Why wasn't this Zenith roundie repairable?

[Michelle]

The TV shop that sold/serviced our family's TVs is actually still in business, so they must be doing something right. (Their website shows they now have three locations too.)

I do remember that I liked the old TV better because I could often tune in channels from Providence, RI, and on rare occasion, from Maine. (I grew up north of Boston.)

But, the old one took awhile to warm up, and its replacement went right on.

An "E-F" model from 1975? I guess that's when the switch was made. (No remote control on either set though.)

You guys certainly know your stuff. Glad I was able to get some answers to something I've occasionally wondered about over the years.

[Username1]

Originally Posted by compucat

From our perspective today as collectors and restorers, it is sad that what to us would be a simple and routine repair was not worth the bother to a tech or a customer back then. I do remember as a kid in the Seventies that after about five years most TVs needed frequent repairs and the prevailing wisdom was don't keep putting more money into it. The result was that a set that probably would have been good as new with an overhaul on par with what we do now rather than the patch-it-up for another six months type of repair designed to be profitable. Many of these old sets would have had longer service lives, stayed away from the landfills and more would be around today if they had a mini restoration every five to seven years or so. The disposable mentality was starting to take hold especially during the Eighties so repair was less of an attractive option or a first thought back then.

This is it right here..... The guy I worked for would try and talk people out of
repairs of tube sets saying he does not warranty work on tube sets because
of the higher frequency of repairs they would need..... Even on the same
items more than once..... He also would replace all the power tubes each
time they came in..... That usually was an extra $110. He would do the
work if they insisted, but the pricing was quite discouraging for people to
make return trips.... But we did not sell sets, so there was nothing gained
by him in encouraging new sets.... It may have been the right thing
to do.... The few tube sets we got were rca's and magnavoxes, and they
did come in once a year.....

.

[andy]

...

[zeno]

Originally Posted by Michelle

The TV shop that sold/serviced our family's TVs is actually still in business, so they must be doing something right. (Their website shows they now have three locations too.)

I do remember that I liked the old TV better because I could often tune in channels from Providence, RI, and on rare occasion, from Maine. (I grew up north of Boston.)

But, the old one took awhile to warm up, and its replacement went right on.

An "E-F" model from 1975? I guess that's when the switch was made. (No remote control on either set though.)

You guys certainly know your stuff. Glad I was able to get some answers to something I've occasionally wondered about over the years.

We are from the same area ( Acton back then). The old tube
Zeniths had the hottest tuners & selectivity. Newer varactor tuners
almost as good & in a few yrs even better.
At the shop the ultimate test was to get WMTW TV8 on Mt.
Washington with the antenna pointed SE at Ch 7. Only Zeniths
could do it consistently, all others rarely.
If you are from Rio Linda the test is this. Ch 8 is 130 miles
due N. Also CH 9 due N. abt 45 mi. CH 7 SW apx 30mi.
A brutal test of your traps & selectivity.

73 Zeno

[Michelle]

Originally Posted by zeno

We are from the same area ( Acton back then). The old tube
Zeniths had the hottest tuners & selectivity. Newer varactor tuners
almost as good & in a few yrs even better.
At the shop the ultimate test was to get WMTW TV8 on Mt.
Washington with the antenna pointed SE at Ch 7. Only Zeniths
could do it consistently, all others rarely.
If you are from Rio Linda the test is this. Ch 8 is 130 miles
due N. Also CH 9 due N. abt 45 mi. CH 7 SW apx 30mi.
A brutal test of your traps & selectivity.

73 Zeno

Growing up, we had the "Eastern New England" edition of TV Guide, so it would list the Channel 8 of New Haven, CT.

Of course as a curious kid, I'd occasionally try to tune in stations from outside the Boston area, but only channels 9 (Manchester, NH), 10 (Providence, RI), 11 (Durham, NH), and 12 (Providence, RI?) were at all watchable.

Occasionally, a very faint signals on channels 6 & 8 could be (barely) seen, but the only sound would be white noise.

I remember one time I got channel 13 to tune in quite clearly, but it must have been due to the atmospheric conditions, as it was something that I was unable to do again. (And the fact channel 13 was not listed in the local TV Guide meant I had no idea where it was located.)

[zeno]

Originally Posted by Michelle

Growing up, we had the "Eastern New England" edition of TV Guide, so it would list the Channel 8 of New Haven, CT.

Of course as a curious kid, I'd occasionally try to tune in stations from outside the Boston area, but only channels 9 (Manchester, NH), 10 (Providence, RI), 11 (Durham, NH), and 12 (Providence, RI?) were at all watchable.

Occasionally, a very faint signals on channels 6 & 8 could be (barely) seen, but the only sound would be white noise.

I remember one time I got channel 13 to tune in quite clearly, but it must have been due to the atmospheric conditions, as it was something that I was unable to do again. (And the fact channel 13 was not listed in the local TV Guide meant I had no idea where it was located.)

When I got a house I got the biggest antenna a Jerrold VU937 IIRC.
Was over 20' long. Could get either CH 8, CH 6 Portland or New Bedford,
CH 13 Portland & 26 Saco. At nite when everyone was off all the
NYC VHF stations were watchable. On a good night even Philly.
Wish I were up higher, could done much better especially on UHF.

73 Zeno