how about portable black and white? - Videokarma.org TV - Video

drh4683 · #1 03-02-2003, 08:46 PM

Anyone out there collect portable b/w sets? sure are alot easier to find! Atleast for me they are, they always work when I find them too! Especially zeniths, they go forever. Never found one that needed work with the exception of vertical adjustments etc.
How about this 62 zenith? Probably the most boaring styled tv I have ever seen as far as the oldies go. Its just a metal box with a big vhf knob! Rock solid indestructable zenith!

***Eric H*** · #2 03-02-2003, 08:53 PM

I have a Zenith very much like that.

I don't collect those but I wouldn't mind finding a 68-9? 19" RCA portable that I had as a kid.
They don't seem to be around much, I can't even find the 59 GE I have been looking for for years.
It's much easier to find a set from the 40's!

Eric

***Eric H*** · #3 03-02-2003, 08:54 PM

Is that the correct channel knob on that set? The 62 I have has the numbers that light up in the center of the knob.

Eric

drh4683 · #4 03-02-2003, 08:59 PM

fits too nice not to be correct The fine tuner knob fits into it perfectly, and the knob is identical color to the cabinet. The channel numbers align perfectly on the mark. Ive got a service manual for 60 zenith, and it shows the light through knob in the picture, but thats 1960. This one must be some kind of industrial type tv, possibly for hospital or motel use?

drh4683 · #5 03-02-2003, 09:01 PM

nope, no back light inside the tv, I just pulled the back off to see if theres a bulb socket in there. Not a thing. hope this means ive got the right knob on there? if not, oh well.

drh4683 · #6 03-02-2003, 09:06 PM

I had this one up on early tv forum. This is a 67 rca portable with the impossible to find wireless wizard. Could not beleive it when I saw it at the thrift shop. The remote was duct taped to the top of the cabinet to the point of not knowing what was under it! Surprise! the neat thing about the tvs like this is that nobody wants them at the resale shop, so they sell for under $10. As captianmoody said, it makes is that much more fun! Cant agree anymore!

drh4683 · #7 03-02-2003, 09:09 PM

heres a wireless wizzard. no plink is heard on these remotes, the aluminum rods work alot higher frequency than the space commands

Charlie · #8 03-02-2003, 11:38 PM

DRH,

what is that two-toned grey set to the left of your 62 zenith?

charlie

Steve K · #9 03-03-2003, 12:11 AM

DRH:

Yes, that is the correct knob for your Zenith.

Steve

***Eric H*** · #10 03-03-2003, 01:15 AM

Here's my Zenith, I thought it was from 62 but maybe it's a little earlier?

I think I paid $5.00 for this set, then I sprang for another $30 to have the tuner rebuilt because the plastic gears had turned to dust. I didn't do any other work on it.
The only problem now is the built in rabbit ears have a broken Bakelite mount.

This set is heavy, it weighs in at 52 lbs!

I couldn't get the channel number to show up in the picture.

drh4683 · #11 03-03-2003, 09:23 AM

great set eric! Isnt it great when you find the old ones for cheap like that!
I found this at an estate sale for $5 in oakbrook, IL. This is a wealty area and the older people seem to hang on to there old tvs even when they are broken. This is were i find most of them! This one needed a new phase detector, which was a simple fix with two silicon diodes. this is called the "medalist". This one has the thick metal mesh on top for ventalation which looks neat. Also has the protective crt glass in front, so its very heavy!

Charlie · #12 03-03-2003, 10:39 AM

i picked up this hybrid zenith about 6 years ago at a thrift store in nacogdoches, texas for 10 bucks. not attractive looking, but it's super clean. i think it's from 1971. this set produces a super sharp picture. the only thing i've done to it is clean out some dust. i use this set on a regular basis, and has been absolutely trouble free.

drh4683 · #13 03-03-2003, 12:47 PM

hey charlie, Ive got the same one. My dads friend gave it to me, and luckily he saved all purchasing paperwork as well as the manuals. Mine had lots of use, the crt was toast, but a rejuvinating brought it back to a nice bright sharp picture again! The tubes were all dated sometime in 72, and was bought 8-16-72 for a listed price of $105.00 at polk bros inc.!!!! One interested thing is that on the top of the back cabinet inside, there is a big strip of asbestos paper, was factory installed. Never saw that in any zenith portable before.

Charlie · #14 03-03-2003, 05:11 PM

drh...

way cool! twins! if yours is from '72, then this one probably is also. seems i picked 71 possibly because of a date i found on a part inside it when i cleaned it out. it really wasn't very dirty inside, so i spent very little time messing around in it. it worked perfectly. never looked this one up... it just wasn't that interesting to me other than watching it since it played so well.

i think i know the piece of paper you are speaking of inside. i didn't realize it was asbestos!

OT... i see the teac in the background... is it a A4010S? got one of those here, too.

drh4683 · #15 03-03-2003, 05:25 PM

sure is, A-4010-s. Garage sale find for $5.00!! the pinch roller linkages were all bound up, dried grease! That was an easy one to fix, the stainless cover comes right off and everything is there in front of you I had to do the same thing to my a3340s teac quad deck. Common problem for the teacs, dried up grease. Quite a time consuming repair. Fixed lots of those for myself and friends. I love those roberts 770X, I wish they did not have such a horrible flutter problem.