1950s or '60s vintage Zenith TVs, Need some info

[Electronic M]

It could easily be caps causing that weird picture. My bugeye (slightly different model) had a really weird raster intermittently before recap and was fine after the recap.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

It could easily be caps causing that weird picture. My bugeye (slightly different model) had a really weird raster intermittently before recap and was fine after the recap.

Well that certainly seemed to be the case with my Meck TV, so hopefully that's the case with the Zenith Bugeye.

[AlanInSitges]

You can program them to stop on U, and watch whatever the UHF tuner was set to. Nothing fancy.

[Tom9589]

The manual knob on the back of the set is for use when the motorized tuning mechanism dies on you.

[Jeffhs]

It seems very unusual to me that this TV does not have a button or a switch on the front panel to activate the power tuning. Most TVs with this feature will have either a button or a rocker bar which would activate the motor drive; the rocker bar would activate the motor for either channel up or channel down, while the button arrangement almost always operates the tuner only in one direction, usually clockwise. (Zenith's SC100 remote TVs have this one-way remote setup, with the added feature of automatic shutoff of the TV when the tuner reaches a certain user-selected channel; this feature had to be set up when the set was initially installed.)

If the tuner has been set to skip unused channels, stopping only on active channels in the user's area, it will stop on only those selected channels, skipping the others. For example, if your area has channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13, the tuner can be programmed to stop only on those channels, skipping past channels 3, 6, 10 and 12. If the tuner has not been set up this way, it will stop on every channel from 2 to 13, stopping and shutting the TV off when the tuner reaches the channel (if any) which has been set up to automatically shut off the set.

It would seem to me as well that the "UHF" position on the VHF tuner in Zenith TVs without the factory-installed UHF tuner could be programmed to shut off the set when the VHF tuner reached the UHF position; in fact, many VHF-only Zenith TVs (in areas with no local UHF TV stations, of course) were probably set up this way by default, especially sets made for use in hotels or motels.


This would not be practical, let alone usable, however, if the TV had a factory-installed UHF tuner, since every time the tuner reached the UHF position, the TV would immediately shut off. I would think, however, if a Zenith TV had the UHF tuner and was set by default to shut off when the VHF tuner stopped on the UHF position, this feature could be disabled so that the set would remain on when the tuner reached the latter position.

[vortalexfan]

OK, so I figured out how the Motorized tuning works, there a pushbutton in the middle of the lower knob (below the Power/volume control knob) that when you push it, it activates the motorized tuning.

Unfortunately I'm not getting anything on the screen (no raster, or anything) which is weird because the vertical and horizontal oscillators are running, and I tested all of the tubes and they all tested like brand new yet, and the picture tube is glowing in the back, I wonder if its something to do with the setting of the ion trap? The reason why I'm suspecting the ion trap setting is because the deteriorated yoke seems to of affected the ion trap adjustment rings on the back of the picture tube. I'm definitely getting audio and IF noise.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

OK, so I figured out how the Motorized tuning works, there a pushbutton in the middle of the lower knob (below the Power/volume control knob) that when you push it, it activates the motorized tuning.

Unfortunately I'm not getting anything on the screen (no raster, or anything) which is weird because the vertical and horizontal oscillators are running, and I tested all of the tubes and they all tested like brand new yet, and the picture tube is glowing in the back, I wonder if its something to do with the setting of the ion trap? The reason why I'm suspecting the ion trap setting is because the deteriorated yoke seems to of affected the ion trap adjustment rings on the back of the picture tube. I'm definitely getting audio and IF noise.

If you're referring to the newer set, those rings on the back of the yoke cover, is the centering device. That CRT doesn't use an ion trap.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

If you're referring to the newer set, those rings on the back of the yoke cover, is the centering device. That CRT doesn't use an ion trap.

Yes, I'm referring to the newer Set. So the if what you said is true, then why would this TV be prodoucing no picture/raster even though all of the tubes test like brand new in the set?

Also I've been working on the Bugeye set and I think I've figured out why there was no horizontal or vertical deflection on it, its because the Damper tube, the Horizontal Output and Horizontal Oscillator/AFC tube, and the Vetical output/Oscillator tube and the Sync/AGC tubes were all shorted.

[Electronic M]

I have seen factory non-remote power tuning Zenith's a few times before and they do work without the remote chassis. Based on what I have seen of the SC600 combo set I own I believe the tuner motor can operate without the remote chassis (as long as you connect it to a source of 120VAC). I'm planning to try it out soon without the SC chassis to test the motor.

You may want to decide the letter suffixes on the model number. My 1959 Zenith wasn't optioned with a remote, but the cabinet and chassis had provisions for one such that I could add one easily.
IIRC in 59 they had a U model suffix for the cabinet and an R suffix for remote. (There would also have been a suffix for non-remote power tuning). Note I may not be remembering the exact letter used to designate the option.
Basically the model number for example cabinet with base options of manual VHF only tuning would be something like B2506 (B being the year) and if you liked the cabinet but wanted it with UHF and remote you would order a model B2506UR. Some TV only sets also offered "HI-FI sound" which was a set of tone controls...IIRC those also had a suffix.

[damen]

If the set was remote the chassis number would end with the letter "Q".

[damen]

Do you see an opening in the front of the cabinet where the microphone for the remote had been ?

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by damen

Do you see an opening in the front of the cabinet where the microphone for the remote had been ?

I'm not sure, because wouldn't of the mic of been hidden behind the speaker grille?

[vortalexfan]

OK So I'm curious, the big Zenith TV of mine, has all of its original Zenith branded tubes in it and they are all sourced from different companies including Sylvania (Zenith's primary tube source), GE, RCA and several tubes in the IF and Audio section that were sourced oddly enough from Philips-Miniwatt in Holland, I say "oddly enough" for the Philips-Miniwatt sourced tubes in this set because I didn't think Zenith sourced OEM Parts such as tubes from Philips-Miniwatt during that time period in their history, and the reason why I know they are all original tubes and not replacements is because all of the tubes have matching date codes from between late 1963 to early 1964 which was about the time period we had thought this TV dated to possibly.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

I have seen factory non-remote power tuning Zenith's a few times before and they do work without the remote chassis. Based on what I have seen of the SC600 combo set I own I believe the tuner motor can operate without the remote chassis (as long as you connect it to a source of 120VAC). I'm planning to try it out soon without the SC chassis to test the motor.

You may want to decide the letter suffixes on the model number. My 1959 Zenith wasn't optioned with a remote, but the cabinet and chassis had provisions for one such that I could add one easily.
IIRC in 59 they had a U model suffix for the cabinet and an R suffix for remote. (There would also have been a suffix for non-remote power tuning). Note I may not be remembering the exact letter used to designate the option.
Basically the model number for example cabinet with base options of manual VHF only tuning would be something like B2506 (B being the year) and if you liked the cabinet but wanted it with UHF and remote you would order a model B2506UR. Some TV only sets also offered "HI-FI sound" which was a set of tone controls...IIRC those also had a suffix.

OK, that makes more sense explained that way, I'm familiar with Zenith products but mostly their tube radios and record players, and their later Solid State TVs and their VCRs (which were rebadged JVC and Goldstar VCRs) but I'm not as familiar with their TVs from the 1950s and 1960s and how they worked and how they were or weren't equipped.

My bigger Zenith TV, the Model number is L2717U3 and the Chassis is 15L22 (at least according to the back cover).

So According to your explanation the "U" Suffix meant "UHF" so the what did the "3" Suffix after the "U" suffix refer to?

Also you said the the Letter Prefix at the beginning of the model number referred to the year the TV was made, so then what year does the letter "L" represent? Also My TV does have a tone control on the front of the cabinet in the "pencil box" compartment does that make it a "hi-fi" model or does it have to have both a bass and treble controls for that and not just a single tone control pot?

Also can the yoke still work properly without the plastic cover over it and without the centering ring?

I'm asking because the plastic cover that goes over the yoke on the big Zenith had more or less crumbled in several spots resulting in the centering ring falling off.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

OK, that makes more sense explained that way, I'm familiar with Zenith products but mostly their tube radios and record players, and their later Solid State TVs and their VCRs (which were rebadged JVC and Goldstar VCRs) but I'm not as familiar with their TVs from the 1950s and 1960s and how they worked and how they were or weren't equipped.

My bigger Zenith TV, the Model number is L2717U3 and the Chassis is 15L22 (at least according to the back cover).

So According to your explanation the "U" Suffix meant "UHF" so the what did the "3" Suffix after the "U" suffix refer to?

Also you said the the Letter Prefix at the beginning of the model number referred to the year the TV was made, so then what year does the letter "L" represent? Also My TV does have a tone control on the front of the cabinet in the "pencil box" compartment does that make it a "hi-fi" model or does it have to have both a bass and treble controls for that and not just a single tone control pot?

Also can the yoke still work properly without the plastic cover over it and without the centering ring?

I'm asking because the plastic cover that goes over the yoke on the big Zenith had more or less crumbled in several spots resulting in the centering ring falling off.

L would have been the 1964 model year introduced in late 1963 (like car model years are).

The option code leters I don't actually remember which letter goes with which option. My 1959 Zenith had notation on the tube chart that made it obvious what letter was used for UHF and what was used for remote sets, but it's been over a decade since I looked at it and that set is covered in a mountain of junk presently.

The High Fidelity sets always had bass and treble knobs, sets without that option often had a single tone control.