Tuning up a 1988 Zenith System 3 that I found.

[MRX37]

Now that I actually have a camera capable of taking clear shots of small text, maybe these images will help identify just what kind of Zenith I have here:





So far I've replaced the one lytic cap on the CRT neck board (10uf, measured at 7.6uf). I also replaced the main filter cap (a 680uf@200 volt cap, replaced it with a slightly smaller 680uf@250 volt cap.) And I replaced a 33uf@200 volt cap that's near a heatsink. It tested fine, but judging from the label, it's seen some heat. I replaced these caps mainly because after 20 years of use, they're probably ready to be retired. These cap changes haven't affected the following problems:

I still have a few small issues with this TV. I've occasionally noticed that there's a sort of stripe on the left side of the screen that's a bit brighter then the rest of the picture. It only appears in some scenes though. Also, when watching a letterboxed program, the black borders will become brighter when the scene is bright. That makes adjusting the black levels hellish, as I use those black borders to set the brightness/contrast. The picture also changes size depending on how bright or dim it is. I'd guess that this is normal.

Also, I've noticed that the audio kinda crackles and pops when a loud sound is playing. Most noticable in videogames. the speakers appear to be fine though, because I can turn the volume up and it sounds fine, but if the sound is loud, it crackles regardless of how low or high the volume is.

This TV is unique to me. It's unique because it works, but I can't really sell it. Picture's still pretty good overall. CRT seems to have some life left in it. The electronic keypad on the front is damaged. Cosmetic damage, it still works fine. However this damage makes this TV unsellable. This is fine with me as I wouldn't mind a TV in my bedroom that's cable ready and works with a universal remote... I'd like to whip this Zenith into shape if I can.