Modern Zenith Console

[jstout66]

I was bored today, and playing with the basement hoard.. looks like I have a wall of Zenith's. I fired up the 2 Chromacolors ( they have been idle for awhile) The Console is a 1975 Chromacolor 2. The portable is a 1971 Chromacolor Hybrid. Pictures are great on both (altho my camera doesn't show it) I think the hybrid has the better pix of the 2.....

[DaveWM]

yep, nice looking sets.

[DavGoodlin]

Those Hybrids are amazing. No wonder Zenith was #1 for the 70's.

Got two 19DC11 chassis sets with all original tubes just like in your pic.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by DavGoodlin

Those Hybrids are amazing. No wonder Zenith was #1 for the 70's.

Got two 19DC11 chassis sets with all original tubes just like in your pic.

I've got a 1971 hybrid chassis 12B13C52, and it beats all of my other color sets hands down (aside from color which is not as good as one of my roundys).

[DavGoodlin]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

I've got a 1971 hybrid chassis 12B13C52, and it beats all of my other color sets hands down (aside from color which is not as good as one of my roundys).

On the bottom - 12B14C52 (with tired 23VATP22) my parents bought new safely in my attic, as a keeper. (on my bucket list to fix) I wonder if Zenith used all those chassis numbers like RCA did with the letter suffix. I never could figure them out except the first letter denotes the year.

Top set is the Zenith's predecessor a '62 Motorola, got me started in all this....

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by DavGoodlin

On the bottom - 12B14C52 (with tired 23VATP22) my parents bought new safely in my attic, as a keeper. (on my bucket list to fix) I wonder if Zenith used all those chassis numbers like RCA did with the letter suffix. I never could figure them out except the first letter denotes the year.

Top set is the Zenith's predecessor a '62 Motorola, got me started in all this....

If you want a hybrid set to watch that can give most BPC CRT sets a real run for their money then I'd recommend putting that Zenith on your to do list. Your set has the same face mask/control panel as mine (though the cabinet is different), and both are listed in the same Sam's folder (which I have and could be persuaded scan and email to you at some point in the future).

[jstout66]

Just an update (well.. more of a rant) but geeezzzz.. the seller of that Zenith lists it EVERY day (just saw it again today). One would think he'd get a clue and perhaps lower the price. Listed at 125.00 it's at least 100.00 overpriced. Sadly.. ain't no-one gonna shell out money for a console TV. Especially when I see high-end 32-36" CRT sets in the 40.00-60.00 range. Don't know if that's the case on most everyones local craigslist, but people are dumping their CRT sets in droves.

[holmesuser01]

Not to sidetrack the topic, but...

I've been given some incredibly nice CRT sets lately. Most are 32-36" sets, and I have several big Sonys! I've turned down a 40" Mitsubishi CRT set, as I have no place for it, not to mention, it weighs a ton! CRT sets are junk to most consumers now, lucky for us!

I've aquired one Zenith... a 25" System III (first version) console with high fidelity sound and the hands-free phone system. Lovely beautiful color on it. It has a fairly new 9-160 module on it, too! Not stereo, but very nice sound.

Turned down a 1998 set this morning. Dont need parts, as I have a load of NOS modules for most of the newer versions.

[Jeffhs]

Yes, people certainly are getting rid of the old CRTs left and right in favor of flat screens, although in my small northeastern Ohio town I haven't seen many CRT sets on curbs for some time (the last ones I saw were a 1978 RCA ColorTrak 25" console on a treelawn down the street from me, about ten years ago, and three table models several years later, not to mention a 1980-vintage RCA b&w portable just up the street from here). This is probably because folks are turning to recycling (by choice or by law) of worn-out sets, even flat panels, when these sets finally show their last program and quit.

There is no other choice but to buy a FP to replace a traditional CRT, since no one makes the latter anymore. With new large-screen HDTVs available now for very reasonable prices, it doesn't make much sense to be putting money into an old CRT TV (unless you are doing it just for the fun of getting an old set to work again, as do many VK members).

[jstout66]

Hey Holmesuser01,
I got to thinking on the sets I have been given, and just realized that for my main viewing, I have $5.00 invested. For the main level in my house I have:
1) 32" JVC I'art, which my brother gave to me when someone gave him a 90's era 60" Pioneer Elite set. ( Altho the Pioneer was 10K new, I think I got the better end of the deal)
2) In my office room I was given a 32" Toshiba Cinema series set. Altho the picture tube is starting to show its age.. still watchable.
3) In my bedroom I got a 19" Zenith System 3 with Space Phone, for 5.00 at a thrift store
4) And for my basement work-out area, I got a 27" Panasonic Tau, free off of craigslist.
I just had a 25" System 3 that sounds like the one you have. (high fidelity sound,space phone) but the picture tube was going soft, so I had it in my garage and when I put it on the free section of CL, the people that picked it up told me they were scrapping it. Wasn't happy to hear that, but.. I needed to clear space.
And man.. I woulda passed on the 40" as well. That 32" JVC I have is the heaviest set I ever lifted, so couldn't imagine what a 36" or 40" CRT would be. lol!

[holmesuser01]

[QUOTE=jstout66; And man.. I woulda passed on the 40" as well. That 32" JVC I have is the heaviest set I ever lifted, so couldn't imagine what a 36" or 40" CRT would be. lol![/QUOTE]

Trust me. If there had been a way, that 40" would have come here.

I worked on several big System III's just like the one I have here back in the day. I remember replacing that 9-160 board, usually. I always repaired the boards I replaced.

A friend and I were moving a 1998 era Sony 36" out to the truck. We decided to get on either side and just carry it. Right. We got about 30 feet out of the house, and both wanted to put down the set really bad. We didnt use gloves, and the plastic was cutting into our hands due to the weight of that wonderful Trinitron kine.

[DavGoodlin]

Thanks Tom. The '72 Olympics were shown live on that TV and looked sooo real. The dinge and definition of Archie Bunker's living room was incredible. The CRT is probably weak (all colors equally so) from being on-off several times a day. I can assure everyone that Zenith or Motorola (excellent 19AVP4 CRT) will be buried with me, even if I don't get to them.

My biggest set is a 1998 36" Panasonic. It is too heavy and has a purity issue, possibly from being dropped. I hope nobody gives me another this big. I need to clean and move stuff around every few years.

[julianburke]

We also have a local Habitat for Humanity that still thinks they are worth as much. Today I saw an RCA 32" there marked down to $125 from $175. If someone really wants one of these, just do yard sales in your wealthier neighborhoods on Friday and Saturday mornings and find them at about $40 right down to FREE in excellent condition. Let alone not selling them, people are not even looking at them to include the hispanics.
REMEMBER, NO yard sale is complete unless it has at least a 20" TV!! 99% of ALL yard sales have some form of a TV. LCD's are also showing up as well as computer monitors.

[radiotvnut]

All the "thrift" stores around here have not yet gotten the message, either. I have a friend, who is in the resell business, and he buys ultra-cheap TV's to resell. He has no problem buying 13"-20" CRT sets for $10, or less. Here lately, he's had no problem selling CRT TV's; but, $25 seems to be absolute top dollar for a later model 20" CRT set. He doesn't like to fool with anything over 20" because they are too big and heavy. In other words, they don't bring enough money to justify the amount of room they take up and how heavy they are. I think the main people buying CRT sets from him are the poor and people who want a cheap TV for the kitchen or kid's room.

Sometimes, he finds older knob-tuned TV's at yard sales and if he can get them cheap enough, he grabs them for me.

He did tell me that some of the yard sale people are still living in the past. At one sale, they had a 25" console for $100. Another sale had a 12" B&W for $25. He tried to get them down on the B&W set because he knows I like them; but, they would not budge. There was a time I could have gotten $25 for a 12" B&W, back in 1990. The last one I actually sold was about 10 years ago for $5.

[jstout66]

Same here in NE. The yard-sale people and the Goodwills have no clue.
I see "my" Zenith got listed again today, along with another one that is totally overpriced. On this second one, they even attached a vintage Zenith ad that isn't even the same set.......

http://omaha.craigslist.org/ele/2966816655.html