GIANT Zenith projection set @ Villa Park Estate Sale
 

Someone needs to go check this thing out, you never know what you might find...

(no affil)

http://www.estatesales.net/estate-sales/133389.aspx

http://pictures.estatesales.net/3944/133389/1814164.jpg
http://pictures.estatesales.net/3944/133389/1814167.jpg

I think that projection set is from the early '80's and it's one of those with a motor that's supposed to lower the screen down inside the cabinet when not in use. Several years ago, I had one of these; but, the green CRT was busted and I ended up junking the set. Otherwise, it worked fine.

The other console is a mid '80's Zenith system 3 and the portable on top looks like a 20" RCA CTC130.

Did you check the rest of the stuff out? It's a potential treasure trove of stuff.:yes:

I also like the camcorder. I wonder if it still works.

http://pictures.estatesales.net/3944...141.jpg?lm=587

Tell Doug there's a vintage dishwasher in there! It's a Hobart of all things.

I might have a service manual for that Zenith, if I haven't tossed it already.

The victor cine camera has some modern lenses on it-it would make a pretty good 16mm camera. The Bolex of course is also a great 16mm (although this one may be 8mm) camera, too-it has the auto-metering zoom lens that cost an arm and a leg back then.

A "Zurtle"! Changed a lot of CRT's in those! Also used a ratchet to get the things up when the motor drive circuit failed! Very heavy set!

Isn't that the Zenith with the Rube Goldberg mechanism with a penchant for failing often? Couple that with the unreliable electronics and it made for an awful experience for those who bought them. Neat idea though.

Never mind the Zenith, there's a Ristaucrat 45 player in that lot!


http://pictures.estatesales.net/3944...6-t.jpg?lm=620

That's why I say, imagine how much is really there that isn't shown in the photos...

The first (and only) time I saw one of these sets was in, IIRC, 1982 or so, at the TV shop (East End TV and Appliance, which specialized in Zenith at the time) in my old neighborhood before the store was moved some 15 miles east, and before it eventually went out of business for good. I've often wondered how many such sets were sold by that store alone. :scratch2:

Another way to keep these sets going when the drive mechanism goes bad, if the rest of the TV still works, is just to rig it so the screen stays up even when the set is off; the TV would then look a lot like a modern (if huge[!]) flat-panel set on a stand. I would disconnect the drive motor as well, so that it cannot start if the button on the remote that activated this function was accidentally pressed. If this is not done, the motor will try to raise an already upright screen and could burn itself out, or the drive mechanism could tear itself apart.

I had that EXACT zenith projection dad got, it had no raster, but as soon as you hit the power button to turn it off it would flash a perfect picture for a brief second before it powered completely off....

Ive been searching for that set for years... as he had trashed his and i liked that set. the motorized screen made it kinda awesome, but i never got to see what the picture looked like on it. as he picked it up, and played with it while i was in bed. he said it worked for a little bit before it lost the picture.