Photo of a '50's Zenith

[Blast]

Photos from 1971/2. Can anyone identify the model? It's got a mahogany cabinet.


And found a better color photo:

[Tubejunke]

1957-1960 Space Command. The remote is hanging in it's proper spot on the lower left, just below the c.r.t.

This is very similar to a 24" that I have posted about being stumped on after a recap. I will probably remove the new caps and tubes and donate it to Goodwill in hope that someone will find interest in it. Anything is better than a dumpster..........

[Robert Grant]

I had a Zenith 16C21 (chassis) many years ago, it had the same top escutcheon plate, and the volume and channel knobs were in the same position (mine was a table model, blonded wood, and had no remote).
Sadly, I had to give up mine when my parents moved from a 3BR house to an apartment.
It's tuner was very hot on channels 2 through 5, great for E-skip.

Rob

[Old1625]

I had a 16E21 table model with a slightly different escution design, and a black metal cabinet. But the volume and channel knobs were in the same place.

And ditto on sensitivity; that set could pull in stations like crazy.

[Blast]

Yes, it was a Space Command 400. My grandmother gave me that set about 1971 when she replaced it with some Motorola "works in a drawer". I thought I still had the remote around here somewhere, but can't find it. So there was a table version? I'll have to look it on the vintage site. Tubejunke- sorry to hear you can't get yours working right.

[bgadow]

I have one, I can't decide if mine is a model year newer or older. It works okay, though I've never done a thing to it. By that time Zenith had a bulletproof chassis (except for the lemon Tubejunke got!) but their crt's always seem to be weak. These sets do show up fairly often...one like mine has been sitting in a local antique mall for maybe 10 years.

[Tubejunke]

Originally Posted by Blast

Tubejunke- sorry to hear you can't get yours working right.

I keep hanging on to the set because it is in near new condition. With mostly stock original tubes, very little dust (even in the HV cage) and a VERY strong c.r.t., I would say my set was only used a few years. I have heard that they are super performers. Although evidently common I feel that if I could decifer the problem I would have a good "regular use" set.

For those who have not read all this repeat info my Zenith has very little to no vertical height and a volume adjustable hum for sound, with no evidence of a signal coming through. Thats the way it came home and an electrolytic and paper recap changed nothing.

There is new news!! Recently I found an open coil inside T4 called L4. T4 seems to be working between the 3rd IF(6dk6) and the Video Amp(6eb8). This info comes from a schematic from an Electronic Technician Circuit Digest which gives no values for these components. There is a green dot painted on the side of the part.

I guess this is where the difference is evident between the true troubleshooter with proper equipment and the "part replacer" with a VOM and a soldering iron. I consider myself as having a rudimentary knowledge of what goes on inside the old sets and I have had decent luck through the years getting old sets going again. Luckily for me, as with many of us, MANY problems are directly and simply related to bad caps and resistors.

Anyway, I doubt this little coil is causing all of the symptoms mentioned, however, it causes something to be wrong. We do know that. Probably no video (if I had vertical sweep to see). Seems like a while back I disconnected the vert. output trans. for a resistance check and found nothing odd. I wish I had a sub to pop in there to be sure. The hum for sound is perhaps a whole different ball of wax. Nothing getting hot that I can tell as evidence of a short somewhere.

So, I'm still hoping some of this info rings a bell in the mind of someone with some experience with these sets. I need the space too bad to keep housing a broken set, even if it looks really nice.

[Blast]

I'd love to see photos of the sets you guys have!

[Tubejunke]

Originally Posted by Blast

I'd love to see photos of the sets you guys have!

Here is one pic that I just happened to have stored in my computer. I have the knobs in on the bench since I pull the chassis fairly often for a rainy day. A ready made family is now in the mix so the clock is ticking for my collection cull.....

B.T.W This is a 24" model which along with being a remote set with high fidelity sound, to me, makes it unique. Again this is "to me" because evidently these sets generate very little interest and a 24" is no big deal. Seems to me most every 50's set I have ever run into from around 1953/4 and up is a 21". I was excited when I found this that it would be a perfect work horse even in this day and age. Supposedly dependable, decent viewing size, and good sound. Thats all I need!!

I'm avoiding flat screen, HD, digital, wall size television as long as possible to keep from setting some crazy new standard of creature comfort in which soon most folks can never turn back. I'm pretty flexable so far as far as technology goes. At least as far as audio goes. I know people who convert their whole music library as soon as a new trend hits the market. These are many times the folks that WISH that they had their old records back. I can go from a CD to an 8 track, or an LP and back in a single listening session. To get back to the TV topic I have always surprised people in the fact that I enjoy black and white viewing just as much as color. For me it makes no real difference. Actually I get a kick out of this if for no other reason I think of the money people spend, that I havent spent to be entertained.

Well I gotta get to Wal (China) Mart to grab that new BLUE RAY player, and the latest version of HOME THEATER before the big LAYOFF!!! Just kidding, except the layoff part ....

[Robert Grant]

Originally Posted by Tubejunke

<snip> B.T.W This is a 24" model which along with being a remote set with high fidelity sound, to me, makes it unique. Again this is "to me" because evidently these sets generate very little interest and a 24" is no big deal. Seems to me most every 50's set I have ever run into from around 1953/4 and up is a 21". I was excited when I found this that it would be a perfect work horse even in this day and age. Supposedly dependable, decent viewing size, and good sound. Thats all I need!!
<snip>

24" B&W sets are less common than 21" sets well into the early 1960's (when both 21" and 24" sets became rare and were replaced with integral cover glass 22" types).

Actually, having access to catalogs and magazines from the era, I'm surprised that there are as many 24" sets as there are, They were far more expensive that like-equipped 21" models (despite the fact that they often had the same chassis and the price of the 24" CRT alone was not much more than that of a 21" CRT).