WHAT IF.. zenith made a COLOR porthole back in the fifties?
think the CRT would be way in front and perfectly round???
hehehe..:)
the wiseguy

Terry,

Such sets would certainly be a welcome addition to those considered must have collectibles by us here today. Too bad they didn't.

Imagine the convergence problems that the 'goofy' Zenith Porthole exclusive vertical stretch circuit would have posed TV technicians over their history though?

Rob

Terry,

Have you seen the Philco prototype color set on Chuck A's web site? Of course, since the CRT has an internal mask, the picture is not completely round. It does demonstrate what a color porthole would look like.

Sounds like a challenge to me.

Anybody got a good roundie CRT/Chassis with a ruined cabinet?

This is the latest thing in the old car hobby... Building "phantom" cars that average people THINK really exsisted, or the factory might have proposed. (Lincoln station wagons, '71 Superbirds, etc.)

Originally posted by wvsaz
Terry,

Have you seen the Philco prototype color set on Chuck A's web site...

Terry,

Yes we have seen it. D-R-O-O-O-O-O-O-L :ntwrthy:

Rob

Originally posted by Carmine
Sounds like a challenge to me.

Anybody got a good roundie CRT/Chassis with a ruined cabinet?

This is the latest thing in the old car hobby... Building "phantom" cars that average people THINK really exsisted, or the factory might have proposed. (Lincoln station wagons, '71 Superbirds, etc.)

Carmine,

The possibilities to modify vintage TV's the way you propose is almost endless. For example I have a 1938-39 prewar Zenith floor console radio that looks a bit like a TRK-9. I bought it without the chassis for the possible use of converting into a fake prewar TV. I have a pair of hard to find 6 inch Brit WW-II radar CRT's that have electrostatic deflection and B&W phosphor, but it is a different white, kinda very slight yellow green tinge with a slightly longer decay than P4. This would really make a believable prewar TV picture. I was thinking of using a recapped Motorola 7VT5R set that has a bad cabinet I have to drive the CRT.

If one could locate a 21" Zenith PH cabinet you could put a round screen color chassis in it like a CTC-16 or so. That would be cool.
I have a Zenith PH window/escutcheon for a 19" porthole. Hmmmm. :)

Rob

It wouldn't really matter that they are fake. Most of the people I have met recently under the age of 40 have never seen tube equipment.

When shown a tube chassis they are amazed. They seem to have the idea that if this stuff ever did really work, it worked crudely. When shown a restored tube set that works properly, they are blown away!

They would definitely believe that a 30's Zenith radio cabinet stuffed with a 40's tube TV chassis and a funny color on the CRT was indeed a genuine prewar set!

Originally posted by wvsaz
Most of the people I have met recently under the age of 40 have never seen tube equipment.



What's even worse? I've heard some people in the younger generations say, "They had television back in the 1950's?" :stupid:

Haven't those people ever seen I LOVE LUCY or THE HONEYMOONERS? Maybe they think I LOVE LUCY was from the 1970's... a really long time ago! :eek:

Here's an old cabinet you could stick a color set into.
You might have to do some hacking and cutting though. :D

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2179295552&category=3638

Gents- If you want to REALLY "Wow!" a bunch of "tube-challenged" folks, get a Scott 800-B AM/FM/SW from the late '40s. They have 2 chrome-plated chassis, 19 tubes, & really look like they mean business. Another one is a Collins R-389/URR military receiver. Instead of a tuning capacitor, it is tuned by means of iron slugs running up & down in racks. It has motorised tuning, & watching the slugs run up & down in their racks looks kinda like a little merry-go-round. But running a 1940s vintage TV is really impressive-I've even had some kids ask me why it wasn't in color....-Sandy G.

Yeah, my daughter used to ask why a set wasn't in color. Now she asks why do I watch a set that's not in color!

BTW... Happy Birthday to Steve K and Sandy G :yippy: :yippy:

Charlie- Thanks...I'm 46 today. I dunno if that generally qualifies one for "Old Pharte" status...But my case, it probably does. Used to think 50 was ANCIENT...for some strange reason, I don't anymore. But really, it ain't so bad- Sandy G.

I'm only 30, but I do have a hell of a memory.

I can remember when my parents got their first color set, and it was a 1975 Zenith Chromacolor II 19-incher. My grandparents had a 23" Zenith from 1968, but it was always having color sync problems so I don't remember being "wowed" with color!

BTW, I remeber my parents got the Zenith from "Ollie Fretter" appliances in Detroit, and their slogan was "If we can't beat your best deal, we'll give you eight pounds of coffee!!???"

My best "wow" device is the Space Command 400 B&W set from about '58. No one believes it's remote until they see it work. Same effect when I show the electroluminesent dash board on my '61 Imperial. (Or power windows for that matter!)

I have a Zenith porthole color set (sort of..)

I've been told it is a prototype, and it uses the 15" color CRT.

I would sure appreciate any additional information about it. Please see the thread I started:

"Please help identify this Zenith early color set"

Thanks...Mike D.