see if any snow shows up. Those sockets zenith used in the IF can sometimes have intermittent contact with the pins due to corrosion regardless of how clean the set is.
Im into checking all tubes even if the set works when I first find it. In this case, since the set has problems, thats number one start, then i look for missing or incorrect voltages if tubes turn out to be good in the suspect circuits.

[JohnAdams]

Yep. A factory cabinet and they are heavy.
The grill cloth on mine is still perfect after 39 years.
Solid Cherry and Cherry veneers.
I added the doors later. Wish I had spent the small extra for the factory to supply them. $300 for the cabinet in 1970. Built at the Springfield. MO cabinet plant.

[bgadow]

Great pair of sets! There is a very good old thread about cataract removal, buried now but a search should turn it up. My method for removing this style of bonding is to remove the crt and soak it (face down) for an extended period in water. Might take a week or more. Details are in that thread; if you need more info on my experience just let me know. Others have had great success with hotwire/hot knife.

Oh, and welcome aboard! Anything you need, just ask...somebody here knows it or has it. (advice, parts, tubes, photofacts)

[Tony V]

Welcome to AK and a great pair of Zeniths to get the topic rolling.
-Tony

[ctc17]

Thanks for the info! I read through all the old search results and it seems the best thing is to send it in and get it removed. I could try soaking it in water for a few weeks if thats safe. This is the original tube and it appears to be low hours. Nice bright sharp picture.

Ill take a look at the combo unit tomorrow. I cant get over the quality of that cabinet.

Any suggestions for phonograph parts? The stylus is missing the diamond and the rubber roller is rock hard.

[andy]

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[ctc17]

What is the safety glass for? Why dont the replacement crts have the lens?

[Kiwick]

safety glass is there to keep glass shards and the electron gun from flying out of the set in the event of a CRT implosion.

most European and later American CRTs have no safety lens as the CRT has a tensioned steel band around the screen face which keeps it from imploding in the first place.

[AUdubon5425]

Originally Posted by ctc17

Any suggestions for phonograph parts? The stylus is missing the diamond and the rubber roller is rock hard.

I've had great service from Vintage Electronics on idler wheels. http://www.vintagelectronics.com/ They sell cartridges too, or check the auction site, thousands of needles & carts there.

[ctc17]

Thanks for the info.

I started checking out the combo unit. The tuner is ultra dirty. It has this foam pad in the bottom that is decaying and coating everything with oily foam crust. Also the plastic fine tuning gear is cracked and not turning the slugs. (jb weld time on that)

After I get those things fixed Ill check the agc and if.

It appears the crt is very weak too. I need to start checking voltages.

[Carmine]

I have/had a Zenith combo very similar to that one, but with Danish-Modern styling, so the style is not custom. I never liked the fact that it didn't have doors over the TV set. (Also wished it was a roundie.)

You are correct it is very well made. I was amazed at the amount of hardwood solids used.

[ctc17]

Just an update, I cleaned the tuner and fixed the fine tuning in the combo and it has a great picture! They both have really good pictures. Bright and clear.