antique radio

[washerboy]

I'm thinking about buying a Zenith floor radio off craigslist...thought it might be a fun restore project to do over the summer. Does anyone have any experience/thoughts. I took the sellers pic and put it in this post...it's kinda small./thanks/mark

 

[rp2813]

Check around on the Antique Radios site. It's to vintage radios and television sets what AW is to washers and other household appliances:

Forum Index

Antique Radio Forums is a web platform where antique radio collectors and enthusiasts come together where you can find all the answers.

www.antiqueradios.com

 

[twintubdexter]

I like it...I'd buy it

Although it's difficult to see, that looks like a very nice old Zenith with a swing-out Cobra record changer. If it's all complete and depending on the price I'd go for it. Does the radio work? You can always have the electronics rebuilt and then you'd have a very nice collectible. I've always loved old radios and currently have a Magnavox fetish (Magnavox Friends on Yahoo). I've been looking for a 1948 Magnavox Windsor radio/phono for a long time that was close to me and reasonably priced. Many of the surviving Windsors have been gutted to remove the valuable field core horn driver but not all Windsors had this. The last horn on ebay like this sold for $3,054.41 on 3/17...insane. Windsors was available with a television hutch. Each piece sold for about $800, a lot of money in 1948/49. The cabinet was made by Drexel.

I found a Windsor on the San Luis Obispo Craiglist for a terrific price of $175 but the 11 hour round-trip drive was a turn off for sure. then the very nice seller offered to bring it with him when he visited his parents in Downey...a little over an hour away, so I snatched it up. This model has the 3-tweeter speaker array and not the pricey horn but I'm still a happy camper. It does have the optional FM tuner, a kind of new thing back then. It's going to make a nice summer project when the temperature outside climbs to 120.

 

[rp2813]

Hey Joe, are those the Maggies with the green indicator light/tube? I got one free and had it for a long time, well before the days of the worldwide web, and since all it did was make a loud hum and take up space, I finally let it go. It did have the AM/FM tuner and phono, and a Duncan Fife (?) style cabinet. I think it was vintage 1947.

 

[twintubdexter]

You must mean one of those green tube tuning eyes. Lots of manufacturers used those, especially Zenith. I have a fun 1938 Zenith floor model chairside radio that has one. I like to think that people used to listen to FDR's "fireside chats" on that radio. The Magnavox has two of them since the FM tuner is separate from the AM/Shortwave one.

 

[twintubdexter]

You must mean one of those green tube tuning eyes. Lots of manufacturers used those, especially Zenith. I have a fun 1938 Zenith floor model chairside radio that has one. I like to think that people used to listen to FDR's "fireside chats" on that radio. The Magnavox has two of them since the FM tuner is separate from the AM/Shortwave one.

 

[twintubdexter]

sorry for the double post, a casualty of fat fingers

 

[rp2813]

That's it Joe!  I love the way those things glow, but it makes me wonder if it's safe to be within close range of them!

 

I've been on a very casual hunt for a vintage table radio for my workshop and an FM band is a must.  AM is predominantly talk, foreign music or (yikes) foreign talk, so it's not worth listening to anymore.  Plus, even if AM had something to offer, the vintage florescent ballasts in the shop would cause way too much interference.

 

[washerboy]

picked her up

just got back from picking up the Zenith...got it for 35.00...wasn't as heavy as I thought it was going to be...was actually able to carrie it onto the back porch. Did the risky and plugged her in...it works pertty well...the tuner doesn't move and the swing out phono only moves on speed 78. Beside being "dirty" and in need of refinishing the outside looks pertty okay. Thanks for the tip on the antique radio site...clicked on it long enough to read a few post...someone on there posted 35.00 was a fair price for this type of radio...looks like all the tubes are good.Thanks everyone!!!!

 

[firedome]

Yes they are safe

they are just 6e5 or similar vacuum tubes. Safer than your computer or TV probably!

 

[rp2813]

$35 for a working radio like that is a great score.  Glad you went for it.

 

Also good to know those green tuning eye tubes are safe!

 

[twintubdexter]

Ralph's correct...$35 is a real bargain. The tuning dial and the record changer are probably both an easy fix. Mechanical things don't do that well when they sit for years and years without moving...I'm finding it's the same with old people like me. Congrats on your new toy.

 

[whirlaway]

Clean Them!

They probably just need cleaning.Put some turbine oil on the parts that need it or 3in1 oil. If they hum relaced the caps,no big deal! Good for you, Bobby