Videokarma.org TV - Video - Vintage Television & Radio Forums

Videokarma.org TV - Video - Vintage Television & Radio Forums (http://www.videokarma.org/index.php)
-   Solid State CRT Televisions (http://www.videokarma.org/forumdisplay.php?f=184)
-   -   I Might Snag This Zenith (http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=265212)

jstout66 09-15-2015 05:56 AM

I Might Snag This Zenith
 
1 Attachment(s)
saw an ad in our free section. A little new for my tastes, but what the hell... it's free.

dishdude 09-15-2015 04:51 PM

Very nice!

zeno 09-15-2015 05:55 PM

Bought one new. It will give a damn nice pix. All of
them have broken doors by now, mine did.
Its an advanced system 3 top-o-line that year.
Uses the 9-214 main board with comb filter. As
good as any early 80's set. Many of these & the consoles
we junked in the big flat screen takeover. Most still
ran perfect or had minor problems & were never serviced.
If nothing else you will get a module kit !!!

73 Zeno:smoke:

TVTim 09-15-2015 07:26 PM

Looks like a real wood cabinet!!

jstout66 09-16-2015 09:27 AM

supposed to pick it up after work, so will post pix this eve.
It's in the "richie" part of town. OH-LA-LA.... lol

jstout66 09-16-2015 05:44 PM

5 Attachment(s)
Okay, As promised, here are the pictures, along with my thoughts of Zenith during this time frame. (set manufactured in Feb 85)
I sold Zenith from 1978-1981. My Uncle opened his shop in 1972, and stopped selling around 1989 when the quality had gotten so terrible.
IMO, nothing could come close to beating Zenith in quality until about 1982, where you can tell a definite slip in build quality. My 1981 System 3 with built in Spacephone blows this one out of the water, in picture and quality. It weighs quite a bit more as well. The 81 still uses an American tube, which is that tri-focus design. In the Advanced System 3 era, I think they started using Panasonic built tubes. Overall.. for a 30 year old set, the picture is quite good, (altho I can tell the tube is a tad tired) This is also a high-hours set. The sound is terrific, and you have the option to add speakers. What I don't like is that Zenith used a flimsy door with the control panel within it. (all the controls work tho) The auto color has 3 positions. Off/Color Sentry/Video enhance. The picture looks best on Color Sentry. When it's on video enhance, it takes away that razor sharp focus. Picture is better than my camera can capture. After this long winded review, here are the pix.

dishdude 09-16-2015 06:52 PM

Glad you decided to grab it, I'd love to have that set. I think Zenith made a decent set up until about '93, and even then the chassis was okay it was just that bad run of tubes that really killed the sets. Even without the tube issue, Zenith's fate was already sealed. :tears:

jstout66 09-16-2015 06:56 PM

what area of the country are you at dishdude? If you ever pass thru Omaha, you can have it :)

dishdude 09-16-2015 07:16 PM

I'm in Arizona...there is like nothing here! :( Thanks for the offer though!

jstout66 09-17-2015 02:56 PM

3 Attachment(s)
Here's some chassis shots of the set. This one has seen HEAVY use.....

zeno 09-17-2015 04:24 PM

CRT is Rauland division of Zenith ( EIA 1101 )
No Jap tube here !

73 Zeno:smoke:


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:20 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2026, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
©Copyright 2012 VideoKarma.org, All rights reserved.