I promised !! PICTURES of 1976 Zenith soild state BW CONSOLE.

[radiotvnut]

If I could find the 12" and/or 19" Zenith digitally tuned B&W TV from the early '80's, I'd probably get it. Back around '90, I saw a such a 12" set at a yard sale and it was in great shape; but, $25 was more than I was willing to pay for the purpose of resale.

Fast forward to the early 2000's and the local Zenith dealer gave me the 19" version; but, it had been in an accident (busted CRT neck, cracked cabinet, cracked chassis, etc). So, it was thrown out.

I'm told there is a 22" version with the digital tuner; but, it's very rare.

[Arcanine]

Unusual set. Who would have thought anyone was making full size black and white sets so late in to the 70's. Color was common place by then, why would someone want a big black and white set like this? A color couldn't have cost a ton more.

[rca2000]

From what I have read and been told...they were mainly for OLDER people....who did NOT want a color set--who had a large BW set before and still wanted one. But that market was SMALL....and by the early 1980's...had prettey much...LITERALLY..."died off". BW then becam relegated to 19 inch and smaller--till maybe the mid--1980's...after that...it was hard to find ANY BW set over 13 inches.

I recall maybe 15 or maybe a bit more years back...selling a 19" BW set--from the late '70's...NOT a zenith, probably a single-board hot set...for FAIRLY GOOD money--maybe 65-75 dollars..to someone who did not WANT a color tv set !!

[radiotvnut]

Zenith wasn't the only one offering them that late. Sylvania had them, as well as GE and Admiral (also sold under the Western Auto Truetone badge). In fact, I have two Sylvania B&W consoles - one from '78 and one from '80 (both came from the same dealer). He said that even in the '80's, there were old people who wanted no part of color and were willing to pay the price for a B&W console. He said that some of them wanted B&W due to poor eyesight and some wanted B&W because they were afraid of X-rays from a color set. Others had always had a B&W console and simply didn't want to change. These B&W consoles were not cheap. IIRC, one of the ones I got had a $399 price sticker on it and for that price, one could have bought a no-frills 19" color set with a rollabout cart or they could have spent around $150 for a 19" B&W and a cart. I think B&W console production stopped by '81 and I read that was because the large CRT's were no longer being made.

Up until the mid '90's, I could still get decent money ($35-$50) for 19" B&W sets because there were still older people who did not want color and poor people who needed a TV; but, couldn't afford the $75-$100+ for a used color set.

[rca2000]

Originally Posted by Adam

I'd like to find one of those EB or FB sets, but in a metal cabinet. In that console up there it looks like that piece of particle board is buckling under the weight of the chassis. That 76 model with the GB chassis actually looks like it's in a nicer heavier-duty cabinet, even though it has the lighter chassis.

The cabinet is NOT very good anymore. The bottom is damaged where the legs DID mount. Only 2 were still attached and one of those was hanging off. This... and not being an FB or EB12 set...ALMOST caused me to leave it...but I then remembered just how RARE these are...and besides although it is NOT as "sexy" as an EB/FB "dura module" chassis..the 19GB1 chassis IS cold ...with a VRT... and a metal frame too. So...I decided...if I could get it cheaply...I would do so...which I DID...and brought it back from the Owenton area.

When I went on the 127 sale this year...THIS set...is likely the LAST thing.....I expected to see !!

[rca2000]

Originally Posted by zeno

I didnt like the 19GB1. The vert outs went left & right on them
& they were a pain to change. Looks easy but you gotta pull
the heat sinks that were twist tabbed & soldered. The screws
were so tight taking them out invited a cracked PCB. Add to that
the PCB was almost like plastic & would kinda melt. And of course
when you heated the sinks the etch lifted.
I will take the duramodule any day. Near 100% reliable.
Better yet the hand wired SS 19" B&W, a rare bird.

73 Zeno

Back in the fall of 1981 IIRC... when I was 14..somene GAVE me a 19 inch version of the 19GB1 set. This one was a NEWER One than mine now..I recall it had a PLASTIC type of tuning cap for the VRT.think this set has the usual "metal oval one" a lot like the CC sets do. I seem to remember...it ALSO had a " WEIRD fuse"..that was NOT mounted where it could be easily reached...but i THINK...it was on that terminal strip close the the VRT and can cap. IIRC..it was white and OVAL...and NOT a bel-fuse...but SOLDERED in.

It had a horiz. line and someone had ALREADY ran it long enough that way to BURN a LINE across the CRT. I moved a few months after that..the set did NOT get fixed. Now--I am SURE i could have fixed it without issue...but that line WAS pretty dark even wiht the set was off and WOULD have been visible in the pix I suspect.

I am pretty sure today I have ANOTHER 19" version of the GB1 chassis. I think I lit it off some years back...do NOT think I got a raster. I did NOT "mess with it " much...so far. Not sure WHY...I did not fix that console GB1 back in 1984...ot even sure I tried...I just seemed interested in COLOR sets then....and when I found out it was a BW set..I lost interest I guess. Not even sure I lit it off....it may have even WORKED...for all I know...

Like I have said before...I have a GOOD memory....which my sickness did NOT hamper at ALL...

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by rca2000

From what I have read and been told...they were mainly for OLDER people....who did NOT want a color set--who had a large BW set before and still wanted one. But that market was SMALL....and by the early 1980's...had prettey much...LITERALLY..."died off". BW then becam relegated to 19 inch and smaller--till maybe the mid--1980's...after that...it was hard to find ANY BW set over 13 inches.

I recall maybe 15 or maybe a bit more years back...selling a 19" BW set--from the late '70's...NOT a zenith, probably a single-board hot set...for FAIRLY GOOD money--maybe 65-75 dollars..to someone who did not WANT a color tv set !!

When my step-father was in the nursing home in '91, walking through the hall, you could see the various TV's on. While many of them were small screen color sets, a few were B/W. An old gal had one of those big old 23" tube type Zenith metal table models, probably a 14N22 B/W. Even then, it struck me as strange, why someone would bring such a large set, into those small double occupancy rooms.
Every set seemed to be tuned to "Wheel of Fortune"!

[zeno]

I remember the odd ball fuse. Some Admirals used them
about the same time. Never seen one anywhere else.
IIRC there was something special about them Maybe
they could reset themselfs like a kinda breaker.
Someone here knows !

73 Zeno

[rca2000]

I went out to check the tube in this set today....While there...I discovered this set TOO has that " weird tall plastic white ovalish fuse" in it.

As for the CRT...as I EXPECTED...it was ASLEEP. Likely this set has nOT been run in OVER 20-25 YEARS....maybe LONGER..

But...it DID wake up. and WITHOUT having to be rejuvinated too !! I ran it at about 7.8 or so volts for maybe 5 minutes...then loet it down...

At FIRST...it DID drop back down...BUT as time went on...it DID come up to green..and farther into it...as time went on. Cutoff is VERY good---with PLENTY of "reserve room" left too.

I was FINALLY able to get the tube to come up to the green range a somewhat into it...at FIVE volts on the fil...from a COLD start !! SO...I do beleive this tube is QUITE good. In the end...it will go up only a BIT farthert into the green zone at 6.3v...than it does at five volts. Life test is also pretty good...it does NOT drop much..even after 15-20 seconds..

Pictures of results below....


first meter reading...emissions at 5 volts.
Second meter reading..emissions at 6.3 volts..