Hi all!

I recently picked up this 1984 zenith for free and I think it looks great and all, BUT it seems to me that the TV emits a rather loud high pitch noise (you know that noise that all CRT do). Now I read that it might be the flyback transformer getting ready to go bye bye on me, but I wanted to ask here for advice before I get any further.

Also, it might be me or that I'm not used to older tv audio...but It also seems to me that the audio is a bit muddy. Is it a common problem on those sets?

Thank you all! :)

That high pitched whistle is not usually an indicator of horizontal problems and is sort of normal.....The flyback handles a lot of juice, and just like the power transformer out on your phone pole makes an audible sound at the frequency of the power that runs through it.

I had that model and don't recall the audio being worse than the average BPC CRT TV(I think it may have been better). Mine was beat to hell, and often it was easier to turn it on by slugging the cabinet than by pushing the power on button.

I've seen a lot of flyback transformers that produced a high pitched sound. Often, the problem is due to a loose core or a flyback that's not properly seated on the board. You might try resoldering the flyback. If you find out that it's a loose core, you may be able to use silicone to make it more secure. A squealing flyback will usually continue to work other than making an annoying sound.

The sound problem could be anything from bad caps in the audio circuit to a mis-aligned audio stage.

If this set has a 9-160 module, look for a coil three inches (approx) diagonally from the fuse. It has rather heavy wire on it. Push it with an insulated tool. It can cause what you are talking about. Sometimes just moving it slightly will stop the noise. Very common problem on 9-160 modules.

Thank you guys, I'll try to get a look at it this weekend. If I want to tinker with it can I just leave it unpluged for a few days or do I need to discharge it? As you can see I'm kinda new to this and I don't want to get myself fried while playing in the high voltage parts.

thanks!