Found a unique Zenith System 3
 

I do not have the energy to post a pic of it right now, but a description should suffice.

It's a 25 inch TV with a curved wood grain cabinet. Speaker(s) are on the bottom. I do not know when it was made because the date sticker on the back is totally faded.

I plugged it in, and it works! The CRT took a little while to warm up, but once it did, the picture looked pretty darn good. Convergence in the corners might need a slight touch up.

I'm probably going to keep it, because it looks like an early system 3, and it may be the closest I ever get to a CCII...

I think I know exactly what cabinet style you have and Zenith used many different chassis versions in that cabinet. It started off with the CCII, 1st generation System 3, 2nd generation system 3, and the 3rd generation system 3.

The first generation system 3's are from '78-early '79 and use a big power transformer in the power supply. The modules are 9-151, 9-152, 9-153, etc.

The second generation system 3's are from around '79-'82 and used the 9-160 power supply/horizontal sweep module. There is no power transformer in this chassis. The rest of the modules were the same as the first generation.

The third generation system 3's were made between around '82-'86 and used the 9-181 main module and a 9-186 horizontal sweep/HV module.

These sets came in remote and non remote versions with single knob tuning, varactor tuning, or digital cable ready tuning.

This model has buttons, no dial.

Channel numbers are displayed on the TV screen.

Maybe tomorrow if I have some time, I'll snap a pic or two of it. I'm certainly keeping it. It's the most unique TV I've found to date.

Okay, here's a shot of it running off my DTV box:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...rvedzenith.jpg

Looks 2nd generation SysIII (???). Nice set! I have the Chromacolor II version.

Charles

A long time ago, I saw one of those in a TV/furniture store with the matching base. I forget what the base looked like, but it stuck in my head because the curved case and base were so different than the norm.

I figured that's the one you found. I love that design, I've been looking for the CCII version for a long time. Haven't found one like yours either. That is a keeper.

Yeah, probably 2nd generation since it has buttons...

They made a CCII version... and you have one... you lucky #$%^&@##!!!!!

This may be as close as I ever get to a CCII...

I'd say 3rd gen since it has on-screen display. I'm trying to make out from the picture if it has Space Phone. Looks like it might.

I think it does, since it says 'Space phone" on it... whatever that is.

Nice. I had a '79 with Zoom and LED electronic tuner.

That's a very cool piece of technology I think we've talked about here before. Basically it's a giant speakerphone. There should be a white phone cable hard-wired into the back of the set. You press the Space Phone button on the remote, dial the phone number (the buttons on the remote have numbers and letters) and chat away. If you get a call, the TV rings and the show's sound mutes automatically. My Space Phone even stores two numbers! Only problem, it only works on pulse lines and all I have is touchtone since I get my phone through cable. Lots of fun and a real conversation piece - literally!

Ahh. It HAD a white phone cord attached to it, but someone cut that... I was lucky to get to it before they cut the power cord...

I'm not attached to the set... I could be talked out of it easily ;)


The on-screen display was available on the 1st generation sets, and I'm 76.2% sure the space phone was also.


Charles

Oh come on, just pull the back and let us see the insides. Then, we can tell you real quick what generation you have.

+1. I wanna see! :D

Not tonight, but tomorrow I'm gonna open it up to clean it out. then I'll snap some pics for you guys.

Yay:D

Okay, here's a shot of its insides:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...vedzenith2.jpg

My god what a birds nest of wires!! if I ever have to tear into this thing to fix something... oh lord...

Anyway, I'm going to give it a good cleaning inside. Perhaps you guys can now see what chassis I have, and maybe list any issues I might run into with it.

That's the 2nd generation chassis that uses the 9-160 power supply/horizontal sweep/HV module. These modules are commonly found with loose connections and those edge connectors often give trouble. If you ever have to pull it apart, it would be wise to resolder everything on the 9-160. Also, clean all the edge connectors. Another common problem with these sets is the flyback blowing up. When they burn up, it sounds like the 4th of July. If I were you and planned on keeping the set, I'd try and secure at least a good 9-160 and a 9-155 video output module as spares. These boards are getting harder to find. Zenith didn't really intend for these sets to be repaired to the component level. They wanted the technician to swap the whole module. I used to do that when I first started repairing TV's; but, I started repairing as many as I could to the component level when 9-160's started costing more than what the TV was worth.

Um,, one of those stickers says 9-149 I don't know what it is as I had to button the TV back up, but yeah.

A more extended viewing session shows some color bleeding at anything above moderate color levels.

I think based on the slow warm up time and the color bleeding, this tube is getting tired, so I may keep it or I might not.

Those Zenith in-line "tri focus" tubes did not last as long as the old delta gun tubes. They're not nearly as bad as a '90's Zenith tube; but, they certainly don't last like the older tubes. The last several 25" system 3's that I've found had a weak CRT.

Mmm this CRT is still nice and bright. Convergence and focus around the corners is a bit off, but it's in far better shape then the 1997 Zenith it replaced. I guess for now its staying.

Though... I now work fopr a company that sells LCD TV's, and I'm starting to warm up to them...

NO!!!! Don't go over to the "other side"!!

Well, they do have their plusses, I'm not gonna lie.

Convergence is not an issue for one. Black levels are surprisingly good as is the contrast ratio. Colors look as good as a modern CRT, make of that what you will. They also have an abundence of A/V inputs/outputs.

Also, they're easy to fix when you have parts. Replacing an LCD screen is easier and less dangerous then replacing a CRT. No high voltages to shock you, and no heavy tube that can implode...

Oh they do still have their drawbacks though. I wouldn't trust the caps in their power supplies for starters. Standard definition video rendering isn't as good as a CRT's. It looks okay, but a CRT can do better. They aren't as dangerous as a CRT, but they're more fragile.

So yeah I'm starting to warm up to them, but I'm not abandoning CRT's, because they can still do something these LCD TV's can't. See, I look for capabilities in something electronic and while these LCD TV's can do a lot, enough to where I actually have an interest in one, there are things they still can't and probably will never do as well as a CRT can.

i have to agree with MRX37 on the lcd front. while i dont own one my father does, the one he has is over 3 years old now (yeah i know its sad to say 3 years is a long time) .... immediatly out of the box it looked like crap but after he and I spent a few minutes messing with the picture setup it really does look quite decent. as usual they have the color and contrast jacked to the moon, but once they were at reasonable levels...and with HD going to it the picture is surprising. That being said im keeping my '78 sylvania till it grows legs and brings itself to the dump.

Yeah, this one that I'm playing with, I had to actually adjust it up because it was a bit dim, but after a few slight changes to the brightness settings, it's pretty good.