Found a Zenith 5" from 1981

[Eric H]

August of 1981 to be exact.

This little set's in fairly decent shape, nothing broken, just dirty and the usual wear on the chrome and paint.

I was able to power it up with a wall wart I found at the store but I don't seem to have one at home that works, guess I should have got that one but it was 10 volts and I think this uses 12.

The battery compartment was empty and clean except for a single AA battery used to run the digital clock, it had been in there since 1981 I think and had leaked, it cleaned up well though with minimal damage to the terminals.

I looked at another one of these on eBay and it doesn't have a clock so it must have been an option, I think it can be used as a clock Radio/TV as well, the AA battery also provides power for a Dial Light on the clock, that function works too.

I'm guessing this was made overseas somewhere (It looks Panasonic-y) or did they build them at home?

[Sandy G]

Cyoot ! Old enuff to where even 5" sets still were reasonably quality-built items.

[Jeffhs]

That set looks like a very late-model original Zenith TV, before the company ceased television production in the US (I believe this model first appeared on the market some time in the late 1970s). However, this is the first of these sets I've seen with an LCD digital clock -- the first versions didn't have one.

You are fortunate that remaining battery didn't do more damage than it did. Electrolyte from flashlight batteries (even penlight or AAA cells) is extremely corrosive and could have eaten away one of the terminals of the battery holder, or worse.

[ChrisW6ATV]

The small Zenith TVs I have seen were all made in Taiwan, as were their other small devices in the late 70s or so. There should be a label somewhere, or parts marked inside.

[Kamakiri]

I have its twin.....say the word and you'll be getting a box in the mail

[AiboPet]

COOL little set Eric!!!!!!!!

Looks like the LCD clock was not at all bothered by the battery problem

I scored a little GE clock/radio/TV and a Panny TR3000 the other day. Interesting these sets with clocks on them, and the little Panny is funny because it looks like an old video camera (Still has the big magnifier). I got the little GE clock/TV/radio for THREE bucks thinking I was gonna take it's 4.5" CRT for the Mecoa....but turned out to be PERFECTLY working. DRAT the luck! I won't part out perfectly good sets :-P

[magnasonic66]

I like that, I've always wanted one of the Zenith mini sets. I only have RCA and a couple of General Electrics. Zenith had a neat look about its plastic portable products.

[Eric H]

Originally Posted by AiboPet

COOL little set Eric!!!!!!!!

Looks like the LCD clock was not at all bothered by the battery problem

I scored a little GE clock/radio/TV and a Panny TR3000 the other day. Interesting these sets with clocks on them, and the little Panny is funny because it looks like an old video camera (Still has the big magnifier). I got the little GE clock/TV/radio for THREE bucks thinking I was gonna take it's 4.5" CRT for the Mecoa....but turned out to be PERFECTLY working. DRAT the luck! I won't part out perfectly good sets :-P

That reminded me, I still need to send you that CRT!
Rats, I forgot all about it.

[AiboPet]

I had PM'd you with the info about a week ago. I thought I had simply not done the PM right. Just shoot me a shipping cost and HOW I can make the cash just magically MATERIALIZE right in your hand when you have a cost for me. The little Mecoa set just sits here just waiting for me to find that little CRT that I HAMFISTED when I tried to fix it's focus pin :-(

I'm still a bit stumped at finding the actual part number for these smaller CRT sizes. I just KNOW some little chinese company has got to have STACKS of this little 4.5" and those 5" little b/w tubes just SITTING somewhere.

On a note more related to THIS thread.... One of my friends is bringing me a little set from some off-brand that ALSO has a little LCD clock on it. He said the thing has "a real weird bright line going acrost it..and I was meaning to bin the thing". He mentioned it while he saw me playing with the little clock/TV/radio from the swap meet. He said it's small like one of my cheap little "Coby" sets...so a bit curious what he's bringing me.

[Norbert]

Neato! That's a really nifty looking TV! We have anything BUT tv's like that around this neck of the woods. Everything around here is no older than 1995 which is no fun