estate sale finds again, for 2004

[andy]

It's worth stripping off the outer layers of tape from that transformer. Many times there is a small thermal fuse that's open, or the break is close to where it connects to the primary wires.

[drh4683]

Thanks for the pointers, I'll take the tape off and see. Just by looking at the mounting of the tuner, I can tell its going to be a pain. Very crowded cabinet.

[Jeffhs]

Originally posted by drh4683
As for the radio in this tv, it does not work. The on off switch to the radio is broken in the ON position. A tek cut the wires to the radio on off vol switch and jumped them together. Basically the volume down would basically be "off". As a result of this decision, the radio power transformer fried out. When I found the tv, it was still plugged in behind a dresser in the bedroom with the rabbit ears up, so the set was plugged in for many years I belive and with the radio really never being off, the trans fried out. The primary winding is open. I would like to find a replacement, Ive seen this exact transformer in many other solid state japanese radios. The radio in the tv is basically a simple transistor radio with the seprate power supply as shown. I would immaging a late 60s-early 70's sanyo solid state table radio will have all the parts I need to fix this up. Too bad that had to happen! Oh well, should be an easy fix when I find the parts. I believe the transformer steps the voltage down to 9 volts as the filter cap is rated 1000uf at 10volts.
Here are the numbers stamped on the trans. R-W7103b

Hmmmm. I wonder why the radio's power switch wasn't properly replaced (see my note below), or at very least the switch replaced with a toggle switch of suitable rating.

Jumpering across a defective switch may get the set working again, but it is definitely not the correct way to "repair" such a problem (or *any* television or radio problem, for that matter). In fact, the radio hadn't been repaired at all, just restored to service with a makeshift technique; the correct repair was never made. Further, with the radio constantly on even with the television off, and the main power cord still plugged in, this kind of thing could have been the heck of a fire hazard had the transformer not burned out (or the thermal fuse, if there is one, did not open) when it did--especially if, as you say, the set had remained plugged in "for many years". Seems to me the former owner was not even aware that the set was plugged in and the radio on.

Makeshift repairs are meant to be temporary at best, until the proper components to repair the problem correctly can be obtained and installed. In fact, had this been a CRT HV problem or any other involving high voltages and possible shock or other hazards, such temporary repairs would be considered absolutely unacceptable. Television repair persons in the business simply do not do makeshift repairs.

I seriously doubt that any TV technician jumped the switch in that set to get the radio working; rather, this sounds to me like the kind of thing a DIY type would do. (For that matter, so is replacing the original on-off switch with a toggle, as I mentioned above.) Reputable TV repair shops will not tolerate their technicians doing such haywire, slap-dash jobs as that, of course. If a real TV repair technician, who knew what he/she was doing, had been working on the radio chassis, the person would have done the job properly and replaced the switch or the entire potentiometer/switch assembly.

[andy]

I always amazed at some of the "professional" repairs I've seen. Even my familiy's VCR from when I was a kid was subject to such repairs beofre I started doing all the electronics repairs in the house. Years later I discovered that the power supply board had been broken one of the times it was repaired and the tech did a very poor job of fixing the damage. One of the regulated voltages ended up unregulated as a result. That would explain what it always seemed different after one particular repair. Add to that a failure to diagnose other basic problems which resulted in lots of call backs on the VCR. It's main problem was a tendency to damage the lower edge of the tape. I later learned that this was the classic symptom of a dried out pinch roller. You'd think this was a shady repair shop, but it was actually the best one in town and the only one that's still in business!

[drh4683]

Here is the next find, is a space command 600 zenith console! This is getting better and better. This is the 4th space command tv of this year! This one being by far the best model. This is a 1969 zenith 16Z7C50Z chassis. Whats very rare about this set is that it has the exclusive "ultramatic" UHF/VHF tuner. This is basically a tuning system in which 6 UHF channels can be preset and tuned with the space command remote. Once the tuner is on UHF, it automatically "clicks" one by one through the UHF presets lettered A-F. The half moon tuning dial also moves up or down instantly with the channel change. This is an very complex mechancial arragement. Also to note, the mechanical design of the space command channel selector is nothing like the previous models in which you would simply turn a metal table 1/4 turn. All channels are preset up front and with a special spring loaded plastic screw. Because of the extra torque required to changed through the UHF channels there is a gear reduction. When selecting channels the manual channel knob spins very fast with each channel selection! Its pretty amusing to see the tuner in action and hearing all the noise it makes!
Amazingly the TV is like brand new! It has barely any hours on it, I think Im the first to ever have the back off the set. All original tubes were in there and still had the factory sticker over the HV adjustment.
Keep in mind it didnt work like brand new when I got it. The tuner drive did need some mechanical repair and the space command channel UP function didnt work. An open coil in the relay caused it not to work. Luckily I had a 195-45 relay on hand from a spare space command 500 junk chassis. UHF was not working. The UHF spring forks were weak . They were removed and slightly rebent to gain contact to the UHF rotor shaft for proper grounding. That brought UHF into good order. After a couple tubes replaced and adjustments the TV is like new.
This is zeniths top model, 1969 is the first model year that introduced the ultramatic tuner.

[drh4683]

inside view, this is a 16Z7C50Z chassis. more compactrons are used.

[drh4683]

Here is the inside of the control panel. Notice the UHF dial scale, as UHF presets A-F are selected the tuning indicator slide and points to the preset channel.

[drh4683]

the ultramatic tuner. As you can see its by far more complex than any previous zenith tuner.

Ultramatic was the name of Packard's automatic transmission! That's one sharp set you have there Doug, now if you could fix that early cataract on the tube it would look like brand new!

Anthony

[drh4683]

This is todays only find. In my opinion one of the rarest RCA finds in 1960s color television. A 1966 CTC19 model FH522E in the unique "ebony" cabinet which is black vinal. Very sharp set with severe cataracts, however the crt is perfect yet and has most all original tubes even the 6GH8s! And believe it or not, the set still works! Great color and focus. Just need to fix the UHF tuner and cataracts. Clean it up and it will be like new. This is the 3rd set of its type in my collection. My goal is to have every cabinet style of this series as they are my favorite RCA sets of all time.

[drh4683]

good picture behind that cataracts!

[drh4683]

Chassis will need a good cleaning. Looks like this set sat on a basement floor for many years. Tons of "floor dust' was accumulated under the chassis when I picked it off the basement floor. Best of all, Got it for a good price of $5.00!

[Jeffhs]

Originally posted by drh4683
Its pretty amusing to see the tuner in action and hearing all the noise it makes!

Is the UHF tuner in the Zenith Ultramatic system really that noisy? I know the detented VHF tuner can make a lot of racket when its drum turns, but there's nothing to make much noise in a UHF tuner of that vintage, as they were all continuous tuning back then. The only thing I can come up with to explain all that noise is there must have been a detented drum or some other indexing system used in the Ultramatic to select up to six preset UHF stations (U1-U6).

The same system (without the motor drive) was used in Zenith TVs from about the late '70s or so until the late '80s, IIRC. I had a Zenith portable of early 1980s vintage with the one-knob electronic tuning system, and liked it a lot. Wish I would have held on to it, as it still worked, and well, at the time (unfortunately, it went out for the trash when I moved four years ago).

In fact, thinking about how that system was set up (I saw the service notes for the Ultramatic in a Zenith TV service manual some years ago), it makes sense to me now that the thing would make the same clunk-clunk noise when it was operating as would a detented VHF tuner. Even at that, however, I can't imagine the UHF tuner making as much noise as you say. Still, there's the matter of the UHF knob spinning like mad when the system is changing channels. If the UHF tuner detents through its six channel positions, wouldn't the UHF selector move just as slowly as the drive unit did, and in measured steps?

Your set looks very nice from an appearance standpoint as well. I recently saw a picture of the same set on a web site (tvhistory.tv) which also showed Zenith's other 1969 color TVs. I see Zenith still has two consoles in its lineup today, a 25" and a 27", although the chassis in these sets are probably made by Gold Star and are as unreliable as today's Zenith table models.

I hate saying that as, like yourself, I like Zenith TVs and other early entertainment gear from when the company was still based in Chicago, but unfortunately it's the truth, unless the console chassis are of better quality than the smaller sets (which I doubt).

[polaraman]

Got this Maggie set yesterday at an estate sale in Atlanta. Murpho, I got this out of your back yard! It appears to have a 24??? CRT. The price for this beast was a whopping $10! It was sitting in the basement. Very dusty and dirty. I cleaned the cabinet up and it looks real nice. Have yet to plug it in.

polaraman

[drh4683]

I picked up another set, like I really need more considering that Im moving in 2 weeks. I couldnt pass this one up. It was at the salvation army for 20 bucks like new. '

Its a system 3 with space command 800. If you didnt already know, the space command 800 is an electronic ultrasonic remote. this set is from 81 and works like new. I took advice from captainmoody as to grab a system 3 when I find a nice one. Since it was a space command, I had to take it. Its a 17" set with varactor tuning. Also has the color sentry system. Just as a note, zenith went to the modular chassis design in 1980 (no more solid chassis like the chormacolor II and older). Its a well made set, and the picture is outstanding. Generally, system 3 sets are beyond my interest in collecting, but I really like this one. Anyone with more experienced with this set know how good they are as far as reliablity? CRT's last long? Not sure, never had one until now.