Space Command! :)
 

I just got a neat 19 "Portable" Zenith with Space Command. Pics to follow, but this set's pretty interesting - it has no tuning knob, just a fine tune knob and a button to punch through the channels. It's pre 1964, and looks to be pure tube - even has a 5U4 in it. The remote chassis is upside down on the ceiling of the cabinet. It's a slim cabinet bottom chassis, looks like a 110 tube (though it's octal base - maybe it's a 90?). Bright/contrast/V hold on the side.

It look budget, but I can't imagine a low end zenith would have gotten space command on it.

It (almost) works. The tuner's acting up and the set's weak reception. It's surely NOT up to what Zeniths can do - very snowy and no omph. Looks like it'll need some work, but I've got the Sams coming in a few months.

The remote doesn't work, but the donating party said that and knew what was up with it.

Well, anyway, I'll get pics of it, even though it's not much to look at. Sure is dusty in there, too :(

Neat find ! , I'll be looking forward to the pics .

I haven't gotten pics yet, but it's a 16F25Q chassis. IIRC, the Q means space command, but I forget what year F was...

I cleaned the tuner up (again), and with a real antenna, it's got a much better pic, but the vertical's got issues (crap lin, no enough size - origional caps), and the IF strip (or tuner?) looks a bit out of kilter - it's either a bit soft, a bit fuzzy, or a bit sharp with 'echos' to the right of dark lines...

I know the set's able to do better, I've seen same vintage Zeniths that were..

Interestingly, in the box of parts I was handed, I found a schematic for a 9 inch Panasonic tube set, which I'll have to inquire about. Looked like a hungry guy, too - it ate a lot of horizontal outputs (there were 5 (!) in the parts box), among other tubes.

This sounds just like the Zenith that I had during college during the 1970s. I lived on the fourth floor of a dorm built in the 1930s that had no elevator. This "Portable" set was hell to haul up the stairs. However it did work well for all the time that I had it even though it had the yoke with the plastic that falls apart over time. It had the upside down remote chassis, but I did not have the remote control, so just pushed the button. The tuner was turned by an electric motor.

Those early 60s zeniths are nice sets. I think the 'F' chassis is from '61. I have the 16D25Q (1960 space command 17"), the 16F28 (1961 23" console), and the 16G27 (1961 19") - all are great sets I watch all the time.

I've got the schematics and the alignment info
16G27 16K23 16E21
16G22 16K26 16D25
16G23 17G27 17D20
16K20 16G21 D1810B
16K22 16E20 16E20

If anyone wants scans of this info , send me a PM with your email address and model # and I will scan it for you .
These schematics cover all the Q QT T QS chassis , I also have the schematics for the model 300 and 400 space command remotes .

Ok, I'm starting to tackle the Space Command reciever. I think this is a 300, it's just the click through volume and power, plus go up a channel, version. Anyway, I'm stuck because I'm not sure I've got the right tubes, plus I need the frequencies of the remote (it's a 2 frequency unit) to tune it. Or at least get it close.

It's 'deaf' :(

I could use some info on this thing....

The chassis itself i'll be tackling later, but I figure getting the remote going now would be nice, since the set 'almost' works anyway just bad vert lin /size + minor IF strip issues)

Good luck on this. At least your set is in near working order. I'm the guy who has been stumped on a Space Command for a looooong time. I still have not found anyone who REALLY knows a lot about these sets in particular. Some of us kind of have a specialty with the old sets. Thats the type knowledge base I was hoping to find. Perhaps this thread will have some interesting discoveries.

Let us know how this progresses...

Here's some pics of the sams for that remote receiver. I can't get a better image of the schematic with just the camera here, but I might be able to get to scanning it in the next week or so. But at least you can make out what tubes it uses from this.

Thanks! :)

PS - can you give me the frequencies listed for the coils? I've been told a good chunk of the issue is this thing's just out of tune....

1st coil: 39.5KC
2nd coil: 122.25KC

Sweet! :)

Thanks - this should get me started on tuning it up.

As an aside, my remote's a replacement from the 70's. The guy lost the origional one - I'll have to hunt one down some day.

This set's mechanics are good - there's no mechanical tuning knob, just a button to punch through the channels, so it has to be. Kinda weird, but I guess they made TVs that way if they had remote. I know the signal's getting at least as far as the secondary of the 1st transformer, but beyond there, I've not traced it out yet. Still some origional black timebomb caps in there I'll have to r&r. Maybe I'll ebay them ;)

Ok, instead of clogging up ak's site with pics, i figured i'll just give you guys my Flickr photstream instead :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasadow...7603104795827/

I'm gonna 'borrow' the camera and keep adding. BTW, feel free to look at the other chaos in my life :)

Looks like the one that I had in College. I assume the remote chassis was mounted upside down-the one in mine was.

Due to the two transformers and electric motor, mine was hell to carry up four flights of dorm stairs-the 1930s vintage dorm had no elevator. As I did not have the remote control, I should have removed the remote chassis to lighten it, but did not think to do that.

In any case, it did work fine trough all my years in college.

Ok, I've got this set running as the 'aprtment TV', and it's good, BUT, the vert lin and size blows - I tried to adjust it but can't get it up.

Anyone got a schjematic of this thing they can scan? Looks like it needs a few caps changed out and a scope probing....

You know, if you just click the "picture" button (looks like a mountain with sun in the corner) you can link directly to a picture, without using any AK bandwidth.

i.e. [IMG]insert URL here[/IMG]

I wish more people would do this, because I like to browse this site with my phone when I'm bored, and clicking pictures isn't an option. Pictures will show with my method...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2246/...2a9732.jpg?v=0


Handsome set BTW! :thmbsp: :thmbsp:

Very nice looking set. Its a 1961 model. I see you also have a 15Y6C15 14" color portable. Those are hard to find sets, zeniths first color portable. Always hang onto that set!
You shouldnt need to adjust any of the detector coils just yet. Just replacing the BB caps should bring the set back into proper operation. Ive had faulty BB caps cause the trouble almost every time in the tube type SC chassis. Simpson made a special instrument for aligning ultrasonic remote receivers. Its call the "model 407 remote aligner". It used plug in crystals and you just select the output freq. Just put the output transducer in a hollow paper towel tube and direct it to the microphone pick up of the receiver like the zenith manuals indicate. Simply adjust and peak out the vtvm accordingly throughout the detector stage. simple as can be when you read how to do it in the service manual. Unfortunately this instrument is basically impossible to find. Ive been keeping an eye open for one on ebay for the past 6 years and nothing.......
Otherwise you have to align the receiver by using the remote itself trying to find the peak point on the responce when tweeking one of the detector coils. It works, but I like setting up the proper equipment whenever possible. When you get those detector coils set just right, that receiver will be so sensitive that you can almost change channels from nearly 60 ft! Ive done it with a set in the garage. Take the remote across the street, on the neighbors drive way and still be able to click the channels! No infared remote can come close to the sensitivity of an ultrasonic space command. I like how I can change channels no matter where or how I hold the remote.

I *know* the detector coils on the SC are out of wack - the prior owner twiddled them.

I'm going to attack the SC later - right now, I want to fix my vertical issues.

Oh yes, that color set? I found it at a garage sale. I passed by it at first thinking 'cute generic 60's B&W Zenith with the tricolor logo'. Oh, hey wait, tri-color means COLOR!

It works but has some minor convergence/sweep issues. I have a screenshot somewhere.

I figured it was one of if not the first. interesting - it's a hybrid - the IF section's all solid state and there's a few extra transistors in there. Still, lots of tubes!

hey my email is [email protected] can you send me any diagrams youhave that have anything to do with the space command 400 and if you have it 600 thanks

can you send me any schematics you have of the control chassis/recievr for the sc 400 and if you have it 600 my email is [email protected]

Zenith SC300 color TV - emergency manual channel knob - where is it?
 

Duplicate post. Please disregard. Edited version of this post is below.

I just looked at the picture of your Zenith SC300 on Flickr. Nice looking set, and I'm sure once you replace those caps it will be an excellent performer as well, as were all Zeniths from that era. I'm wondering, however, without a channel selector knob on the front panel, how on earth the viewer would change channels if the motor drive failed for any reason. :scratch2: I only looked briefly at the pics and didn't see one of the back of the set; perhaps there is a manual channel selector in the upper right or left rear corner near the tuner--almost all remote TVs, not only Zeniths, with motor driven tuners had this feature.

Zenith SC300 color TV - emergency manual channel knob - where is it?
 

I just looked at the picture of your Zenith SC300 on Flickr. Nice looking set; I'm sure once you track down and correct the vertical problems it will be an excellent performer as well, as were all Zeniths from that era. I'm wondering, however, without a channel selector knob on the front panel, how on earth the viewer would change channels if the motor drive failed for any reason. :scratch2: I only looked briefly at the pics and didn't see one of the back of the set; perhaps there is a manual channel selector in the upper right or left rear corner near the tuner--almost all remote TVs, not only Zeniths, with motor driven tuners had this feature.

BTW, after looking at the picture of the inside of your set with the back off, I can see why this particular TV could be difficult to carry up one or more flights of stairs; the power transformer alone looks like it must weigh several pounds, and the CRT, being 19" diagonal (I think) probably weighs ten or 15 pounds as well. Add the weight of the TV chassis itself, plus the tuner and the remote chassis, and the whole thing probably weighs in at something like 30-40 pounds or more.

Again while looking at the pic of the inside of this set, I saw what appears to be an insulator with a large red arrow pointing to a shaft. Could this be the manual channel selector I asked about two paragraphs ago? :scratch2:

I had a K2739 (the chassis number escapes me) Zenith 23" console TV (1963, no SC) back in the late '60s. It was a trash day find; someone had filched all the tubes except the 1J3 HV rectifier and the 23ANP4 CRT. I got it home (with a bit of help from an old friend), put new tubes in it and it worked--very, very well, as I would expect from Zenith TVs of that era. I had the set in the basement and was able to get excellent pictures on all three Cleveland VHF network stations; the set also worked halfway decently on rabbit ears in the same location, again as I would expect since the tubes were brand new. This set had three video IF stages (two 6EH7s and a 6EJ7), so I wasn't surprised that I had the razor-sharp picture which was typical of these older Zeniths. The sound was great as well, with a 6BN6/6BQ5 audio stage, tone control and a 6x9 oval speaker; the thing sounded so good I eventually patched an old FM tuner into the set, across the volume control. I wasn't disappointed; the sound was every bit as good as, if not better than, the TV sound.