I promised !! PICTURES of 1976 Zenith soild state BW CONSOLE.

[rca2000]

Ok. here are a few pictures. The first one is not good--sun reflected somehow and created a "rainbow effect". The others are fair. and should give some idea of this set and its shape.

That broken interlock does concern me.

And a novice seeing this set would no DOUBT be SURE if it color..even from the BACK....with its full-size CRT cup.

[rca2000]

It is actually a 1977 Model...November 76 would be a 1977 set...

22 inch CRT.

[Username1]

Looks cool.... I thought you guys said Zenith did not make big B & W
solid state sets after that last long run tube chassis set....?

[Sandy G]

Nice set. I'm sure Zenith's marketing guys wished those had been killed off a good 10 yrs before..

[rca2000]

I KNOW I didn't say that...because I had one like this one OVER 30 years ago...in a better cabinet. It was a 78 or 79 model IIRC but with the same chassis as this one. Zenith ended the 14N22 chassis after the 73 model year. For 2 years after that...Zenith had a sort of "fllat chassis" SS BW set. I have one of the 19" models....19FB12 IIRC chassis # . Therte was a 22FB12 version in a cabinet like this one. Someone has or had one on VK some time ago. The -FB12 sets were for 1975. For 1974 They had the _EB12 set which is a lot like the FB12...BUT had a regular power tranny instead of the VRT the FB12 sets have.

After 1975...for 1976..and until maybe 1980 model year or so...Zenith had the 19GB1 chassis. This is the one in my set here. It is not visible in the pictures...but this set DOES use a VRT power supply--the tranny is on a horizontal frame BEHIND that main ckt. board. This chassis was used--with a few variations-- till about the 1979 or so model year --then fully replaced by a single-board, HOT CHASSIS version...for the last couple of years of BW console sets.

[rca2000]

I SAVED this pix years ago from this site.

SOMEONE here showed this set--not sure who. Not sure if it even exists anymore.

I was REALLY hoping my set had this chassis..and when I found out it had the 19GB1 type chassis... I ALMOST passed on it...but thought better of it and came back around with my van to get it. I REALLY like the design of the FB12 chassi a LOT better...flast chassis, dura modules and big heat sinks and such !!

But when it comes to console BW sets..."beggers can't be choosers". So...I grabbed this rare set !!

[zeno]

I didnt like the 19GB1. The vert outs went left & right on them
& they were a pain to change. Looks easy but you gotta pull
the heat sinks that were twist tabbed & soldered. The screws
were so tight taking them out invited a cracked PCB. Add to that
the PCB was almost like plastic & would kinda melt. And of course
when you heated the sinks the etch lifted.
I will take the duramodule any day. Near 100% reliable.
Better yet the hand wired SS 19" B&W, a rare bird.

73 Zeno

[drh4683]

Jack, that photo you saved of the console with the 22FB12 chassis used to be one of mine. I found that set at an estate sale I think for about $5 bucks back around 2006. If I remember correct, the CRT in that set was totally shot. I ended up giving it to another collector who lives near me. I'm sure he's sold it off by now as he never keeps anything for too long. Around the same time, I also found a mint metal cabinet table model with the 22FB12 and that set worked perfect and had the matching cart. I ended up letting that one go too, which was one I regret as it was a one time only find. But looking back, I know why I let it go as I still kinda had that stubborn "anti solid state" mindset in those days. But now of course I realize those sets are just as special as tube sets and more rare than most any tube set. It's hard to save and keep everything you've ever found though and it's so easy to regret those decisions when looking back. Just the way it goes in this hobby since everything takes up so much room.

[radiotvnut]

I used to have the 22" metal version of that GB1 chassis set and it had a CRT that was so dead that you could only see a little bit of an image in a totally dark room. I hit it with the rejuvenator and sold it for $40 (this was about 24 years ago). Either it held up or whoever bought it didn't throw a fit when it stopped working. Looking at your CRT, I see that it has a 313 EIA number; so, that means that Sylvania actually made that tube.

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by rca2000

Ok. here are a few pictures. The first one is not good--sun reflected somehow and created a "rainbow effect". The others are fair. and should give some idea of this set and its shape.

That broken interlock does concern me.

And a novice seeing this set would no DOUBT be SURE if it color..even from the BACK....with its full-size CRT cup.

This TV is definitely not a color set. There are only three controls on the front panel between the CRT and the tuners; one of those controls is a thumbwheel. Moreover, there are none of the standard color controls on the rear of the set (R-G-B screen, G2, etc)., nor is there a service switch. The CRT cap is too small for this TV to be a color set, as well. Most Zenith color TVs had very large triangular shaped CRT caps. The neck of the CRT in this set also seems to me to be much too thin to be part of a color tube.

Until I saw this one I had never before seen a TV chassis that small; sheesh, even the small PC board on the chassis, which may well have contained most of the set's signal circuits, looked too small for a color set. The only chassis-mounted parts I could see were the horizontal output transistor, the power transformer and the flyback, plus an assembly that looked like it had three controls mounted one atop the other. The tuner cluster and front-panel controls are mounted to the cabinet in the usual way.

As to the interlock, if you will be using the set yourself and have no plans to sell it, I see nothing wrong with hard-wiring the power cord to the leads connected to the female plug on the chassis. This dodge will, of course, void the TV's UL approval, which is why this must not be done if the set will be sold; in fact, there may be (and if there isn't there should be) a law against selling any TV having a hacked or bypassed interlock. I have several radios here in which I have removed the interlock cord (when said cord developed cracks in the insulation, especially near the male plug that mates with the female one on the chassis) and am using a standard cheater cord to power them.

I honestly don't know how many of these 22" Zenith b&w consoles were sold, but my best guess is not too many since they don't show up very often. Of course, the sets that were in use are probably now in storage or are gathering dust, having been replaced by a CRT type or flat screen color set. It wouldn't surprise me if the 22" b&w SS Zenith consoles become collectable some day, as rare as they seem to be.

[drh4683]

I believe Jack is saying that a novice or one who is only slightly familiar with TV's could possibly mistake this set as a color set at a glance, particularly from the rear because of similar characteristics to that of a color set. Those more familiar with these TV's obviously know it's not a color because we know what controls are to be present.

The conical shaped CRT cap as used on this set first appeared on 1970 models that used the fiber board back covers. Both B&W and color used this style of cap, hence why I believe Jack made the comment regarding the similarities and the potential for error on the part of the novice. The triangular shaped cap is exclusive to the round screen color CRT's, while the diamond shaped cap on color sets identifies 1965-1969 models.

[Adam]

I'd like to find one of those EB or FB sets, but in a metal cabinet. In that console up there it looks like that piece of particle board is buckling under the weight of the chassis. That 76 model with the GB chassis actually looks like it's in a nicer heavier-duty cabinet, even though it has the lighter chassis.

I have a 1980 Zenith 16" b/w in a plastic cabinet with the 19MB1X chassis. I don't know what it looks like. It worked as found, I never even took the back off.

[radiotvnut]

I believe the 19MB1X is the single board, hot chassis. A version of it was used in the last 22" models, as well as the 19" digitally tuned B&W sets.

[rca2000]

And I am NOT all sure I would pick up one of those 19MB1 HOT chassis sets either...

[zeno]

IIRC that one had a jungle IC. Only remember it in 12" sets.
IMHO Zenith B&W sets went way down hill at the end although
they still ran as good as any else. Just cheapened them & they
lost that Zenith feel. For my money the Panasonics were the
best B&W sets from the late 70's on. Ran good, reliable, easy
to fix & still physicaly very well built.
But there is value in saving the last of something just
like the first. In fact I would love to have the last REAL Packard
to come off the line but the first wouldnt interest me........

73 Zeno

Originally Posted by rca2000

And I am NOT all sure I would pick up one of those 19MB1 HOT chassis sets either...