1950s or '60s vintage Zenith TVs, Need some info

[Electronic M]

I think I paid $25 for my 1077...One of of the best $25 purchases I've made.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

I think I paid $25 for my 1077...One of of the best $25 purchases I've made.

Well unfortunately I don't have that luxury I have to make do with epay and whatever prices the sellers on there dictate which like I said aren't that cheap.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

Well unfortunately I don't have that luxury I have to make do with epay and whatever prices the sellers on there dictate which like I said aren't that cheap.

Try visiting the ETF meet some year. I've seen easily 5 of those B&Ks go that cheap there.

[Notimetolooz]

I don't really know why ebay prices get so high. Decades ago it was more like a flea market or yard sale. More people have a side business selling things on ebay now, making extra cash for one thing. I think some fools with no idea of what reasonable prices should be and more money than brains paid a lot for an item and then other sellers used that sale as a new standard of the going price.
Ebay is the last place to buy vintage items. Local auctions, Craigs list, yard sales, estate sales, club flea markets, etc. are much better. You can't predict what will be offered, you can't say "Today I will go to a yard sale and get a tube tester.". You have to be open to what you come across. Knowledge is the key. You have to get out there and look. Be patient.

Last month a relative that lives nearby told me of a yard sale across the alley from her having a yard sale. I don't really go to that many yard sales. I had some other things to do while out that day first and didn't get to the yard sale until the middle of the afternoon. Most things sell before noon at yard sales. When I showed up they were about to quite. They said "Pick out anything and you can have it." (meaning free). I found a box of audio/video cables, a box of power cables, a bin cabinet full of items, five vacuum tubes still in the box, a couple of spools of wire and two oscilloscopes (one a 1965 Tektronix), and a few other things.
All free! "Life is like a box of chocolates."
A couple of weeks later, at a radio club convention flea market I was able to sell some of the stuff and recoup the cost of the convention registration.

[vortalexfan]

OK So I got the Bugeye TV mostly recapped (except for one paper cap I forgot about and 4 electrolytics) and when I powered the TV up I got a whiff of smoke from somewhere (I couldn't tell where it was coming from but it looked like it was coming from around where the contrast control pot was situated) and so I quickly shut it down, but I did get a shot of what the screen was doing, its basically got severe vertical foldover and not much horizontal deflection.

See picture below.

[Kevin Kuehn]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

Well unfortunately I don't have that luxury I have to make do with epay and whatever prices the sellers on there dictate which like I said aren't that cheap.

I've got a well used B&K 1076 that I cleaned up and recapped a few years back. It isn't the nicest looking one on the planet, but it's serviceable. I'll let you have it for FedEx shipping cost. Let's just say your enthusiasm for fixing up old TV's is justification for you having it, and it will surely be an educational tool for you to have at your disposal. It could very well be $50-75 to ship it from WI to IN, I really won't know until it's packed up and weighed. If you're game I'll dig it out and make sure it's still working.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Kevin Kuehn

I've got a well used B&K 1076 that I cleaned up and recapped a few years back. It isn't the nicest looking one on the planet, but it's serviceable. I'll let you have it for FedEx shipping cost. Let's just say your enthusiasm for fixing up old TV's is justification for you having it, and it will surely be an educational tool for you to have at your disposal. It could very well be $50-75 to ship it from WI to IN, I really won't know until it's packed up and weighed. If you're game I'll dig it out and make sure it's still working.

SUre, I'll take it. For me test equipment condition isn't everything, as long as its functional.

In fact most of my radio repair/diagnostic equipment is not in the best of cosmetic condition but its functional and that's all that matters to me.

I'll pm you my address and we can go from there.