Picked up this little gem with the remote on my local Craigs list for free from the original owner!:banana:Set was manufactured in May of 1983.Except for a little paint scuff on the back,this set is mint! what do you guys think,a score perhaps?

looks nice, fire it up and give us a screen shot!

Here's a pic of it running,but unfortunately i don't have a video source readily available to me right now.:tears:But so far,no snap,crackles or pops yet!:D The battery in the remote is from jan. 2005 and it works perfectly...:yes:

Nice find! I wonder if that set uses the 9-160 sweep module or the newer 9-186 sweep module? From '83, it could use either one. I have the '84 knob tuned version of that set and it produces a nice picture. Mine uses the 9-186 module.

Thank you radiotvnut! hopefully i can pop the back off sometime tomorrow and let you know which one it is.Is the 9-160 module prone to problems in this set or just in general? how do you tell the difference? Is the module stamped or does it have a label perhaps? It's been a very long time since i stuck my hands in the back of of a t.v. and then most of them were all tubes.....:yes:

There will be a label either on the inside of the back cover or on the inside of the main cabinet.

Sets with the 9-160 module sets have said module laying in the bottom of the cabinet. This module contains the flyback transformer and power supply components.

Sets with the 9-186 module will have said module standing up to the right when looking at the set from the rear. This module contains the flyback transformer and horizontal output components. The signal module will be a 9-181 and will be laying in the bottom of the cabinet.

The biggest problem that the 9-160's had were shorted horizontal output transistors that were usually caused by a boatload of bad solder connections. There was also a big diode behind the flyback that will short. And, I've seen a bunch of them where the flyback transformer would arc, burn, catch fire, and/or sound like a machine gun going off when they went up.

The 9-186 sets can be a bitch to fix if they are dead. Sometimes, one module can fail and take out the other module. I've had these sets that would not fire up and I couldn't find a thing wrong; but, I could swap the modules to restore operation. It got to the point than when I was fixing one of these for a customer and couldn't figure out why it was dead, I'd give them an estimate for replacing both modules. So, this is not my favorite chassis; but, those sets do perform OK when they work and the set I own uses this chassis. I'll use it until it dies and if I can't easily fix it, it will hit the dumpster. I think Zenith's whole intent on these sets and the older 9-160 sets was to repair them by replacing the modules. I don't think they wanted you to fix them to the component level.

IMHO, the best Zenith's were the chromacolor II sets of the '70's. Those had their problems; but, they didn't have any weird power supply or sweep circuits and they were fairly straightforward to troubleshoot.

Ok, here it is in it's unmolested glory!:D Not too bad after 28yrs. of service:yes:The set does use the 9-186 module.Thank you radiotvnut for all the info.:thmbsp:Here are some pics....

Here's a few more.....
Still trying to find a video source,hopefully sometime today!

Me Likey !

I had an SZ1927W from April 83 with a fantastic picture and the 9-186 board. That one had a decent Foster speaker and the same 'corn-cob' flyback... these make a nice pic.. whats the crt, a 13VLMP22? Good save for sure.!

Thanks guy's!The crt is a 13VBWP22.And just think,i debated 3 or 4 hours before i decided to make the phone call and pick it up! I guess it was a good thing i did....:D

I'm sure that TV cost as much back in '83 as a large flatscreen cost today. The catch is that the new flatscreen won't last as long as the '83 Zenith.

I'm getting so that I pick up these '80's TV's, especially if they are cheap or free.

My '84 knob tuned 13" Zenith that looks like yours was a freebie.

Ok guys, here ya go! I'm in the process of moving so i had a hell of a time finding my cables.:D Also my cable box is setup for hi-def that's why the picture looks a little wonky....

That one has a sharp picture. Much better than most of the "last gasp" CRT sets. Actually, it looks better than most flatscreens that I've seen.

the picture looks a little wonky....
"Wonky"? No, the picture looks quite good. Widescreen, letterboxed, exactly as it should be.

I love the '70s and '80s Zenith sets, my latest one of them is maybe one of the first System 3s, 19" with remote capability and the buttons under the front panel. I can't get the remote to work on it, and I did have the tv switch set to "remote" when I tried two remotes on it. When I can get to the remote controls I know really work, I can try it again. It seems like mine would have had a chromey looking controller with smaller chrome buttons. I love your new set!

"Wonky"? No, the picture looks quite good. Widescreen, letterboxed, exactly as it should be.

Yes, you're absolutely correct! I dunno what i was thinking when i said that.I thought i was having a "vertical" problem when i first hooked it up.:screwy::stupid: