Late 80s Zenith System 3

[radiomojo]

How were the late 80s Zenith System 3 for reliability? A 25" console (D2504P) is on the local craigslist and I have been looking for a new TV. If they aren't known for a lot of problems I may wait about a week and ofer them $40, they are asking $75 now.

Rod

[radiotvnut]

I think I'd pass on it. By the late '80's, Zenith TV's had declined in quality even more. I've seen many from that era with weak CRT's, bad caps, loose connections, and other weird problems. Also, those membrane keypads that were common on some Zenith sets from that era were prone to give trouble.

[kx250rider]

I'd steer clear... Worst CRT ever made, and just a bunch of headaches. Most of them are already in the landfill, so the only hope it might have, is as a rare collectible in a few years, LOL.

Charles

[Gunslinger]

The Zenith "K" line system III were good sets. After that, they were "landfill ready"

[radiotvnut]

Wasn't the "K" line the first version that still used a power transformer and the 9-153 HV module? I have an early 19" System 3 from '78 with that chassis and I think it's a "K" line.

[JCFitz]

The last 25"-27" Zenith sets with decent picture tubes were probably around 1985-1986.I had the advance system 3 set made from 85-86(mine was early 1985) and it had an excellent picture tube in it and it's still going strong for the old lady I gave it too. The one issue all of that model 27" had was a poor or underrated horizontal yoke connector that would burn the sweep board. Mine was hardwired in after it happened.

After that Zenith quality really went down the tubes. The later Zenith tubes would short if you looked at them wrong and they didn't last long. The 90s were really terrible with first the ones that ate regulators when the tube shorted and then the ones that ate video driver transistors. They had some in the early 90s that leaky caps like Mitsubishis except the leakers in the Zeniths were all blue in color.

And finally to the last crt ones the horizontal circuit ceramic caps literally burn up often damaging the circuit board with them.I've seen those little blue ceramic caps crack and short in other sets but apparently there's no current limiting in the Zenith power supply other than the B+ fuse and the capacitors continue to burn when the set is turned off.Only unplugging it will stop further damage. What a pos.

[Gunslinger]

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

Wasn't the "K" line the first version that still used a power transformer and the 9-153 HV module? I have an early 19" System 3 from '78 with that chassis and I think it's a "K" line.

That is correct.

[wa2ise]

Originally Posted by JCFitz

The last 25"-27" Zenith sets with decent picture tubes were probably around 1985-1986....

IIRC Zenith was bought out by some Korean company about then, 1985 or so. RCA died about 2 years later.

[radiotvnut]

I don't know the exact year; but, Goldstar purchased some interest in Zenith. By the late '90's, Goldstar had absorbed the whole Zenith name.

I think RCA was bought by GE in '86. Then, GE closed it's TV plants and it wasn't long before GE sold the RCA/GE consumer product line to Thomson.

[andy]

...

[radiotvnut]

In the late '90's-early 2000's, I was getting all the junk from the local Zenith dealer. There were loads of those early-to-mid '90's Zeniths with the CRT problems. Sometimes, I'd use an older tube to fix one. Other times, I'd replace the power supply or video output components, think the set was fixed, only to have it come back to bite me in the butt in a week or two. Around '95, someone gave me a 27" '93 Zenith with a bad A68ACT00X CRT. I replaced the tube with an Opti-chrome rebuild. About two years later, that tube shorted and blew a few regulators before I realized it was the tube. I guess those rebuilds were no better than the Zenith originals. I also remember seeing a few of those sets that looked like crap, right out of the box. I hardly every see a '90's era Zenith and if I ever see another one, it will be too soon.

By the late '90's-early 2000's, Zenith started using a mix a Philips CRT's and whoever made those bonded yoke CRT's like what RCA and others used. Those tubes were much better than the Zenith tubes.

[radiomojo]

Thanks everyone, it sounds like a pass for sure then. I knew they started making junk in the 90s. My Dad had one that blew capacitors at least once a year.

Rod

[Carmine]

Originally Posted by andy

1993 was the year Zenith really went down hill. They had a lot of quality control problems before that, but they were at least trying to make a good product until 1993.

I can't claim to have serviced sets, but I'm much more inclined to agree with the above statement.

I'm still watching the 27" set my parents bought in 1990, and that set had the best picture of any in the store. Picture is still quite strong and sharp, with no signs of bleeding. We bought my grandparents a similar set in 1993 on the basis of being very pleased with the now 3-year old set. Within a couple years, the '93 was unwatchable junk.

Also trashpicked a few late 80s sets, including monitor-style models and if I was able to repair them, the problems were minor. Also know a few people with late 80s Zeniths that are still going strong.

I say 1992-93 was perhaps the dividing line in the sand.

[Trance88]

My freshman campus building is full of early 90's zenith sets (last I checked). The building was built in 1994 so I'm guessing all the TV's were made either in 1993 or '94. Each classroom had one as well as several in the hallways. I remember them being pretty decent sets when I went there during the '03-'04 school year. I haven't been there in over 5 years so, dunno if any are still in service or not.

[Jeffhs]

My Zenith Sentry 2 19" table TV has almost 16 years on it and still works as well as when it was new. I only used it four years at my former home before moving here and getting a new RCA CTC185. The Zenith has been sitting in my bedroom the last 11 years and, last I tried it, was still working well. No problems with the CRT or anything else. Considering all the problems Zenith had with CRTs in their sets by the 1990s, I consider myself lucky to have a set that has lasted this long and still works. I'm keeping it in the bedroom to back up my CTC185, but as well as that set has been working (it is my daily watcher and gets used several hours a day, with no problems other than a bent shadow mask in the CRT last year) the Zenith may be sitting in storage for quite a while yet.