Just picked up a Zenith and Stromberg-Carlson Radio

[vortalexfan]

Hello Everyone, today I just picked up from someone on Facebook Marketplace 2 1940s vintage radios, (at least I think they're 1940s vintage, at least the Zenith is, I don't know about the Stromberg-Carlson one) they're both in really good shape cosmetically and supposedly they still work (as to what the seller meant by "they still work" is subjective.)

The Stromberg-Carlson radio is kind of unique in that the Rectifier tube is fitted to a separate tube socket that attaches to the chassis using a setup similar to a tuning eye tube socket would use, it also has a couple of "line level" inputs on the back one marked "phono" and one marked "television" and it has a bunch of push-buttons on the front for station presets, and a Phono-input selection switch and a radio selection switch.

The Zenith is the radio only version of the 10S690 I used to have which has station presets, and audio tone control presets.

I know the Zenith is pre-WWII (1942) and the Stromberg-Carlson I think dates to the late 1930s possibly (with the TV Sound input being the dead give away) but I'm not sure and would love some information on these radios.

Pictures are attached below.

[vortalexfan]

I also have a question about which radio I should keep and which one I should sell after I fix them up electrically.

I want to try and electrically and also cosmetically restore both of these radio and keep one for my collection and sell the other, but I'm having a hard time deciding which one I should keep and which one I should sell, I would like to keep the Stromberg-Carlson unit because while its got a wider footprint than the Zenith it has a much shallower footprint depth wise than the Zenith and since I'm kind of limited on space as it is I think a radio that is shallower in depth would make more sense than one that has a really deep cabinet when it comes to displaying it goes, but the Zenith has a really gorgeous cabinet with beautiful walnut inlays around the cabinet and a nice art deco "waterfall" design to the top of the cabinet, whereas the Stromberg-Carlson cabinet is kind of plain and boxy looking with more of a "Chippendale" look.

They both have very similar features (e.g. push-button presets, audio tone controls, AM and Shortwave reception, "Hi-Fi Audio" etc.)

I would love to hear your opinions as to which unit you think I should keep and which one I should sell.

Thanks!

[Alex KL-1]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

I also have a question about which radio I should keep and which one I should sell after I fix them up electrically.

I want to try and electrically and also cosmetically restore both of these radio and keep one for my collection and sell the other, but I'm having a hard time deciding which one I should keep and which one I should sell, I would like to keep the Stromberg-Carlson unit because while its got a wider footprint than the Zenith it has a much shallower footprint depth wise than the Zenith and since I'm kind of limited on space as it is I think a radio that is shallower in depth would make more sense than one that has a really deep cabinet when it comes to displaying it goes, but the Zenith has a really gorgeous cabinet with beautiful walnut inlays around the cabinet and a nice art deco "waterfall" design to the top of the cabinet, whereas the Stromberg-Carlson cabinet is kind of plain and boxy looking with more of a "Chippendale" look.

They both have very similar features (e.g. push-button presets, audio tone controls, AM and Shortwave reception, "Hi-Fi Audio" etc.)

I would love to hear your opinions as to which unit you think I should keep and which one I should sell.

Thanks!

My vote is for the Zenith.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Alex KL-1

My vote is for the Zenith.

It looks like that's one vote for the Zenith.

I do have an update, I did take apart the Stromberg-Carlson Radio and it has already been electronically restored but it was done quite a while ago like probably in the 1980s or so because it has older looking caps in it but they are modern film caps and electrolytics installed under the chassis, but the dial string going from the tuning knob to the tuning condensor is broken and I don't have access to a dial stringing diagram for this unit so I'm not sure how its supposed to be restrung.

The Zenith when you turn the tuning knob will only turn the tuner an 1/8th of a turn either direction and then it stops which I suspect is because the tuning belt is dry-rotted or something and isn't gripping on the heavy cast iron flywheel like it should.

[zeno]

ZENITH !
They really sound awesome. Not familiar with the SC but probably
good sound also.

Zeno

[Username1]

.


I have an old Stromberg Carlson floor model radio, and I did not
know what model it is because it is in an old GE cabinet. I didn't
even know it was a SC until I found this website where you can
enter the tubes and it can give you a possible match to an
unknown radio. I found from my tube list that I have a
SC model 60. Pretty Cool.....


https://www.grillecloth.com/sylvania/tubelist.php

I would keep both because one day they will
be harder to find, and you will need something
to do.....

Once you have model, you can find info on it....
I got a nice schematic for mine online.

.