Any Zenith history websites?

I've tried seaching all over the web and can't find any sites specific to older Zenith TVs. Anyone know of some?

Would love to find at least a pic of the sets I grew up with. Smaller B&W portables 12" to 17" or so.

One in particular sticks in my gooey mind....either late 50's or early 60's with a strange checkerboard channel indicator. As you changed channels the channel number would pop up and then disappear in successive clear windows within the checkerboard pattern adjacent to the tuner knob (I think this was a VHF only set).

Does this sound familiar to anyone? Thanks

Anthony

[Chad Hauris]

This is the best TV site there is! Have you looked at the TV picture gallery, there are many Zenith portables there.

Already lookeded. Close, but no cheroots.

Anthony

[CUlater]

A cool history of the company is available at:

The Zenith Story

Hi PBG, thanks for that link.....hadn't found that site before.

Note that original Zenith book stops at 1954, is there and info availble from then to the "end"?

Am most interested in thier TV's from the late 50's thru the late 80's (including the Heathkit years). Thanks again

Anthony

[Carmine]

I've been to that site too, but it's a shame that it ends at 1954. I wish there were something later, with a little history on the development of remote control, porthole sets, Zenith's reluctance to use printed circuits (good!), late entry to color (except the the Zenith prototype seen on here), Chromacolor, entry into data systems, and the company's sad ending.

Here's another piece of the puzzle... For years I've seen motion lights at Home Depot with the brand Heathkit/Zenith, yet the "Zenith" is a different logo than the lightning bolt, or that stupid lowercase "z e n i t h" that means "disposable slave labor junk".

Heathkit, got any ideas here?

[Carmine]

I went back, clicked the link given above, and found that this was a different much more complete Zenith history than I remember reading.

I highly recommend this link, it has info about Zenith color, remote, etc. (But still ends at 1954.... too bad)

Originally posted by Carmine
I've been to that site too, but it's a shame that it ends at 1954. I wish there were something later, with a little history on the development of remote control, porthole sets, Zenith's reluctance to use printed circuits (good!), late entry to color (except the the Zenith prototype seen on here), Chromacolor, entry into data systems, and the company's sad ending.

Here's another piece of the puzzle... For years I've seen motion lights at Home Depot with the brand Heathkit/Zenith, yet the "Zenith" is a different logo than the lightning bolt, or that stupid lowercase "z e n i t h" that means "disposable slave labor junk".

Heathkit, got any ideas here?

Good points and questions. Am not sure but after Zenith bought Heathkit I believe that for whatever reason Heathkit was either split in two or a subsidiary named "Heath" was formed.

I suspect that "Heath" division is what we see on end user retail products. The Heathkit company still survives but is only in the educational field (electronics and networking mostly) and offers no kits whatsoever (except for materials directly related to their courses) http://heathkit.com/

In case you missed an earlier post of mine, my family is from Chicago and some of them worked for Zenith back in the late 50's and 60's. Isn't it interesting to think back on how Chicago was once the Silicon Valley of it's time? Few know that today.

Anthony (a fellow Paisan? Crazy Calabrase here)

Originally posted by Carmine
I've been to that site too, but it's a shame that it ends at 1954. I wish there were something later, with a little history on the development of remote control, porthole sets, Zenith's reluctance to use printed circuits (good!), late entry to color (except the the Zenith prototype seen on here), Chromacolor, entry into data systems, and the company's sad ending.

Here's another piece of the puzzle... For years I've seen motion lights at Home Depot with the brand Heathkit/Zenith, yet the "Zenith" is a different logo than the lightning bolt, or that stupid lowercase "z e n i t h" that means "disposable slave labor junk".

Heathkit, got any ideas here?

Carmine, just found the answer to your question here:
http://www.heathkit-museum.com/features/hkhistory.shtml

This passage in particular "The computer products were sold under the Heath/Zenith and Zenith Data Systems (ZDS) names. Incidentally, Heathkit, Vertitechnolgy, and ZDS each had their own President which reported to ZEC in Chicago. This should clear up misconception number 1. Although ZDS employees wouldn't want to admit it, ZDS did not at any time own Heathkit or any of the other product groups. ZDS was a separate company that was housed in the Heath Company building, and shared several support groups with the other companies. Somewhere along the way, a new group was added to the Heath Company which made lighting and security products, and they did business under the Heath/Zenith and Reflex names."

Anthony

[Chad Hauris]

Also I think the petroleum company Schlumberger owned Heath for a while.

Originally posted by Chad Hauris
Also I think the petroleum company Schlumberger owned Heath for a while.

You am correct, sir. I think it went Daystrom, Schlumberger, and then Zenith.

Anthony

[kc8adu]

speaking of zds they iirc produced the first totally flat crt.
i remember getting them in as scrap from wpafb drmo with notes like distorted picture.nothing wrong with any of them.folks had adjusted to a domed crt and would look at these and they looked wierd.picture looks sucked in in the center till you adjust.

From what I've read, Zenith at one time had quite a R&D lab and were well known for new and novel developments. This included both tube technology and even HDTV. Some say that their HD system should've been selected as it's compatible with existing analog broadcasts.

This reminds me of the NTSC/RCA standard versus the rejected CBS system. The FCC made the right decision back then but blew it this time around.

Anthony