I just picked up a Zenith H2736 with the 16H23 chassis. The previous ownerr turned it on and it just produced a line across the screen. I'm guessing that is vertical collapse. I don't have a Sam's, I was wondering if anyone knew where to look.i want to try and get it working. Unfortunately the cabinet is Masonite and beat up. So if anyone has any ideas for that let me know, I was thinking of getting it vinyl wrapped in fake wood grain.

Check the Vertical tube and if it is good change all the vertical caps and if it still doesn't work change the K networks (3 legged ceramic capacitors with a 87 part number stamped on).
The bumble bee caps and white tubular (IIRC Elmenco) paper caps they used in these are junk that should be replaced.

As far as repairing your TV's Cabinet goes, you can still get wood grained "masonite" board (its basically the same as the "wood grained" paneling you put on your walls in your homes and RVs), just go to your local Lowe's or Menard's and pick up a 4' x 8' sheet of wood grained paneling that is the same tone and wood grain pattern as what's on your TV's cabinet currently and carefully remove the old paneling and use it to cut the new piece of paneling out and carefully glue and nail the new piece onto the cabinet and put a coat of poly on it to protect it and you should be good to go.

As for the TV itself, are you sure its color?

I'm asking because I have a TV very similar to yours (except mine a few years newer and is an All channel model with motorized tuning) and mine has almost the exact same tube layout (just a smaller picture tube) and mine is a black and white model, plus the tube count is too low for it to be a color TV, also it doesn't have any of the convergence controls that a color TV normally has on the back.

Just my 2 wheat pennies worth.

As for the TV itself, are you sure its color?

plus the tube count is too low for it to be a color TV

Of course it's not color, besides the lack of convergence components that you mentioned, not to mention no front panel color controls (Tint, hue, etc), the biggest tipoff is that it's a P4 CRT. As to tube count, let's not forget that Zenith did a color chassis with only 4 tubes, so tube count itself really isn't a good determiner of whether a set is color or not.

The OP made a simple mistake of posting it here in the color section, perhaps the mods can move it to the B&W section if we ask them nicely :thmbsp:

Of course it's not color, besides the lack of convergence components that you mentioned, not to mention no front panel color controls (Tint, hue, etc), the biggest tipoff is that it's a P4 CRT. As to tube count, let's not forget that Zenith did a color chassis with only 4 tubes, so tube count itself really isn't a good determiner of whether a set is color or not.

The OP made a simple mistake of posting it here in the color section, perhaps the mods can move it to the B&W section if we ask them nicely :thmbsp:

I wasn't trying to be mean, I was just trying to point out that the TV was in the wrong forum.

I was just pointing out the other stuff just in case for some reason the people he bought the set from had said it was color thinking it was a color TV (or maybe they didn't remember right, if it was an older person.)

And yes I'm aware of the 4 tube Chromacolor Zenith Hybrid Sets, this TV though was all tube (it didn't list any solid state components on the tube layout chart, which is what Zenith did on early hybrid units.)

Anyways I'm just going to butt out now, before things go south.

I wasn't trying to be mean, I was just trying to point out that the TV was in the wrong forum.

I was just pointing out the other stuff just in case for some reason the people he bought the set from had said it was color thinking it was a color TV (or maybe they didn't remember right, if it was an older person.)

And yes I'm aware of the 4 tube Chromacolor Zenith Hybrid Sets, this TV though was all tube (it didn't list any solid state components on the tube layout chart, which is what Zenith did on early hybrid units.)

Anyways I'm just going to butt out now, before things go south.

Dude don't take my post as accusing you of meanness, I meant no such thing with it. I do tend to speak in a very "matter of fact" style and perhaps that came across as harsh to you, but I was simply listing all of the obvious tipoffs as to it not being a color set with no malice intended toward either you or the OP :thmbsp:

I actually didn't realize it was the early color forum. Sorry about that. But I do appreciate the help so far. I threw my back out carrying the set. So once it's better I will try changing the vertical tube. After that I'm going to try replacing all the caps in the vertical section. I was under the impression that the old Zeniths pretty much never die, so I was hoping not to have to recap it.

Next time you move it you might want to pull the chassis first and reinstall it after the cabinet is where you want it...That's how I manage stairs sometimes when I don't have assistance with consoles.

A lot of these sets will work fine for a few minutes on original caps, but until they completely dropped bumble bee caps and those white ceramic bodied paper caps these just weren't reliable.

Dude don't take my post as accusing you of meanness, I meant no such thing with it. I do tend to speak in a very "matter of fact" style and perhaps that came across as harsh to you, but I was simply listing all of the obvious tipoffs as to it not being a color set with no malice intended toward either you or the OP :thmbsp:

OK, sorry, I'm still getting used to your style of writing. I'll try to remember that next time. :yes:

I actually didn't realize it was the early color forum. Sorry about that. But I do appreciate the help so far. I threw my back out carrying the set. So once it's better I will try changing the vertical tube. After that I'm going to try replacing all the caps in the vertical section. I was under the impression that the old Zeniths pretty much never die, so I was hoping not to have to recap it.

No problem, hopefully my suggestion of trying out woodgrained paneling from Lowes or Menards would help you repair your TV's Cabinet.

Like I said I have a metal cabinet version of your TV that is quite heavy in of itself, the only difference between mine and yours is that mine is an All-Channel model with a non-remote motorized tuner in it, before the picture tube on mine became gassy (the inside of the neck glowed a dull purple color when turned on) my TV was a nice low hours set that had all of the original tubes in it yet including the picture tube. :sigh::tears: