1938 Zenith model 6S229. Sale Price 708.45 If either lamp burns out, the power tube gets no filament current, and you get almost no amplification. I didn't figure I would ever find one around my area of NE Texas under 4 figures. Model 6-J-230 dates from 1938 and is typical of many radios of that era. If I was going to have a radio collection, I need a Walton (and at least one catalin). 944.60, 1,180.75 I restored and refinished one last year and was offered (and accepted) $450. Signal generator, used to create a test signal at a precise frequency. . Autotransformer (variac), used to supply a precise voltage to the radio. As Bob says, in a few years the market will be flooded with them. (20% off), Sale Price 67.04 When I queried the rec.antiques.radio+phono newsgroup for ideas, I learned that many restorers don't bother buying "store-bought" replacement belts. tubes. left or leading side of the model number using The one dial that was left showing/open is crazed, but I have a spare chassis to replace that one dial. The next photo shows this radio on my workbench with everything set up to align it. This article will deal with the "Big Black civilian radio production to enter the war effort. As with most old cloths, it had faded somewhat in the areas exposed to light, but not so much as to merit replacement. could easily determine the number of tubes, the During the restoration process these areas were repaired. Since doing this restoration, I have gotten in the practice of writing down every replacement as well as the results of every test. I found this radio in a small antique shop in El Paso TX behind 2 china cabinets and a pool table. Content is for presentation purposes only. Only rubber would provide enough friction on the small pulleys to make the system work. Charles Eames studies architecture at the Washington, At 1stDibs, there are many versions of the ideal 1938 zenith for your home. Polishing only cleaned up the paint, however. The audio was also harsh and extremely loud, so loud that the radio played at medium volume with the volume control turned all the way down. It was (and still is) missing two knobs. 1930-1937 The Depression and the Rise of the Golden Age of Radio, 1945-1959 Post War Tube Radios-The Baby Boom Years. The radio had been serviced in the past but most of the original parts were still in place. (20% off), Sale Price 505.66 This scheme allows the radio to work if a lamp burns out. Connect the signal generator's leads to the ends of this loop and place it near the digital receiver. Turning off personalized advertising opts you out of these sales. Learn more in our Privacy Policy., Help Center, and Cookies & Similar Technologies Policy. Etsy is powered by 100% renewable electricity. By putting the lamps in series with the 1J6 tube, the designer used the lamps themselves to provide dropping resistance. This scheme holds true for radios built through 1942, when Zenith halted civilian radio production to enter the war effort. Once everything was in place, trimming the belt and gluing it was pretty easy. A very nice farm set. Well, one showed up a year ago about 70 miles south of me. For instance, my radio doesn't tune to 456 kilohertz, but it does tune to 912, double the target frequency.) Each pilot lamp draws 2.9 volts. The, runners are in excellent condition. They are amoung the most collectable Zenith consoles, usually hard to find and fairly expencive. After I replaced the lamp, the radio played, but not very well. 747.81, 934.76 Connected in parallel with the radio's speaker leads. The chassis has the 7S232 stamp just above the power cord. Manufactured by Zenith/Herman Miller. In 1938 Zenith released several models of 12-tube table radios with what Zenith referred to as their "Robot Dial." The Zenith robot dial was equipped with a tuning eye tube that indicated signal strength of a station and in several models the dials were motorized. This radio has the fabulous Robot Shutter Dial with a green tuning eye. Other small pulleys often act as guides for the string. For most adjustments, you simply turn the screw while watching the tester's readout, aiming for maximum output. All the paper foil capacitors were replaced as well. So deluxe! Alan Jesperson has only located 5 of these in his many years of collection, restoring and selling Zenith radios. Zenith did not produce radios for the general public again until . Contrasting with the black dial face is the gold-colored tuner pointer. .No motor or tuning eye, but it has push-pull audio and runs on a 6 volt battery. Since I operate the radio on AC, I shortened the cables and tucked them under the chassis. One . The number of tubes will be between 4 and 16 (the the relative placement in the line-up ($costs$). The large black dial is in very nice shape. (XG5) ~ ZENITH RADIO CO. CHICAGO. produce civilian hearing-aids throughout the war radio, introduced as part of Zenith's 1938 line in June 1937, is a much coveted set that is an uncommon find today. Zenith 1938 - 1940 Knob. Cookies and similar technologies are used to improve your experience, to do things like: Without these technologies, things like personalized recommendations, your account preferences, or localisation may not work correctly. This is a Zenith 1938 Model 7-S-232, a 7 tube "Walton". Radio production kept rising and America's love for style and form had manufacturers continuing to upgrade products. A brand new NOS green eye tube was installed to dress up its playing and viewing appearance. (For those who have noted that 2.9 + 2.9 + 1 equals more than 6.3, we should point out that there is also a small resistor in parallel with each lamp, to create exactly the right resistance.). The 1000 Z Stratosphere was designed to introduce the big Black Dial and other features that showed up on the 1936 and 37 Zenith Black Dial line. Not really. 1936 Zenith Radio, Marquis advertising metal sign, 2 Sizes, nostalgic vintage style home decor wall art, LGB PS (20% off), Sale Price 350.10 It sold new for $169.95 (list price). A truly beautiful radio, the cabinet was done by E-K Restorations of Cleveland, Ohio. . The shutters open nicely. Its rubber had dried with age, allowing the fabric layers to separate and detach from one another. Why would a radio designer do this? Lets start by examining the It's hard to find a unit in this shape and working condition. This isn't absolutely necessary if you have a good signal generator, but my generator is as old as many of the radios that I own and its dial is not very accurate. Features: 708.45, 885.57 in its range (00-39) indicating a rather expensive All that happened was everybody horded the things. The knobs are the original wood Zenith knobs. (20% off), Sale Price 944.60 Unless you know what you're doing, randomly tampering with these delicate adjustments will likely mess up your radio in a serious way, requiring an embarrassing trip to an expert repairman. (Thanks to Walt Heskes, an expert adviser on many of these projects, for pointing me in the right direction to solve this problem.). 1938 Zenith "Walton" 9-s-232 Shutter Dial Tombstone Art Deco Radio 1938 Zenith "WALTON" 12-S-232 Shutter Dial Tombstone Art Deco Radio 1938 Zenith For Sale on 1stDibs At 1stDibs, there are many versions of the ideal 1938 zenith for your home. model line, or more simply the higher the retail Before making the adjustments, I used a digital radio to double-check the signal generator's setting. Another Chicago garage find where someone needed room and wanted it gone. Set where you live, what language you speak, and the currency you use. Original Price 23.81 It was painted 3 different colors black, red and brown. I was offered a similar one for $2300 earlier this year and had to laugh. 1,023.32, 1,279.15 Cabinet: The book matched walnut veneered cabinet is beautifully finished with a near flawless lacquer finish. Original Price 1,180.75 The next photo shows the power subchassis before replacing its capacitors. The next step was to carefully split the rubber in half along its entire length. Next is the tuning knob and the rightmost control is the bandswitch. After I had a good color match, I sprayed one coat of clear lacquer on the top, then removed the masking and the grille cloth to expose the whole cabinet. (reads thread) Heh, could you imagine what the Walton sets would cost if everyone found them desirable? $1,499.99 0 bids or Best Offer 1d 4h Local Pickup Radio, Zenith Deluxe Floor Wood Cabinet Console, Double-Wide, Scarce Vintage $845.00 or Best Offer As it happens, Antique Electronic Supply sells an exact replacement belt for this particular model. It needs restoring as you can see, but the veneer is perfect, speaker is great and most of the dials are great. Want to know more? To do it, you first fashion a simple coil of wire, about three loops and roughly six inches across. You will not be disappointed. Then tune the digital radio to the desired frequency and start fine-tuning the signal generator to the target frequency. It is sporting, The 38-690 was Philcos top-of-the-line radio for the 1938 model year. The radio has had a complete recap electronic restoration, all the electrolytic capacitors were replaced with new production parts. I too would like one but I won't spend 4 figures for one. for the cabinet styles are as follows: In our example, the 12S232 would be a 12 tube Maybe I'll bite. Page 1: Portable and Wood Table Radios 1938-1942 PORTABLE AND WOOD CABINET TABLE RADIOS, Page 2: Rise of Plastic Radios 1938-1942 PLASTIC CABINET RADIOS, Page 3: Battery or Farm Radios 1938-1942 FARM RADIOS, Page 4: Magic Eye Tuning Radios 1938-1942 MAGIC EYE RADIOS, Page 5: Me Restoring a Sentinel 243T Farm Radio RESTORING SENTINEL 243T FARM RADIO, -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. a "Walton Radio" as an example (12S232). The large black Zenth dial is in perfect shape. In 1927, Zenith introduced the first radio with push-button tuning, and in 1940 it broadcast the first FM radio station in the Midwest. The sixth tube, a 1J6, takes only one volt, however, as we can tell from the 1 at the beginning of its type number. The introduction to smaller and more efficient tubes help speed things along- rising to the peak of radio's Golden Era. (10% off), Sale Price 590.38 but will for ever more be referred to by "its" model 1938 Estimate $80 - $120 4 d 8 h 27 m 46 s $40 (1 bid) Your Maximum Bid: Secure $50 or 4 payments of $12.50 with Place Bid 27 bidders watching this item 1938 Antique Zenith Floor Radio, model number: 9S367, still works and receives many stations, case in good condition with no significant scratch, no crack. Charles Eames studies, excellent condition. (15% off), Sale Price 23.81 You can change your preferences any time in your Privacy Settings. Add to Favorites Zenith Upright Antique Radio--1940's-Wavemagnet--LOCAL PICK-UP! There was ample room to mount the new units underneath, so I did not attempt to conceal these inside the original capacitor cans on top of the chassis. The preferred material seems to be rubber O-ring stock with a square, rather than round, cross-section. Needless to say I got it put together and it looks great. A multitester, used to measure the radio's output during alignment. This is a 1938 Zenith 7 tube Walton model 7S232, Zenith's most famous and collectable year. Testing further revealed that the tube voltages were very high, reading about 200 volts on plate pins that should have 125-135 volts. THE RADIO WORKS. I wasn't finished with the recapping, after all! The two SW bands work well also. I found one of those at a yard sale two weekends ago..$50. THE 1938 ZENITH 15U269 CONSOLE - DECO TO THE MAX By Kent Martin Of all radio manufacturers during the fabulous Art Deco design years of the 1930s and 1940s, one company that has always shone brightly is the Zenith Radio Corporation of Chicago. It initially sold for $69.95 in the East, but in early August Zenith, along with other manufacturers, announced across the board price increases. In A gearing mechanism behind the dial transfers the belt's rotation to the tuning capacitor. The gaskets were about half the required length and twice the required thickness, but where there's a will, there's a way! If the letter designation is followed by a two The cabinet is simple but elegant, with a six-inch circular dial echoed by a circular design in the upper speaker grille. After phoning a number of local stores, I was unable to locate square O-ring stock, so I bought the next-best thing: two rubber plumbing gaskets. 12.14, 14.29 I purchased this radio from the daughter of the original owner. Had I been alive and of a radio-buying disposition in 1938, I would have looked at . The chassis on this one still has it's model stamp 271. Despite new filter capacitors, there was still too much background hum. Then you turn off the digital radio, disconnect the generator's leads, and reconnect them to the radio being aligned. When I purchased the radio, it required total restoration. Introduced in June of 1937 for the 1838 model year. the radio was found. A string-driven system is cheap to manufacture and easy to service, but strings can break or slip. uses this model numbering system and it has a suffix Zenith also used this cabinet for models 6-S-229 and 7-D-229 in 1938 and 6-S-330 and 5-X-230 in 1939. is not correct and may lead to confusion later However, this one also plays perfectly on a short lead wire as well. AFAIC, Waltons are one of the uglier cabinet designs Zenith came up with, right up there with the 12S371. 1939 Zenith World's Fair Radio Recently, there was an estate sale in Cottage Grove, Oregon. The dial pointers were not easy to remove. Now they're showing up more and more and I expect that to only increase. This handsome set has earned a number of compliments from visitors. As you see from the pictures, the chassis has some rust spots. The radio is so large it does not fit well next to a chair as it was designed too. ballast, regulators, and cathode ray (magic eye) Caution: A novice should never try to align a radio "by ear." The most-sought-after model today was not the top of the line, though. Beautiful tri-color black 6-inch lighted dial which Zenith made famous and still a favorite of most collectors. It is, part of the 1938 Zenith lineup that featured many other radios that used the unique Robot dial, as part of Zeniths 1938 line in June 1937, is a much-coveted set that is rare and hard to find today, 1938 line only. Go for it. The styling sometimes reminds me of this old TV show. Pictured here above is the most common of the 1938 15 tube radios made. Introduced in June of 1937 for the 1838 model year. Slipping is an especial disadvantage for shortwave listening, where accurate tuning is all-important. The Zenith 6S254 (6-S-254) is a 6-tube console radio with broadcast band and two short wave bands. Every effort was taken to reproduce original look of this fine radio. You can see it looked okay. also note that the cabinet number falls very high 5 out of 5 stars (1) $ 850.00. The original grille cloth was still in good condition. the type of cabinet, and ever where in the line-up (10% off), Sale Price 14.17 14.17, 16.67 This radio really set in motion Zenith's sales growth that took them from around the 10th largest radio manufacture to number two by 1942. Vintage Zenith Radio Knob 1930s Wood Lightning Bolt AntiqueMeUp (576) $34.99 Vintage Soviet tube network radio RECORD. Buyer's Premium 25% up to $1,000,000.00 23% above $1,000,000.00 Philco Art Deco Tube Radio Receiver, ca. On this set, five of the six tube filaments are wired in parallel with the pilots, but the 1J6 power amplifier tube is wired in series with them. On most old radios, a strong string drives the tuning capacitor. k42: ivory: $12.00: k42-divided: ivory: $12.00: k42b: black: $12.00: It seems as though there are two types of knobs used on these radios that look the same but have different dimensions for the hole. See more ideas about antique radio, vintage radio, old radios. The audio was extremely weakbarely audible with the volume control turned all the way upuntil I replaced a burned-out dial lamp. All the paper foil capacitors were replaced too. Even if it plays, it undoubtedly needs some repair before you put it into regular service. compensation, spinner tuning, split. The difference is the center section that the chassis mounts in. The watch is priced at $2,025 due in large part to the fact that the watch is powered by an automatic chronograph Valjoux A05.231 movement. The radio has very nice reception with no hum. a zero at the beginning, (IE. Called the "Commander" by many Zenith collectors. Number 4 shows the multitester's probes clipped to test leads in parallel with the radio's speaker terminals. Putting on the new belt would require disassembling the geared tuning mechanism, starting with the dial pointer and dial, and working back to where the belt would be placed on the shaft. Inside the box are power-supply components, including the rectifier tube and (for battery operation) a vibrator. Zenith 12-S-267 (12S267) Shutter-Dial Console Radio (1938), The magnificent 12-tube Zenith 12-S-267 (12S267) console, Motorized tuning & foreign station re-locator, 12-inch electrodynamic speaker with "acoustic, Push-pull 6V6 output stage producing a room-, Robot (shutter) dial with tear-drop shaped, 5-point tone control (voice/normal/Hi-Fi/Bass/, Frequency coverage is 540 to 1752, 1740 to 5930 & 5490, the tone control offers a Hi-Fi setting, this is not, When I purchased this radio in early spring of 2006 it had. The next photo shows the setup for the first adjustment. (10% off), Sale Price 19.05 Perhaps chemicals were spilled on it or someone made an aborted attempt to refinish it. Call me.. See contact page. Turning off the personalized advertising setting wont stop you from seeing Etsy ads or impact Etsy's own personalization technologies, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive. In our example of the 12S232, the radio was built for the 1938 model year. Given the extent of damage on top, stripping was the only alternative. On many radios, the pilot lamps are wired in parallel with the filaments of the radio's tubes. The front and sides of the cabinet appears to be covered with finely grained veneer, but the "veneer" is actually a photographic decal of a wood pattern. Store Radio Knobs Zenith Zenith 1938 - 1940 Knob. A final alignment was in order, particularly since I had already changed the alignment earlier. Antique Radio Forums Index Category Online Auctions and Sales Forum, Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests. This chassis, speaker and cabinet are a factory match. Acting on further advice from Walt Heskes, I added a bleeder resistor to bring the voltage down. The higher the last two digits within The 15U270 & 15U271 are the only 1938 15 tube Zenith radios that utilize two speakers, a 12 woofer and a 6 tweeter. So it is truly a very rare Zenith radio. A new AC power cord has been installed for safety. Beginning in 1936, Zenith introduced a new model Return to PHOTO Index: PHOTO COLLECTION INDEX, NEXT PAGE >>> 1938-1942 PLASTIC CABINET RADIOS. The second segment of the model number revels Cleaning and recapping are standard practice, but solving the voltage problems added extra hours. The string is wrapped two or three times around the shaft of the tuning knob and goes around a larger pulley attached to the tuning capacitor. Ours is a Zenith model 6S-239, from 1938. cost of the radio. (That is, the dial pointer did not always point exactly to the station being tuned.) I have the 12 tube version pictured on another page. years. 12 in this case, 11 on the chassis plus an "eye" tube. I've only had a casual interest in these. Find out more in our Cookies & Similar Technologies Policy. I used a very soft brush to brush out accumulated dust, then sprayed the cloth lightly with clear water and placed it face down on a sheet of cardboard to dry. If you look closely at the workbench photo, you'll see the thin red loop lying under the digital radio. Way, way, way overpriced in my opinion. The 10S130 is a much better looking radio, IMO. The 15 tube model is noticeable longer to house the large chassis. The leftmost knob is a tone control and the next one in line is the power/volume control. Light and speaker functioning. So I will wait. Original Price 885.57 A few minutes of experimentation convinced me that strong cord would not be a suitable replacement. The next photo shows the second pulley underneath the chassis. Zenith 12S267 1938 What a console! The underside of the chassis is plated with copper, however, perhaps to allow good ground connections for electronic components. type of chassis, power requirements, model year, In this case, however, the radio's performance was quite poor, as mentioned earlier. After stripping, I carefully buffed the top smooth with very fine #0000 steel wool. Spain | English (US) | (EUR), remembering account, browser, and regional preferences, remembering privacy and security settings, personalized search, content, and recommendations, helping sellers understand their audience, showing relevant, targeted ads on and off Etsy, remember your login, general, and regional preferences, personalize content, search, recommendations, and offers. last two or three identify the cabinet type, and Had I checked off each capacitor on the schematic and parts list as I worked, I would readily have seen that the job wasn't complete. But it turned out very nice. The radio's electronics were intact, but needed a complete overhaul. Would I like one? 1938 Zenith Radio - Etsy Check out our 1938 zenith radio selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Well, why not? The four original wood Z knobs are present. Electronics/Chassis/Cord: The Superhetrodyne chassis is a performer and plays full dial scale. Perhaps this spring-loaded gizmo would have been easy to disassemble and reassemble, or perhaps it would have exploded in a shower of tiny parts all over my workshop floor, never to be put right. Manufactured by Zenith/Herman Miller. I also have all original knobs now too. line of automobile radios, which I do not intend The cabinet is simple but elegant, with a six-inch circular dial echoed by a circular design in the upper speaker grille. This is now equipped with Tissot's new titanium-based alloy Nivachron balance spring. Entdecke 1938 n. The next photo shows the underside of the chassis after recapping. If the prices come down due to market saturation? There are better radios, that perform better, as well have a more appealing design to me. Under AC operation, the filament output from the power supply is 6.3 volts, fine for the six-volt tubes but too much for the 1J6. Radio must be picked up in Cleveland. The first steps were standard: cleaning dust and grime from the chassis, spraying contact cleaner (DeOxit) inside all of the controls, cleaning and lubricating the tuning capacitor, removing and cleaning the dial glass, and cleaning the dial itself. The Walton radios, (so named because of the fame this series received when one was used in the TV series, "The Waltons") are among the most popular among serious Zenith collectors. The dial perimeter is marked in gradations from 1 to 60, allowing you to record very fine tuning positions. Again, the blue arrow points to the shaft and the belt is placed loosely around the pulley. The spring counterbalances the weight of the tuning capacitor as the plates rise up, allowing you to accurately rest the tuner at any position. A second, red, "split second" pointer is used for logging shortwave stations. My favorite tombstone radio is the 1937 era Silvertone model 4465 as shown here. the cabinet and the relative placement in the cost The stupid TV show that inspired the name " Walton" has been off the air for decades. Price: $12.00. Chr. . To conceal blemishes on the photo-finished sides and front, I wiped on a coat of Min-Wax walnut stain with a soft cloth, let the stain set for a minute or two, then buffed it off again with a clean cloth. (20% off), Sale Price 747.81 The chassis would have Using six tubes, it covers the standard broadcast band and shortwave frequencies from 5.6 to 18 megahertz. In order to give you the best experience, we use cookies and similar technologies for performance, analytics, personalization, advertising, and to help our site function. Craig. Then I applied a bit of liquid spray starch. second station re-location & "tell-tale" controls. The white pointer and brass second hand are perfect and moves nicely around the dial. and was 110 volt AC powered. The show rather trite, boring. He joined a fledging Beaverton electronics company, Tektronix, in 1951 as its 351st employee. In the following rear view, look at the big box on the right side of the chassis. The paper serial number tag on the bottom of the cabinet is there as well. They made very few and did not want to go thru the trouble printing model tags. The finish is original and the grille cloth is a Zenith replacement. Content is for presentation purposes only. Originally sold for $69.95 (higher on the West coast}. the chassis type and the power requirements. The suffixes included: Zenith Vacuum Tube Amplifiers, Tuners and Receivers, Electronic Calculators, Computers and Toys, Antique Restoration of 1946 RCA 630TS: The World's First Mass Produced Television, Vintage RCA 630TS Electronic Restoration Page, Emerson 911 Radio Restoration and Modification, Putting Back to Service A Post War Odd Ball- SICO TV Cross-Bar Generator, Repair Challenge Tektronix 321 Oscilloscope- The First Transistor Oscilloscope, Restoration Idea 10: UV-199 Replacement for 1924 RCA AR-812 Superheterodyne Radio, Restoration Idea 11: Electronic Restoration of an RCA 128 Radio with a Unique Family History, Restoration Idea 12: Total Restoration of a Termite Damaged Crosley 66TC Radio, Restoration Idea 1: Putting New Capacitors into Original Capacitors, Restoration Idea 2: Restoring Transistor Radios, Restoration Idea 3: Repairing and Restoring an American Bosch Model 360 Radio Speaker, Restoration Idea 4: Philco S8200 (formerly 7020) Oscilloscope, Restoration Idea 5: Sentinel 243-T Farm Radio Restoration, Restoration Idea 6: Restoring Cracked Plastic Radio Cases (mid 1950-1960s), Restoration Idea 7: Restore Atwater Kent 20 Capacitors and Resistors, Restoration Idea 9: Restoring a Motorola VT-71 (Chassis TS-4D) Golden View TV, Special Feature: RCA Victor TC-125 (CH: KCS34B) 12 Inch "Roundie" Console Restoration, RCA Victor TC-125 (CH: KCS34B) 12 Inch "Roundie" Console Restoration PART 2, RCA Victor TC-125 (CH: KCS34B) 12 Inch "Roundie" Console Restoration PART 3, Throw Away Headache Sanrio Hello Kitty 55997-1 AM/FM Portable Radio, Vintage No. It had an original purchase price of $169.95 and boasts the following list of features:- Motorized tuning & foreign station re-locator 12-inch electrodynamic speaker with "acoustic adapter" Push-pull 6V6 output stage producing a room- Those few short years came some big changes like the multiband Zenith Transoceanic portable, the hallmark of tube radio design; a real compact portable you can carry around by Sonora called the "Candid"; table radios and consoles with push button tuning and magic eye tuning; and the first practical application of electronic television with real tv channels demonstrated at 1939 New York, World's Fair by RCA, made this period one to remember. Toward the front was a big messy splotch of some hard substance, possibly dried glue or some kind of varnish. the Zenith home radios: The last 3 digits get a bit more complex. Pleasant waterfall cabinet and tear-drop dial that was only used for 1938. The chassis was purchased separate, it was originally from a chairside. This is the mahogany version of the 15U270 walnut model. The first digit(s) will be the number of tubes, Cord replaced.
