Quote:
Originally Posted by truetone36
Typical Zenith, working so well after sitting unused for who knows how many years. A little TLC and it'll keep going for another 60 years.
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This is a subject that I am very interested in. It may be worth a thread of its own, but I know it would turn into a recap thread. Most of us understand that the capacitor is the weakest link in old electronics, so its sort of a given that they get changed out. There are many opinions on when and even how to do this.
I am just interested in talking about what I call "working originals" in both radio and television. I'm sure that much of it boils down to a small set of variables. How long has a set been dormant? What was its condition when it was set aside for a better set? Was it in a humid or a dry storage area? Either way it goes, to me it is like magic when you see something come alive that from an electronics standpoint should not be. It was not engineered to perform for over a half of a century to begin with. Although we did engineer our products for a long life as opposed to today's planned obsolescence which makes sure that even if a product last for more than five years or so that it will still be some kind of a joke that nobody wants.
Over 30 years ago I started picking up 30s-50s radios that were plentiful at flea markets for $5 or $10 and even then was amazed at how many were still operational being 20-30 years old at that time. Then I got my first 50s TV (again plentiful) for $10 at a Goodwill and was blown away and hooked for life. Blown away with what looked like and really is a LOT of things going on, and they must be going on at such precise times. Hooked on the smell (call me crazy) of the tubes making all of this happen. Finally amazed that it had been happening since 1956 and still needed no repair. I still have this Philco that I mention quite often. It still amazes me, and still needs no repair beyond an occasional tube.
The chassis is utterly simple in design and I guess could be compared to something like a Muntz. Just not a lot in there when compared to others I have like older RCA products or DuMonts. The simplicity is probably a big reason for the longevity of life. I look at cars the same way, and it's a shame that America (and later the world) stopped selling the VW Beetle. In the case of America, the movers and shakers have little interest in pushing a product that lasts, is simple in design, cheap to maintain and carries a price tag that everyone (or most) can afford. It's just not the way we do business anymore.