need help on zenith
 

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:scratch2:

VC, could you elaborate on what you mean by "parts check ok"? If you haven't recapped, you should do so. In one case, a radio of mine went from being utterly dead--right down to inexplicably unlit filaments--to working great just by doing a recap. A cold solder joint or similar circumstance of bad connection may have been the cause of those unlit filaments (I'll never know fo sho) and seems a very likely culprit in the symptoms you describe. If a recap has already been done, I'd lean even more in the direction of a cold solder joint.

So if you haven't recapped--do it and see what happens...and if you have recapped, I think you'll just have to grab your signal tracer and start tracin'

Aren't the tubes' filaments in series in those radios? Could a tube socket be dirty and cause that?

Sure could. I'm glad you asked; 'til now I hadn't bothered to look at the schematic. Apparently this set was one of those 1941 Zeniths that was OEM with extremely scarce 12SA7G shouldered converter tube. 35L6G and 35Z5G are also specified.

Any of those rare birds still in there VC?

are you guys
 

discussing the zenith 11C21 with the flip-out dial and cobra turn-table? I just obtained one of these in pretty good shape appearance-wise. The innards seem to be undisturbed. It is just plain beautiful, in my opinion. My question- where do I start with restoring this thing? Is it safe to just plug it in, or should this be done under controlled conditions? Also. there seems to be a VACCUM HOSE (not tube!) on the back of the dial! What is this about? And, if it is what I think it might be, won't this be a monumental pain in the dupa to restore?