Why did I buy this modern Zenith tv?

[rca2000]

WHen you all see the pics. of this tv I bought....you may indeed ask--"WHY"? After all--it is a 1992 model Zenith--RIGHT In the middle of the "shit tube"era. And that is INDEED something I was aware of--when I bought it.

Still though. I have passed up no doubt--HUNDREDS of these sets-- including table models of the same chassis type--over the last 20 or so years--because I KNOW how bad--and destructive--the CRT's can be. With NO warning--they will go from a decent pix--to a weird---out-of -focus raster, and BLOW the board in the set when they do.

But I had a special reason for buying this one.

NOT to keep it--as a classic set. It is NOT really, being a 92 model.

NOT to use it to watch tv--nor for someone else to watch it, either.

One pix shows the interior and you can notice that the board does NOT seem to be "right" for the cabinet. This is CORRECT. That is NOT the original board--though the original one IS ok.

I bought this set--which, lo and behold--SEEMS to have a good 25 inch tube--the board in it has run since a bit after 3PM--NO issues..as a TEST FIXTURE--IOW--a JIG SET

I have a board I fixed for a guy--with a 32" console. I Needed to KNOW --it would hold up ok--before I take it back tomorrow. i had NOTHING I could hook it to--I had a 13" Zenith, but it has a mini-neck tube--that is NOT compatible with the CRT socket on that chassis. .

SO--it has served it's purpose--and well...tomorrow--the chassis will go back in the guy's cabinet. But--what will I do with this set now?

Not sure . It DOES have a VERY nice cabinet--save for some scratches on the bottom that got there from ME dragging it in here. But all in all--still pretty good.

And I MAY need the "jig" again...never know. Rather it was a table model set--but this is all they had (at my thrift store). Besides the price was right.

9. NOT nine dollars....9 CENTS !! 10 cents with tax!! I spent WAY more for gas to bring it here--probably 4 or so dollars--that to buy it !!

I will re--install the 9-1130 chassis--and see how it does on it. NO matter what though--it "served my need" .

[rca2000]

Original board is back in set. Near perfect grey-scale, and MUCH brighter---since the geometery and grey-scale is set for the tube. But--I was not ABOUT to fool with the other one--it is set for the other tube--why mess with it? I just needed to "prove my repair".

Tube shows to be original--by sticker. is it POSSIBLE_-I got a "good one"?

[dishdude]

I thought '93-'96 were the really bad years. I remember seeing a lot of '91-'92 sets that were still going strong years later.

[radiotvnut]

I've seen a good many bad ones from '90-'92; but, '93-'99 were the really bad years.

[andy]

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[NoPegs]

Originally Posted by dishdude

I thought '93-'96 were the really bad years. I remember seeing a lot of '91-'92 sets that were still going strong years later.

1989 DoM System 3 still going strong here. On the 3rd HV board now, if/when it goes again I'll probably have to repair the board, unless the awesomely crazy Gary at Valley TV can grab another reman board for me with his time-machine. (Seriously have no idea how he found one in 2006, time-travel is the most plausible answer.)

[Zenith26kc20]

On any set with this type of board, we added a 220 mfd/25 volt electrolytic from the control grid to ground. We also added a .22/600 volt capacitor from the screen grid to ground. I can't remember how we discovered that these tubes were shorting from control grid to screen grid but once we started doing this "mod", when the tube would short, the customer would hear a snap and the picture would go dark instead of ultra bright. In a short time the tube would come back up and the sets didn't come back with the regulator fried and a dead CRT gun. The only thing the customer commented on was the set made a brief swirl of colors when they turned it off.
And a small capacitor near the jungle IC would open driving the picture nuts and the horizontal would go nuts too!

[Username1]

rca2000; I guess for $4.10 you got a new daily driver as long as it lasts.....
I call it a bargain...... I bet it will even outlast a $200. flat screen....
If not, so what it was just $4.10......

[Jon A.]

Whoa, Zenith really hung on to the 25" screen, didn't they? I was surprised that my '88 has one.

[rca2000]

Chassis back in guy's cabinet now. Original chassis back in this set.

DO NOT really want to scrap this set--even though it served the purpose I got it for already. Might just need it as another "jig" in the future. It should work ok for any normal Zenith set up to a 32"--with single-focus tube. Might have to fix others soon, who knows? WIll likely push it into the house garage and leave it there--perhaps covered--till I need it again.

Besides-it does appear to be a fully working 90's analog set--with A/V in and audio out....in a decent cabinet. Too nice to really waste--knowing the tube seems ok...for NOW_-anyway.

[dishdude]

Originally Posted by Jon A.

Whoa, Zenith really hung on to the 25" screen, didn't they? I was surprised that my '88 has one.

They had 19" and 25" sets into the 2000's, a lot of manufacturers kept them around for the lower end sets. Higher end ones were 20" and 27".

[sampson159]

what coincidence.my friend dave gave me the same set.he knew i was into zeniths but not of that vintage.remote set,same cabinet and a replacement crt!actually,after a good setup,it looks very good.vdc replacement tube.

[andy]

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[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by andy

Zenith really dragged their feet on advancing their CRT technology after about 1975. They made a 23" inline CRT into the early 80's. They also never made a semi flat 20", or 27" CRT when everyone else was making them flatter than a regular 19" or 25". I also don't think they ever made a CRT bigger than 27".

They must have invested a bundle developing the flat tension mask CRT technology... I think that they used the design in a few computer monitors, but they never put the FTM CRT into a TV set??? What a waste!

jr

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by andy

Zenith really dragged their feet on advancing their CRT technology after about 1975. They made a 23" inline CRT into the early 80's. They also never made a semi flat 20", or 27" CRT when everyone else was making them flatter than a regular 19" or 25". I also don't think they ever made a CRT bigger than 27". That's something to keep in mind if you ever see a 32", or 35" Zenith from the 90's.

I had a 32" Zenith, I bought in 1994. It developed a loose connection on one of the power resistors, sometime in the late '90's.
When I pulled the board to repair it, I noticed the CRT was Japanese made.
It still had a great picture when I sold it, nine years later.