19 inch System 3

[Charlie]

Typically, I don't bother with sets this new, but I found it near my mother's house for 10 bucks. It put light on the screen, so I decided to bring it home.

The label on the back says 1985. I have only one other mid-80's set... a 19 inch Curtis Mathes (all NEC parts inside).

The Zenith did not have the remote, but I was able to program one of my Dish remotes to work it. I would think it's a good idea to use the remote whenever possible being that it has this weird pull-down door that has the main controls on the door. I'm guessing that the door and those controls can wear with time when used regularly.

The set seems to play pretty good. I have a suspicion that the CRT might be a little weak. When setting the controls, I noticed the brightness control has an indentation in the middle, and I assume that's where it was set when it first came out of the store. Today, setting it there produces a very dark picture. I now have the brightness set at about 85-95 percent to make a nice picture. I don't know if I have an adapter for my CRT checker that matches this tube... I will have to check.

I've been watching it all day today and seems to be holding up well. Has good color and contrast. Even if the tube is a little weak, it still plays well as is.

The photos below really don't look that great. The color looks far better in person compared to the photos. Not bad for 10 bucks.

[radiotvnut]

Those membrane keypads were one of Zenith's blunders and they do fail; so, use the remote as much as you can. To solve your brightness problem, crank up the G2 control on the flyback slightly. Your CRT is probably weak; but, I wouldn't rejuvenate it until it starts looking unwatchable.

[Charlie]

I'm not going to worry about the CRT too much. It really does play pretty good. I will, however, check out that control you mentioned and see if that helps a little.

Sets at my house don't get as much use as the average household. My "daily drivers" only get used approximately 5 months out of the year since I am at sea the rest of the year.

One thing I've noticed... it makes better reds than my Curtis Mathes 19 inch set. I noticed it the first time I saw a State Farm Insurance ad. My CM set is very orange during that ad. This Zenith is much better.

[zeno]

IIRC there is a control marked BL at the front panel. Its a
hole for screwdriver give it a tweek. The control panels did
also get intermitants sometimes. Set looks best with auto
color switch OFF ( color sentry ?). Pix looks like CRT is
quite good, if focus is real good CRT usually good.
I see no bleeding.
Zenith made some better sets before this but it is a solid set.
We were still junking them that worked perfect up til a few yrs ago.

73 Zeno

[Charlie]

Zeno:

There is a knob marked Black Level. I assume this is the brightness control (as there isn't one called brightness and it seems to function as such). There is also a knob labeled Picture. I assume this is the "contrast" control. I did not find anything else in there to adjust with a screwdriver.

You mentioned bleeding... is this the red shadow I get to the right when turning up the contrast? It does exist... only if I turn the contrast up too high. I've seen this before on my Curtis Mathes set, but only when the picture first comes on. Typically, it goes away within a few seconds.

I agree with you... the picture overall looks better with the Color Sentry turned off.

[Charlie]

After looking closer with a flashlight, found there ARE three holes for an adjustment tool... BR, T, and CL. Now I gotta go find something to adjust them with so I can see what they do!

Glad you mentioned that or I wouldn't have looked closer.

[Charlie]

Seems BR is brightness, T is tint, and CL is color level for the Sentry setting.

[zeno]

Charlie
You are 100% on controls. Try the br. If that dont do it rap around
the controls & see if it flashes. If not go for the G-2 aka Screen control
on HV transformer. The other on HV transformer is focus.
Dont turn the G-2 to high or you will get thin white lines.
Turn it up slow til you just see the lines then back it off.
In a darkened room turn down the pix & BL controls & make
sure there are no lines & the picture is blank or very dark.
The G-2 can effect bleeding also.
Good Luck

73 Zeno

[Charlie]

Z:

I will look into that when I get the back cover off... I am watching Star Trek TNG on it right now.

When I turned it on this morning, the picture was much darker (but still watchable) compared to when I turned it off last night. The set ran for nearly an hour before the brightness back to where I set it.

Later, once I get my checker plugged into the tube, I am sure I will find it to read low on the scale. I do not plan to hit the magic button, however, I will likely crank the heaters up to 8 volts for a while and see if that helps it. If later, I find that does not help, I will leave the tube as is.

[BigDavesTV]

I have the identical 19" System 3, mine works very well, it was hardly used, my cabinet is only slightly different in design, mostly the outer corners of the cabinet.

[Zenith26kc20]

The circuit board the controls are mounted on uses griplets to connect upper and lower foils. These, like the early GE's give problems. Remove the board and resolder everything. That should stabilize brightness and other possible issues.
I used one of those sets to DX with for years. Too bad analog is gone, it was an incredible DXer. Mines CRT finally died (no green, no rejuv possible).
The tuner on them is gigantic compared to other brands of that era!