Starting on a Zenith 17" Bugeye - Videokarma.org TV - Video

***Eric H*** · #1 03-14-2014, 07:52 PM

I've finished up the 14" RCA as well as two other RCA's so I decided to work on something different.

This is a 17" Zenith Bugeye I got from Goodwill for $5 or something like that.
The set works well as found with only a little vertical shrinkage, most of the tubes seem to be the OEM Zenith tubes, including the CRT, they are dated toward the end of 1956, 47th week of 56 for the CRT so possibly this set was in the store in time for Christmas 1956.

The main filter was replaced with a 1962 dated Sprague, who knows when but probably in the 60's at least.

It's very easy to take apart, four screws two on top and two on bottom of the rear edge and then the chassis and face and chassis slides out of the Aluminum cabinet, I had to unsolder the speaker wires but I'm not sure they were originally soldered or if that was done later during a repair.

For a Zenith this is a fairly low end set, series string, voltage doubler power supply, but it has a very good picture, even unrestored. It does not suffer from yoke rot like all the RCA's do.

***Eric H*** · #2 03-14-2014, 07:59 PM

The 12DQ6 Horizontal Output tube was original also, a good indication it might be a low hour set, however the capwasloose and pulled off when I tried to remove it so I will be replacing it.

I dug through my tube stash and came up with an Arcturus brand 12DQ6, I've heard of Arcturus in relation to vintage radios but not so much TV tubes, they seem to have sunk pretty low by this time since the tube is the most generic looking rebranded tube I've seen, cheaper even than National Union.
Just the number and brand name rubber stamped on the glass, and not very well either.

marty59 · #3 03-14-2014, 11:46 PM

It's not unusual to see an original horizontal output tube on this era of Zeniths. If I could find a nice clean set like yours I'd be all over it. That's nice!

dieseljeep · #4 03-15-2014, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marty59

It's not unusual to see an original horizontal output tube on this era of Zeniths. If I could find a nice clean set like yours I'd be all over it. That's nice!

I bought one of those, when it was only five years old. The Rauland CRT was totally dead. It was a non-aluminized CRT and I replaced it with a rebuilt aluminized one. That was the only thing that went wrong with it, for the former owner. It was the early generation model that still had a 6SN7. Of course, this one had UHF.

Electronic M · #5 03-15-2014, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric H

The 12DQ6 Horizontal Output tube was original also, a good indication it might be a low hour set, however the capwasloose and pulled off when I tried to remove it so I will be replacing it.

If the wire coming out of the tube is not snapped off, then it is a rather trivial matter to re-solder the cap on then add some glue where it meets the glass to help hold it...I've done it so many times I've have lost count.

***Eric H*** · #6 03-15-2014, 06:20 PM

Started replacing some paper caps this afternoon, focusing on the Bumblebees and wax paper first. I hate the push through solder connectors Zenith used, it's hard to just pull out the cap without pulling out all the wires that are connected to it, it would be easier if I took the CRT out but I didn't really want to disassemble it that far if I don't have to.

I found an separate cap paralleled with one section of the replacement filter cap, similar date code so I doubt the filter has a bad section. It's connected to the 20Mf section and it's a 40 Mf cap so I'm guessing perhaps they didn't have exactly the can they needed so they added an extra 40Mf cap to get it up to 60Mf. I'll have to check the schematic to see if that's correct.

It's a "Planet" Dry Electrolytic, does anyone know if the Planet brand was a Sprague product? perhaps a companion line to the "Atom" Caps?

TVTim · #7 03-15-2014, 06:44 PM

TVs were cool looking till about the 80s, then the ALL looked alike as they do this day.

Styling, to me, is just as important as the picture/sound.

Gotta look cool to be cool!

This one IS COOL!

dieseljeep · #8 03-15-2014, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric H

Started replacing some paper caps this afternoon, focusing on the Bumblebees and wax paper first. I hate the push through solder connectors Zenith used, it's hard to just pull out the cap without pulling out all the wires that are connected to it, it would be easier if I took the CRT out but I didn't really want to disassemble it that far if I don't have to.

I found an separate cap paralleled with one section of the replacement filter cap, similar date code so I doubt the filter has a bad section. It's connected to the 20Mf section and it's a 40 Mf cap so I'm guessing perhaps they didn't have exactly the can they needed so they added an extra 40Mf cap to get it up to 60Mf. I'll have to check the schematic to see if that's correct.

It's a "Planet" Dry Electrolytic, does anyone know if the Planet brand was a Sprague product? perhaps a companion line to the "Atom" Caps?

The Planet capacitor firm, was a separate company. GE seemed to use a lot of their products. They seemed to be OK.

Username1 · #9 03-15-2014, 09:02 PM

Cool tv ! Those sets remind me of Robot B-9 ! ! !

***Eric H*** · #10 03-15-2014, 09:50 PM

Well I think I'm done recapping.

I replaced all the paper & Bumblebees in the set, I think there was less than a dozen, Zenith used a ton of ceramic Disc caps in this set so there weren't a lot of paper type.

The main can was just replaced in 1963 so it should be OK, there is one other can filter but it's only 40@150v so I'm not going to mess with it.
There's no transformer or rectifier tube to worry about burning up if it shorts, I'm not even sure what it does, possibly something in the Vertical but that has good height and linearity.

Overall it doesn't seem to play any different then it did before I started, maybe it's more reliable after getting rid of a bunch of paper caps and replacing them with modern 630 volt jobs.

I'll probably test all the tubes before buttoning it up, the contrast is okay but doesn't go any higher than okay. There are a few non zenith tubes in it and they are all in the i.f. strip, possibly replaced when the cap was replaced, I didn't see any other repairs in the chassis

***Eric H*** · #11 03-15-2014, 10:23 PM

I guess I'm not done after all.

Set has been playing for the last hour, or since my last post, and the vertical shrunk about an inch top & bottom.

A quick check found this four section Electrolytic that I overlooked, it's blazing hot, too hot to put a finger on for more than ten seconds or so.
There's nothing around it that would be heating it up so it's the cap itself that's bad. oh well, something to do another day.

electronjohn · #12 03-16-2014, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Electronic M

If the wire coming out of the tube is not snapped off, then it is a rather trivial matter to re-solder the cap on then add some glue where it meets the glass to help hold it...I've done it so many times I've have lost count.

I have a few tubes with loose caps...even an 807 that tests great but just has the plate wire coming out of the top of the envelope with the cap rattling around in the bottom of the box. What's the best glue to secure the caps?

dieseljeep · #13 03-16-2014, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric H

I guess I'm not done after all.

Set has been playing for the last hour, or since my last post, and the vertical shrunk about an inch top & bottom.

A quick check found this four section Electrolytic that I overlooked, it's blazing hot, too hot to put a finger on for more than ten seconds or so.
There's nothing around it that would be heating it up so it's the cap itself that's bad. oh well, something to do another day.

When I ran into them, that were running that hot, were also sizzling. You know what happens next?

marty59 · #14 03-16-2014, 11:35 AM

Quote: "Started replacing some paper caps this afternoon, focusing on the Bumblebees and wax paper first. I hate the push through solder connectors Zenith used, it's hard to just pull out the cap without pulling out all the wires that are connected to it, it would be easier if I took the CRT out but I didn't really want to disassemble it that far if I don't have to."

Sometimes on really populated connections it just makes sense to clip out the old part and J-hook the new one in. As much of a pain as those strip terminals can be you rarely come across a bad connection with one!

Electronic M · #15 03-16-2014, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by electronjohn

I have a few tubes with loose caps...even an 807 that tests great but just has the plate wire coming out of the top of the envelope with the cap rattling around in the bottom of the box. What's the best glue to secure the caps?

I usually use super glue, but that sometimes does not last. I've heard that muffler cement is closer to the original glue so I've been wanting to try it.