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Old 03-05-2005, 02:05 AM
Jeffhs's Avatar
Jeffhs Jeffhs is offline
<----Zenith C845
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fairport Harbor, Ohio (near Lake Erie)
Posts: 4,035
Zenith R-70 portable

I just purchased a Zenith model R-70 radio on ebay, using the BIN option. It's an AM/FM set (as if I need another of these; I have several AM/FM receivers here already, but I like Zeniths) and operates on three C-size batteries. The seller mentioned something about an AC adapter for this, but it was missing. Did or does this radio have a separate AC adapter (i. e. wall-wart) or is it designed for AC/battery operation? If the adapter is in fact a wall-wart transformer, would a generic transformer such as Radio Shack sells replace the original?

I am also interested in finding out roughly when the R-70 was made. From the pictures of the set in the ebay listing, it looks very solidly manufactured (no flimsy plastic, etc., at least on the front panel), so I would guess this one was made and marketed some time in the late '60s or '70s, by the original Zenith Radio Corporation of Chicago. The reason I am curious as to the approximate vintage of this radio is that the seller listed it as a "vintage" receiver, which, if one goes by the definition of that word as it applies to older radios, would imply that the set was made 25 or more years ago (I think, anyhow). Does the R-70 fall into this category, or is the seller simply using the word "vintage" extremely loosely, having no idea whatsoever what it actually means? (I would hate to think I just bought a flimsily-built Japanese import with the Zenith name just pasted on the front panel.)

One more question. Is the R-70 built to the original Zenith Radio Corporation's exacting standards as to build quality, sound quality, etc.? If the set were actually manufactured by the original Zenith RC (years before they started building radios, let alone televisions, offshore) I would expect a yes answer to both questions. I wonder about this because I had a Zenith four-mode integrated stereo system in the early '80s, supposedly made by Zenith, but actually manufactured in Korea, and I have a Zenith AM/FM stereo clock radio which I bought new 25 years ago. It was made in Taiwan. When approximately did Zenith start manufacturing its radios and audio gear offshore, while maintaining its television plant in Chicago? My best guess is around 1980 or so.

Thanks in advance for any info on the R70.




R-70 update (March 8, 2005): I received the R70 via USPS Priority Mail yesterday morning. The radio works, and well; there was no AC power cord with it (the set has a built-in AC power supply, so there is no need for a wall-wart or any other type of external transformer), but I was able to test it using, believe it or not, the detachable power cord from my Norelco electric razor (the female end of the cord fits the radio's male AC power cord socket perfectly). The set began to play as soon as I threw the switch, of course. I bought new batteries (this radio is rather unusual in that it uses three 1.5-volt C cells--for a total of 4.5 volts--for its battery supply, instead of the usual four; I have a Sony AM/FM portable as well which uses two D cells for three volts) and tested it this way; again, it worked well. I had it on for an hour last night listening to WBZ 1030 Boston and KYW 1060 Philadelphia, both Infinity Broadcasting CBS all-news stations. Both stations boomed in like they were next door. The sound is good as well, for a set with a 4-inch speaker. The tone is as good as can be expected from a small portable, but the tone control does not have nearly the range of that in my Zenith H480 clock radio of the same vintage.

The R-70 is a very well-built set, as I thought it would be ; after all, it's a Zenith, and was made well before the demise of the Zenith Radio Corporation (I did some research on the Internet on the R-70 and found that it was manufactured in 1980, 25 years ago, just as I had thought; the seller's description of this radio as a "vintage" item is therefore correct). The radio was not actually built by the Zenith Radio Corp. of Chicago, but it was built to Zenith's exacting specifications by a Korean electronics firm as attested to by a stamped-in label on the back of the set: "Manufactured in Korea to the standards and specifications of Zenith Radio Corporation, Chicago, U. S. A." (I had a Zenith four-mode integrated stereo system of roughly the same vintage which was also manufactured in Korea; I also have a 1980-vintage Zenith AM/FM-stereo clock radio which was made in Taiwan, so Zenith's audio/stereo division must have been moved offshore a good 20 years before the television plant left Chicago.)

I'll be holding on to both radios (as well as my Zenith K-731 and H-511), as they don't make them like that anymore, and of course there is no Zenith Radio Corporation since Gold Star bought out the television plant in the late '80s and the original ZRC made its last radio in 1982, a wood-cased solid-state high-fidelity AM/FM set with wide-range tone control and a tuning meter, among other refinements not found in today's table radios. Zenith was the last American radio and television manufacturer; we may and probably never will see the likes of it again. This is one reason I am so glad there are folks here at AK such as Doug and Max, both of suburban Chicago, who collect early and vintage Zenith TVs, and who apparently like older Zenith entertainment gear every bit as much as I do. My hometown of Wickliffe, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, was somewhat Zenith land as many of my neighbors had Zenith TVs in the '50s through the '70s, and the local TV shop, then known as East End TV and Appliance, sold quite a few Zenith TVs and radios during this period as well; I bought my Zenith H480 clock radio there, and also purchased a small Zenith 12" solid-state portable from the same store in 1978. The shop is still in business, to the best of my knowledge, but the last I heard they had left my hometown some time ago and moved to a much larger city about 10 miles east of there, but still in the same county.

Please, guys, don't get rid of your Zeniths; as we know, the company doesn't exist any longer (except as a marketing label on Gold Star televisions made until a few years ago), and no one makes radios or TVs these days the way Zenith did when it was still here. Once these old Zeniths are gone, they will be gone for good. The Radio Nurse, a baby monitor operating on the carrier-current principle and made by Zenith in 1937, is an example of antique Zenith gear not often seen anymore. I'll say; most of these units were junked after Pearl Harbor because of the name of the designer, so these are scarce indeed, though they do show up on ebay every once in a great, great while. (Not wanting to get political or controversial I'll leave it at that.)

I'll post pictures of the R-70 a bit later. Right now, it's late, and if the truth be known I can't remember how to upload images to the forum. (Must be getting sleepy.)


Update (March 9, 2005 02:31) - The pic of my Zenith R-70 radio is attached to this post. The radio is on top of my Zenith SMS-1917SG 19" color TV, which may also be seen in the image.

Kind regards from yet another fan of early/vintage Zenith equipment,
__________________
Jeff, WB8NHV

Collecting, restoring and enjoying vintage Zenith radios since 2002

Zenith. Gone, but not forgotten.

Last edited by Jeffhs; 03-09-2005 at 01:34 AM.
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Old 03-14-2005, 09:30 PM
stereofisher's Avatar
stereofisher stereofisher is offline
For the Love of the Music
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Southeast NY
Posts: 74
Talking Zenith Radios Rule

Nice post. Good read. You are so right about Zenith! Its a damned shame that crappy imports killed them If our government had had the the balls to place tarrifs on stuff coming. I really hate stuff coming in thats the laborers get 20 cents an hour. Companys like Goldstar should have 50 % tarrifs. Other countrys protect their manufacturers. I hate "free trade" and its ruining our way of life. I had no problem paying a little more for a Zenith color TV. Nor did my parents.

Have had a lot of fun with my two Zenith 3000 Transoceanics and a GE AM only radio. See my posts. All were made here. Funny how popular the Transoceanic 7000 is. Did not much care for the Taiwan model. My 3000's sounded better now than my 7000 did in the early 80's.Go figure.

Eric
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