Meet my new sweetheart!
 

I call her Laura, after Laura Petrie, my favorite 60's brunette.
Got this primo Zenith from Doug Harland via our friends at ebay. After like four months of false starts and rude movers
(:uzi: Plycon Van Lines),
it finally arrived last week, safe and sound. So safe and sound, in fact, that all I had to do was plug 'er in and turn 'er on! And Doug, a true gentleman, was super through the whole ordeal. By the way, it cost 211 bucks for shipping from Chicago to Baltimore, plus another 40 or so bucks for a custom carton. Worth it? You bet!
Naturally, I've been spending as much time as possible watching her. What is it about the colors on these vintage sets that makes everything look so different? It's like watching TV in color for the first time all over again!

Bob,

That set looks great! Im so glad someone who appriciates old sets got it, and best of all, uses it on a daily basis! I watched that set as a daily watcher for about 4 months. Its been a great reliable set after I fixed it up.
Ive been using a 1972 zenith 20" table set in the basement as a daily watcher since last april, and 1967 rca ctc25 upstairs. I only watch my old tvs. Thats the fun about it, fixing them and watching them!
Enjoy!

I think the reason the old roundies look so different is they used Rare earth phosphors on the CRTs and they must have used them all up!;)
copyright Heathkit tv/aka Anthony.

:D

That set looks great, right down to the vintage lamp or vase that's sitting on it. All that needs to be done now is to clean up those cords that are dangling to the side!

Anthony

Veg-o,

Congrats man! Nice set. Blast from the past time. ;)

Thats part of the Realism....:D

Man, I knew someone was going to pick up on the cords! I didn't like 'em either so I spent some time yesterday moving things around so they don't show.
That's a pretty cool lamp I have on top; the base lights up in addition to the regular bulb.
You should see the lamp I have on top of my Zenith BW console. If I ever get my den shoveled out, I'll post a pic!

I Like the cords. It gives it a sense of realism.;)
Richard

The woman on screen looks more like Rose Marie! :p:

Its the dick van dyke show in color!!!!!!!!(too bad that show never had any color episodes) Many programs went color durring 1965, the year the dvd show ended.

Rose Marie, the antidote to wet dreams.

:puke2: :puke: :puke2:

Anthony

I call her Helen
 

Nah, that's not Rose Marie on the screen. Don't know who exactly it is, but she's in an unintentionally hilarious film called "American Thrift" put out in the 50's by GM and dedicated to "The Woman American." Frankly, the film doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and if there's a point, it escapes me.
Wanna a copy for your own? Go to The Internet Movie Archive and download a copy. While you're at it, I also recommend "Design for Dreaming" and"As Boys Grow" ("I had a wet dream last night...")

Bob,

That set looks great! I know you're glad to have your first roundie color set! Yes, you are right... watching one of these roundies is an experience that can't be duplicated!

It may have been a long wait, but good things come to those that wait... as you now know. :)

Wow ! That's the exact same roundie I have !! Hope mine works as good as that someday !! -Sandy G.

...

Guess I better show off my similar Zenith here too eh! ;)

I think these Zeniths have better looks than the RCA equivalents. The front of the Zeniths have two seperate pieces on the front... the CRT bezel and the piece with the controls/speaker with wood between the two. The front of the RCAs is one entire piece. Not to say that the RCA is ugly... just saying that the Zenith models are a little more attractive.

Andy:

Actually, ours both have the same legs. The ones that are on now are replacements--I needed to have the screen a little higher so I could watch in my recliner!

Your set seems to have some crenellations under the CRT frame. Mine's smooth.

We definitely have the same chassis, though--24MC32.

What is it about the chassis that makes it a "Service Saver"? Is there some actual feature, or is it just marketing hype?

Bob

I think the Service Saver refers to the fact that you can remove the screen under the bottom of the chassis to access all of the chassis components without having to remove the chassis from the cabinet.

Boy is it ever a time and aggravation saver compared with RCA's, etc. where you have to prop the chassis up with a book or something to get the test leads in, then disconnect the chassis to replace components, then put it back...

....

Well, I'm cheating just a little 'cause this is a 25MC30 chassis. This must have been the cheapest console they had, with a metal cabinet-they didn't even bother with woodgrain, just brown paint with a sort of mottled finish. A few years back I answered an ad for "old tv's for sale" and while there were a few nice things in that pile this was the crown jewel. The most serious problem was a bad power switch-often I've wondered if that was the only reason it was taken out of service. Looked like it had been sitting since the 60s or early 70s, with a very clean chassis. Only other problem was getting the purity right-took a stack of refrigerator magnets strategically placed to remedy. Darn, I wish I could get a good picture of both the screen & the cabinet!

"to illustrate that last remark" and to show why the cats aren't allowed in the tv room while I play this set, here is the underside! The screen was awol when I got the set, as was the back. Seems the seller, who was settling the estate, threw all the cabinet backs on the burn pile:mad: Sometime this year I'll make replacements.

What a sweetie!
 

I worked for a true Gentleman here in NY when I came home from Kansas. My buddy's parents had one of these. Watched Hogan's Heroes on this model..Way Cool!! A great childhood. Got my Dad to buy a square screen Zenith in '66. They only two.That 1966 and a 1978 solid state model.

I sure wish I had the space to get one of these big boys!! Enjoy it. Eric of Stone Ridge NY:D

Come on audio guy, old TVs are like Jello! There's always room!

...And they're like eating 'tater chips....Nobody can have just one !!-Sandy G.

I don't know what's sadder, your quoting that old ad slogan or me remembering Bert Lahr doing those commercials!
-ANT

Anthony- Yeah, I know...<sigh> Ain't it fun gettin' old ?!?....But I didn't see any way to work the "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature" or "Mama Mia ! That'sa spicy Meata Ball !" ones in....-Sandy G.

Anthony:
What's saddest of all is me knowing that Burt Lahr ended the commercials saying "They're de-LAY-cious!" Not that I actually remember the commercials, just have some on tape.

And as long as we're whipping out the old slogans, just remember this when you're moving that gigantic roundie console around:
"It takes two hands to handle a Whopper."
B