1961 Zenith 23" B&W console SC400

[Adam]

I got this and the matching console stereo. I had to move stuff around to fit two more consoles, and I can't even get back there now to take better pictures (but you can see one of my whole walls of sets) I think I remember seeing it's a 'G' line: tube remote chassis, gold colored SC400 remote (with the usual broken back), and it's the hi-fi model with the separate bass and treble controls and these crazy-looking 4-12"? speakers and an electrostatic tweeter on each side of the screen. I'll start another thread about the stereo...

[Eric H]

I have the (almost, control panel looks slightly different) exact same set, got it from the local Goodwill store.
I built one good remote for it from two busted ones I found on eBay and the sets works fine.

On the TV show "Hazel", they have the matching stereo, possibly the same one you have?

[Adam]

I have a spare SC300 remote with a good back I can swap onto an SC400. I posted some pics of the stereo in the antique radio forum...

[ZackN920]

wow, you got a good number of table top SC's! 2 of which that look to have the same remote as my 59' SC300 console! Nice set's Adam!

[Adam]

Those gold remotes were used from 59-62 with the tube remote chassis. The silver ones came after that when they went to a transistor remote receiver chassis. The frequencies are the same, they work interchangeably, they just look different. The back on the gold ones is easily broken by pushing against the remote when it is in the remote holder on the set. The newer silver ones, if you push on them, will hit up against the front of the set before the back breaks, which is why so many of the gold ones have the back broken, and the silver ones don't.

[Adam]

So I finally looked into this set. It almost worked as found, horiz sync was a little weak, vert size was a little low… otherwise it was fine, and the remote even worked.

I had repaired that 1966 Zenith 23" SC300 console I have several months ago, only replacing 2 bad electrolytic caps in the remote chassis (the black ones with the red ends that are nearly always bad). All I did on the TV chassis was to swap out 2 of those 'bumblebee' type caps (I think they were in the vertical circuitry), because those also tend to almost always be bad. It mostly had those dark red tubular caps and the maroon colored orange drops - both types which I've found to hold up pretty well. I didn't change any electrolytics on the TV chassis either. And I've been watching that one regularly for months now with no problems.

I initially thought I would do the same to this one - but it (being older) was full of those bumblebees. And a leaky e-cap connected to the boost voltage convinced me I should just go and recap the whole set. Anyway, it's working good now. Check out the speakers in the 2nd pic.