The 1974 Zenith Chromacolor 4-tube hybrid console w/ Space Command 500!

[sampson159]

now this was when they made a quality set.what a find this is!like new condition and the fabulous zenith picture.it doesnt get any better than this.also,thanks doug for all those pictures.what a post!

[dishdude]

Why does that gray made in mexico sticker on the yoke look out of place with every other part labeled made in USA? Could that be a replacement?

I am in love with this set. The condition is easily a 10/10, it's remote and the cabinet style looks great even today.

[snelson903]

nice !!

[MRX37]

Take care of it... I'm sure you will.

Thing might outlive you.

[BigDavesTV]

Very nice set, like new...wow! I had forgotten about when Zenith used to "silicone" the base of the HOT to the socket / chassis! When I used to replace the original tube, years ago, sometimes I had to slice thru the silicone to get the tube out without breakage! Back then, if it was a fairly low hours set, that silicone would often still be so pliable, that it wanted to stretch! I had forgotten 'till I saw these excellent photos!

[zeno]

Lets look at the numbers

S-89750 is the Zenith part ##. Yokes either start with S- or 95-.

2857406 is EIA 285 mfg 6th week of 1974.
EIA is Rola A.K.A Pemcore an Ohio company that made YOKES !
Much talk of trade with Mexico, Pemcore & yokes here
http://usitc.gov/publications/tea/pub591.pdf

2997 I have no idea BUT it may be a serial ## for the 6th week
production run. Ideas ???

Bottom line IMHO this IS the origional yoke. It shows no sign of
being changed or a sub. Also Hybrids were not known for bad
FBT's or yokes. I did one FBT & cant remember any yokes out
of must be 500 ++ hybrid repairs.

BTW Zeniths EIA is 343. They made a LOT of there own stuff.
Also Rauland CRT division has EIA1101. You will find both on
CRT's in Zeniths.

73 Zeno

Originally Posted by dishdude

Why does that gray made in mexico sticker on the yoke look out of place with every other part labeled made in USA? Could that be a replacement?

I am in love with this set. The condition is easily a 10/10, it's remote and the cabinet style looks great even today.

[drh4683]

Thanks for the kind words guys! I really enjoy documenting these sets and sharing them with fellow collectors. My earliest memories and beginnings in TV go back to the 4-tube hybrids which is why I have a particular interest in them.

Zeno; thanks for sharing that link about Pemcor. Reading that document is a great example of seeing how rapidly things were changing by the early 70's and how one company fell apart. So many others had a similar fate, but sadly most of those stories are long forgotten and/or never even known about by most. The huge industry just silently disappeared, especially in Chicago which was home to so many different component manufacturers as well as the equipment makers.

Every EIA number found in these old sets represent a company and the people who worked there. All have a story waiting to be rediscovered, just like that deflection yoke.

[Captainclock]

I thought I spied an old Magnavox Console Stereo in the first picture of the room of the house that this TV came from

What ever happened to that old Magnavox Console? Hopefully that couple that moved into that house didn't junk it because that looked like it was in just as good of shape as this TV was, and it might of been an all tube unit as well.

If that couple did junk out that Magnavox they threw away $200+ right there.

[Jeffhs]

I wouldn't be surprised if they did junk that Magnavox stereo console, and did not look back. Most people outside our hobby do not realize the value of these older sets; if the new owners of the house are under about 50 years of age they almost certainly do not remember when these sets were new, and how much better they were than today's offshore stuff. Also, there is the chance that the former owners didn't have a lot of time to vacate the property, so the Magnavox stereo and the '74 Zenith TV were left behind in a hurry. Most people today cannot be bothered with TVs and stereo sets that are not the absolute latest, with mp3 playback, CD player, flat screen, etc., since that is all they know (remember, many new homeowners are, again, under about 50 years of age, so they have no idea of how good TVs, stereos, etc. once were).

There is also the likelihood that the new owners of the house Doug got the '74 Zenith TV from are moving (or have already moved) into much smaller quarters, so they may not have the room for large console TVs, stereos and other large pieces of furniture. When I left my former residence 15 years ago to move to the apartment I live in today, I left my Zenith 4-mode integrated stereo system behind (along with a lot of other stuff I couldn't use in the new place due to space limitations--this apartment is much smaller than the house I left) and bought a new bookshelf stereo, TV, and even new furniture for the apartment (very long story and OT). This is probably what the new owners of that house in Wisconsin may have done, and why, again, the TV and the Magnavox console were left. The new owners probably have a 30"+ flat screen with 5.1-channel surround sound and couldn't care less about a 50+-year-old stereo console with vacuum tubes, which they may never have heard of. They probably have no idea, and could not care less if they did know, how much the console sold for when it was new.

[davet753]

What a great find! I've been looking for a 4-tube hybrid Zenith for years, but there doesn't seem to be any left in my area.

They used to be plentiful, but not any more.