Vintage Zenith High Fidelity AM/FM tube radio

Levi · « **on:** 23 Mar 2007, 07:00 pm »

Hi All,

I just want to share my new old Vintage Zenith AM/FM high fidelity TUBE radio.

I don't know anything about it. All I know is that It works perfect and sounded really good!

Back

Front

mcrespo71 · « **Reply #1 on:** 23 Mar 2007, 07:12 pm »

Cool, Levi. Where did you get it?

Levi · « **Reply #2 on:** 23 Mar 2007, 07:13 pm »

I found it on a garage sale.

Thanks Mike.

jrebman · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 Mar 2007, 12:28 pm »

Sounds cool. Can't see the pix, but I'm sure it's great.

I just got myself a new project -- my dad was cleaning out there house in preparation for a move across country and he found his dad's old 1927 RCA Radiola 17 and a whole box of antique tubes )(all 2 and 3- digit numbering) and will be dropping them off here sometime this Fall on their way out.

This is a brutally heavy, solid mahogany case, AM only radio that sold for $130 in 1927 (a whole lot of money back then, so it must have been some of the earliest audiophile jewelry known), and was the first radio to run on 117 vac. It's predecessor, the Radiola 16 was battery powered but had a plug-in version for the few places in the country which still had 117 vdc (mostly Chicago and NYC).

Anyway, these oldie radios are really cool -- I have no idea where I'm going to put the thing when I'm done restoring it, but I can't bear to part with it.

-- Jim

jt1stcav · « **Reply #4 on:** 28 May 2007, 04:18 pm »

Levi, even though it works, old tube radios need refreshing, especially with their caps and solenium rectifiers. If your Zenith hasn't been checked out by a radio tech yet, you may want to consider having it looked over before using it again. The rectifier is known for going up in smoke, literally, and can be a fire hazard. Just a fair warning.

Levi · « **Reply #5 on:** 29 May 2007, 05:25 am »

Hi Jim, So far no smoke. Thanks for the warning.

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #6 on:** 29 May 2007, 06:13 am »

Looks to me like the tweeter is connected in parallel with the bigger speaker without a blocking cap - or is it just not visible?
I remember vintage Zeniths sounding pretty good - like some of the better old juke boxes; nice rich sound.

Levi · « **Reply #7 on:** 29 May 2007, 01:48 pm »

Hi Russell, I have to take another look insde. The Zenith sounded good specially if it is locked into a good radio station. It has that nice rich sound.