Zenith Console combo - Page 5 - Videokarma.org TV - Video

DaveWM · #61 08-21-2010, 10:52 PM

well I was able to get the bearing unstuck, the plan now is to use the old front bearing with the wedding cake drive and just use the a new C frame if I can find one. I may have one in the shop.

this is really not something I want to spend a dime on since its unlikely I will be spinning any records on this thing. I think I only paid 15 or 25 cant remember for the whole console so this turnable is not going to blow the budget

Aint that a hoot about the TT on ebay. Some other guy over at ARC has an issue with his zenith as well. My guess is two guys have a need, and bingo, bet you will neve see a zenith TT go like that again. I do like magnavax micromatic imperials the older ones with the gold trim. they are solid and I dig the way the tone arm taps the record to size it. Plus they use two idlers, one for the platter and one for the tone arm drive. Now those are worth a few bucks, but man this zenith thing is CHEAP!!! I am tempted to get a later model magnavox micromatic (the early astrosonics came with a nice one, just a bit more modern looking than the imperials) and put it in there, but I wont since I am not into frankensteing vintage gear.

I plan to put the orig tuner back since I have it working so well. the replacement is identical but for some very minor differnence in the dial face.

radiotvnut · #62 08-21-2010, 11:38 PM

Whatever you do, please don't stick one of those plastic '70's BSR's in there! I have a '58 Magnavox console hi-fi that someone did that to. I'd like to find an original Magnavox turntable to go in it; but, I'm running into the same situation as you did. I only gave $15 for the console and, by the time I factor in shipping cost, I'd have $50+ in a turntable, which is a bit much for a $15 semi-beat up console.

Those VM built Zenith branded changers were decent for what they were; but, certainly nothing special. The main thing they have going for them is the "micro touch 2G" cartridge. These are among some of the better ceramic cartridges that won't ruin your records as fast as many of the more conventional cartridges.

Zenith also used a belt drive changer in their highest end models. I've never actually seen the insides of one of these turntables; but, I did see a couple consoles that had them. One was an early solid state model in a nice cabinet with a dead right channel and a malfunctioning turntable. The seller wanted $75 and got PO'ed when I tried to get him down. The other was a tube type model in a beat to heck cabinet that didn't half work. This one was at the SA, priced at $75, and they also got PO'ed when I pointed out it's flaws and tried to get it cheaper.

ctc17 · #63 08-22-2010, 03:42 AM

Is it the motor with the single coil on one side? if its just the coil, you should be able to rewind that motor fairly easily. Its not even critical how many turns. Use the same size wire and get about the same amount on the bobbin and it will work fine.

DaveWM · #64 08-22-2010, 06:17 AM

No BSr for me

yes its just the single coil, if I can't find a replacement frame ai will consider rewinding it, yes it looks like it would be easy.

DaveWM · #65 08-22-2010, 07:47 PM

found an c frame doner in a fan. removed the bearings mounts and the rotor, reused the old rotor and bearings. It was a bit more involved since I had to grind out a rivut that was in the hole where the mount needed to go, press out the old rivut. then I had to sleave up the main bearing mound hole on the new c frame with some nested alum tubing. got it all together. Running slow, since I reused the old rotor it should be turning the correct RPM, so its prob a just a bad idler.

I may have goofed up the new motor, dumb me forgot to check the voltage, I was running in on the variac and it was cranked to 140v. the motor was getting hot, I figured it was just being overloaded some how by the TT, now I realize it was overvoltage. duh...

I am going to see if I can fabricate a new idler, I know I can buy one, but again it goes against my princples on this one. I tried turning down some of the old rubber, but its hard though and though. I also tried my old standby of a large rubber band, it worked fine but ran slow. I replaced the grommets so that is not the problem. what a pita

DaveWM · #66 08-23-2010, 10:14 AM

new ider done, oversized square edge rubber ring was glued to the cut down idler with super glue. Freeze it to harden up, turned a bevel on the new rubber edge to match the correct thickness. Looks good, will try tonight.

DaveWM · #67 08-29-2010, 12:24 PM

what a mega PITA this carp tt is.

got the new idler, got another phono motor, had to turn down the idler a bit, lube the replacement motor bearings all good. Then the cheap a$$ plastic switch messed up. Geez I mean cheap.

Anyway I had to perform surgery to take out the switch, monkey with it for a while (the detent overcenter spring was not seated correctly) get it all back together. It works (cycles thru and will turn it self off) about 75% of the time. the other 25% the switch will not go all the way to off and the end of the cycle, leaving the ilder engaged.

I am going to play with it some more and make sure its got good lube were ever I can find a rubbing point to max the force applied to that stupid switch.

argh.....

I so want to stuff a magnavox imicro matic in there.......

I just hope the TV goes smoothly.

DaveWM · #68 08-29-2010, 04:25 PM

lots of careful clean/degreasing/regreasing... seem to work ok now, no more miss fires. listening to it now so the cart is good as well.

just have to wire up the motor back to the plastic plug then figure a way to attach the orig plug back in place. I may just cut the orig power plug and make it a more perm attachement since I dont think I can work the zip tie and the orig plug all in one. hard to explain, but at least it seems to be working ok now.

DaveWM · #69 08-29-2010, 07:25 PM

yea, got it back in the cabinet, works fine now, but for a noisy idler (guess thats it, I am picking up some rumble sounding noise when the needle engages the record groove, but at least the speed is good and it cycles completly.

Next week I finally will get to the TV. will start with the HOT/VOT pulled and do a current metered variac slow start, checking for currrent and temps on the caps. will check for all filaments lighting up. If that goes well I will progress to a power up with tubes in and the HOT current metered and see how that goes.

I prefer to do this prior to pulling the chasis even for a general cleanup as a base line, so if it works I know that much before a general cleanup. I look at clean up as a good thing to do just because I dont like the idea of bringing into the house something that is real nasty (garage now). I will also have to start looking around for a replacement needle, I have no idea of the current condtion of the existing one, but I like to replace with a new one anyway.

DaveWM · #70 09-01-2010, 06:49 PM

has good vitals....

I replaced all the HV/sweep tubes (they all looked very very well done). Getting 25kv at about 220ma so that all looks good. got a raster but did not look full (but hard to tell since I had the CRT to the wall). Waiting for the HOT to cool down and then I will pull the tube bias adapter and re seat the HOT. after that I can pull it out and get a better look at the crt.

I did not have a video source hooked up, so that will be done also.

there was no sound at all, but this set uses the cabinet speakers, and not sure if they are hook up, I willl have to trace around and see what is going on there.

I can see its going to need a lot of tube socket cleanign etc. so the video test will be short, now that I have the HV and sweep baselined as working (mostly).

I will need to check the B+ of course to see if that is being pulled down. I did the slow power up on the caps (about 10 min total) and checked again after the raster test, not warm at all.

I finally got up the nerve to tug on the HV cage hard enough to pull it back so I could get to the reg tube. That one looked REAL bad.

anyway off to a good start

DaveWM · #71 09-01-2010, 07:02 PM

I also see there is a jumper that allows for horz adj if needed, not sure how it was set.

Jeffhs · #72 09-03-2010, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

Whatever you do, please don't stick one of those plastic '70's BSR's in there!

What is it about BSR record changers that's so terrible?

I had a Zenith 4-mode integrated stereo system in the early '80s (was probably manufactured in the late '70s) that had a BSR changer. I did not have one bit of trouble with it, and I used it a lot in the 17 years I owned the system.

Einar72 · #73 09-03-2010, 02:25 PM

When I graduated from Claricon to Dynaco in 1970, I found out. Rumble.

radiotvnut · #74 09-03-2010, 03:32 PM

They were good for what they were; and, that is their use in cheap "all in one" systems of the '70's and early '80's and they usually did their job until whatever sort of grease that they used turned to cement. Since these are so cheaply made, one has to be very careful when freeing one of these up as the parts bend very easily. BSR did make some changers that used a metal platter, a four pole motor, and a magnetic cartridge; but, the mechanism was basically the same as what was used in the lower end plastic platter models. When I was about 14, I bought a used Electrophonic 8-track/radio/BSR 3 speed record changer combo along with it's matching speakers for $2 at a church rummage sale because they thought something was wrong with it. It turned out that what was wrong with it was that they were plugging the speakers into the AUX input jack. That stereo was quite a step up from the late '60's el cheapo Westinghouse portable with seperate L and R volume controls that I'd been using; but, it didn't take long for me to find a '70's era component stereo system and once that happened, the Electrophonic with it's BSR changer found a new home. And, I have a '58 Magnavox console that someone pulled the original micromatic changer from and replaced it with a cheap BSR (which is frozen solid by now). One day, I plan to correct that. I don't mind sticking a BSR in a cheap '70's "all in one"; but, I tend to frown on doing it to an older instrument.

DaveWM · #75 09-03-2010, 06:17 PM

made some progress

hooked up a signal, Lots of snow but it would sync lock and audio was fine.

I sub in new IF tubes, no change, subbed in tuner tubes, no change.

B&k analyst, IF and its fine, (well lin/vert all off but that was with the snow as well).

This was the 1st time I used the B&k as an IF source, so I dont know if I still have an IF problem (and the B&K was just putting out enough signal to blast thru) so I will leave the settings and try on another zenith.

Maybe just a real real real dirty tuner.