Zenith TV question
 

This may sound foolish; but, does anyone know the actual year that Zenith introduced the upright, fold down solid state Chromacolor II chassis? I figured '73 or '74; but, don't know for sure. I remember finding a 19" CCII many years ago with the fold down chassis that had instant on and an ATG (auto tint guard) button where the chromatic button is found on most versions. Could this have been an early version upright chassis?

1974 is the very first year of the chormacolor II, which also had the vertical chassis. Known as the "E" line chassis series. The first vertical chassis table sets used the 19EC45 and 17EC45 chassis (19" and 17"). As for the 25" table and console chassis it was the 25EC58.

Thanks for that information, Doug. All during the '90's, I was finding various models of CCII's on a regular basis. I even used to find a fair amount of 4 tube hybrid's. I found a 19" CCII several months ago. Before that, I don't think I've found a CCII since around 2001. I think about '99 was the last find for a 4 tube hybrid. I've been really kicking my butt for letting that set go because I think that was the best tube color set made. Maybe something will come up locally since I've been advertising "free pickup of non working TV's" in a local paper.

I have found SEVRAL CCII's, and a couple of tube Zenith color sets lately!!
 

2 of them are the 19" CC sets with vertical chassis, one is a 17"CCII set, one is a 23 or 25" CCII console, one is a 23" mostly tube set,(a 12 or 14 tube 71 model or such), 2 are 13" CCII sets, 13gc10 and 13Hc10, and ONE is a 14" portable color set, hot chassis,14Dc16 or such, the last hybrid portable set Zenith made.

I realy did not want the console,or the hot chassis portable, but I grabbed them to save them from the fate of those sets on that page about the "great compactor massacre". Some are stashed in various places, away from prying eyes around here, and some had to be brought in "after or BEFORE hours" if you know what I mean. I will probably let a few of them go to a GOOD HOME, certainly the hot chassis portable , maybe the console and 23" table model too.

Yes, I know what you mean about having to sneak stuff in "after or before hours." It got really bad around here when I was a kid and all the "junk" got brought in the house. I got in more fights with my parents when supper time would roll around and I'd have a TV or radio in 10,000 peices on the kitchen table. My Dad finally built a 12x24 building for all my "junk". My Mother often told people "well, at least I know where he is when he's messing with a TV."

....But that was still a flat-on-bottom chassis same as 25DC56. It showed up in '73, and as you said, I think as late as '74. The 23 & 25EC45 flip-downs were also available in early '74, if I'm not mistaken... With ZOOOOOOOOOM! Space Command 1000.

Charles

If I remember correctly zoom came out in the G line late 75. I don't think there were any 23" set in 74. At the time I was just 16 had my first real job working after school at Gordon's TV in Fullerton. They were a large Zenith dealer. We all thought the 25EC58 was the best. They would run and run and the CRTs lasted forever as long as the high voltage didn't get out of control and blow the neck off.

I have a 4-tube fixer-upper that I'd give you, radiotvnut, but I know it's a ride. Heck, I could load you up with stuff!

Thanks for the offer, Bryan. I'm in MS and I'm sure that would cost a ton of $$ to ship. If I were closer, I'd take you up on it. Most of the ones I used to find around here had bad triplers or focus bleeders or both. I did run into a few bad tubes (not the crt, though) and the usual dirty controls. I do remember getting a 25" remote console with the 4-tube chassis. This was one of the few remote Zenith's that I saw that had the tuner knobs exposed. Lightning got the power transformer in that one. That was way before Audiokarma came along and no one had the transformer in stock. I'd still like to find a 19" 4-tube locally one day. I'm sure there's one sitting in some older person's basement with my name on it!