I have the 12" version of this set (thanks Doug) and I just found the 19" version which I'll bet is even more rare...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v619/Chromacolor2/TVs/SU1HMDA0MDguanBn.jpg

Notice the price? It started at $20 the first day of the sale, same price as another 19" color set in the house. I asked the people running the sale if they were aware it was B&W, because I'm a good citizen. :D This did nothing to lower the price, lol.

So I came back the last day when it should have been $10. I plugged it in and it had no sound. I offered the guy $2. He says "I need at least $5", to which I responded, "Do you think somebody else is going to come to the sale and give you money for a B&W TV with no sound that will be worthless in two months?"

He reflected briefly and said "ok" then marked it $4, which equaled $2 on 1/2 off day.

Crazy thing is, it sat in my ice-cold garage for a week and when I tried it today, (after thawing) it worked fine! I feel like I should go back and give him the extra $8.

Here are some more pictures... Probably the only time and actual B&W broadcast is seen, for once I'm missing nothing!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v619/Chromacolor2/TVs/SU1HMDA0MTEuanBn.jpg

That overly complicated tuner. The Detroit channel numbers don't work that great (0, 2, 4, 7)..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v619/Chromacolor2/TVs/SU1HMDA0MTAuanBn.jpg

What the hell is this??? A set of 300ohm rabbit ears connected to a 75ohm adapter, connected to a 75-to-300ohm adapter???

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v619/Chromacolor2/TVs/SU1HMDA0MTIuanBn.jpg

and a finale...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v619/Chromacolor2/TVs/SU1HMDA0MTQuanBn.jpg

It looks good, and you can't beat that price by much. What's it dated?

1982

The year I was born! That is a rare bird ya got yourself there.

The year I was born!

Why, suddenly, do I feel old? :sigh:

Great set - I have the service manual for that series of sets, if you you need it.

Cheers,

I suppose I might if the sound craps out again... Were there any models besides the 12 and 19-inch sets? Maybe an ultra-rare 23-inch version???

Carmine -

See towards the bottom of this page:

http://www.rwhirled.com/portacolor/notPC.htm

Says there's a 12 and 19" version of those sets, but that Zenith and Admiral still offered 22" B/W consoles around 1978.

-Jim

George Bailey, hang up that phone! How dare you insult her like that! :D

For 4 bucks, you got a rarebird Zenith in great shape. Ya done good. I'm still waiting for one of these to pop up round here!

Two bucks, not four. Remember, the sound didn't fix itself until it was in my house!

Besides, $4 is more of a CTC-7 price.

What the hell is this??? A set of 300ohm rabbit ears connected to a 75ohm adapter, connected to a 75-to-300ohm adapter???

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v619/Chromacolor2/TVs/SU1HMDA0MTIuanBn.jpg


Um... Why?

It's odd enough that this is a black and white TV with a digital tuner, but what possible reason would there be an adapter where it's not needed?

I've connected up my rabbit ears like that. It happens to me because I have 20+ TVs and only 2 DVD players, I found it was just easier to leave one of those adapters on all of my working TVs so I could easily plug and unplug the DVD player. Then when I want to use an antenna it's easier to just hook another adapter to the antenna than to always be screwing and unscrewing the one on the TV. They used to make these great plastic clips that would just clip on to the 2 screws on the back of the set, but I haven't seen them in years.

I remember those clips. Back in the 70s when I was a kid our tv picked up 3 channels. 7 and 12 were vhf and 16 was uhf. We had to switch the clip to the other pair of screws to watch channel 16. Those were the days.
John

If anyone needs one, I have a quanity of single element antennas with the male "F" connector on the end. They are new with the mount stud for the small TV's. (will plug into the new converters)

We (Clinton Electronics/Clinton Displays) built our last 20 and 23 inch black and white TV tubes in 1978.

Wow, akent, didn't know we had someone from Clinton on here! I've noticed those tubes in GE bw sets, identifiable by EIA number. Would love to know more about the company.

I have also equipped all my sets with those adapters. Sometimes I use rabbit ears (and this same backwards configuration) but mostly I use a coax from the roof antenna, or the dvd/vcr.

You really have to ask why Zenith bothered. I guess if it is the same tuner used on color sets it would make more sense, but still...

It must have been around that time that I rode my bicycle up to the local TV shop and browsed his showroom. He had a 19" Zenith bw with knob tuning priced at $179, as I recall. He quickly offered to drop the price to something like $119. I lobbied awful hard for my parents to buy me that set-it had that "classic" Zenith look, much more exciting to me than the GE sets I grew up around. Anyway, instead Dad took me to Western Auto where they were having a sale on Midland 12" bw sets. $79 and boring, but it was mine.