Zenith B/W TV

[countryford]

On Friday 06/06/2014, I purchased this 16" Zenith model J163W b/w TV. I got it at an estate sale. Got it home and it works. Came with the original paperwork, to include a letter from the appliance dealer, warranty guide, safety tip guide, ear bud, UHF antenna, and original sales receipt. It was sold new on 06/06/1977, 37 years to the date before I bought it, for $157.24(tax included). I only paid $7.50 for it.

 

[norgeway]

The last BandW

We had was a 1973...MY Mother and I finally prevailed in talking Daddy into color in 78, a Zenith 19 inch that was wonderful." My Dad was more set in his ways about anything new or modern than I am!!LOL

 

[hydralique]

Set in his ways . . .

My dad is 84 and to this day claims he prefers B & W to color. Of course they haven't had a dedicated B & W TV for decades so he has to make do with watching old B & W movies and shows though he does admit color is kind of nice for musicals, LOL. He takes after his parents who both died in the '80s and never owned a color TV. On the other side of the family my grandmother was an early adopter and I still recall watching Bonanza as a small child on her big color console RCA with the motor driven remote. I really liked that but my dad would have none of that in his house!

 

[twintubdexter]

A great little set from my dept store buying days...

How well I remember those little B&W Zeniths. The 12" and 19" were a lot more popular than the 16" so yours is rare. They had a 9" screen too. The 12 " came in all kinds of colors...green, orange and a model covered in denim with western stitching, the "Sidekick" if I remember correctly. Back in those days in California Zenith, RCA and Sony were fair-trade items. There were minimum prices on all of them. I once advertised a low-end 19" Zenith color TV at $10 less than fair trade price. The Macy's California buyer had a royal fit and I got called on the carpet about it. The reps for vendors like Zenith were not salespeople at all. The lines they had were so popular they simply took orders and made many times what I did. I did manage to eat lunch in fine San Francisco resturants at their expense. You made sure you scheduled their visits as close to noon time as possible. Life was good...for a little while anyway.

 

[whirlcool]

I have a B&W Zenith set very similar to the one pictured above, but without the denim on it. It still worked up to about 10 years ago or so. The CRT is slowly dying I think. The picture is getting darker and darker. I did replace the HV tube, helped a little but it's pretty much gone now. I wonder if CRT's are even available for these 12" sets anymore? But it sat for probably 15 years unused.

I got mine as a graduation gift in 1968.

 

[countryford]

<blockquote>
I wonder if CRT's are even available for these 12" sets anymore?

</blockquote>
You would have to find a NOS one. There are no companies making new CRTs or even rebuilding them.

 

[paulg]

Yours is solid-state

An excellent chassis which will never give trouble.
I fixed only one in my life. The CRT was dead. It too was for an older person. One rebuilt CRT later it ran like a champ.
Again, this is another can't-kill Zenith set.
I too remember the denim and "Spirit of '76" televisions. I poked fun at them at the time but now I wish I had one!

 

[cfz2882]

I recently got a 1974 zenith portable B/W-haven't tried it yet.

 

[whirlcool]

Remember when the static between channels looked like colored confetti? That was the first thing I noticed when I first saw my first color TV around 1958 or so.

 

[classiccaprice]

No CRT repair.

I hope that changes eventually. Though I realize prospects are dim.

 

[countryford]

There is a nonprofit organization that purchased the equipment from one of the last companies, as they were going out of business. The organization has been raising money to set the equipment up, train on repairing, and also acquire extra guns.

 

Here is a link to a thread over on Videokarma.org

Progress Reports on the ETF Rebuilding Project - Videokarma.org TV - Video - Vintage Television & Radio Forums

Progress Reports on the ETF Rebuilding Project Early Television Foundation CRT Rebuilding Project

videokarma.org