I've had my granddad's Zenith in a closet for at least 20 years, after it finally quit working. After doing as you suggested, it fired right up. Thanks! Quite a testament to 52 year old solid state technology...
Being a portable and knocked around AND the fact that the transistors are socketed, I've found that simply checking for loose transistors can them back to life.
Hello Kevin! Just applied your fix to my Grandma's 56-year-old Royal 3000 that was not receiving any signals. It opened up the receive instantly on all bands, almost like magic. And it took all of 15 minutes to perform on the six transistors, as you noted. Worked like a charm. Sounds brand new now. Thank you sir....Good day
Hello Mr L, I found 1 of these at my local thrift store. Paid 30 bucks for it. She still works. Thanks for the info, and if you can, make some more vids.
I just fixed my radio using this tip! Many thanks for putting this together and showing us how to create a fix for these olds radios. Mine is working perfectly now.
I think the radio having a positive chassis goes back to the days when cars used to have a positive chassis. When I was a kid (born in 1966) I used to take lots of car radios to bits to salvage the components. Those radios used to have a positive chassis but a switch on the back allowed the radio to be fitted in a 'modern' car with a negative chassis... Well, that's how it was in England!
The "mineral growth" that's referred to in this video is also sometimes referred to as "whiskers". Tin whiskers or whiskers is a known problem in certain vintage electronics, they can sometimes be temporarily alleviated or "fixed" by giving them a good whack on the side.
Thank you soooo much for sharing and explaining this so clearly, Kevin ! I just fixed my grandparents' TO 3000-1 this way. Transistor #3 grounding to the case fixed AM and FM. It feels fantastic.
Great video and tips Kevin! I've seen these radios in a few youtube videos I've watched. I'm keeping my eye open for one at yard sales and resale shops. I'd love to get one.
Wanted one of those Zenith Transoceanic Radios while in high school. My job at McDonald's didn't pay enough to save for it. Had to put most of my earnings in the gas tank so I could take the girl friend out over the weekend. Hi hi If the PX at GTMO had a layaway plan I might have been able to afford one in the mid-60's. Finally, had to settle for a kit built AM/FM radio from Heathkit. I suspect the reason Zenith ceased making these fine radios is because longevity exceeded demand. This Zenith you repaired was probably manufactured around 1961.
I tried this on all six transistors, I'm getting more static but still no stations yet. I'll get some replacement transistors and try those. Thanks for the tip and pointing me in the right direction.
Hi Kevin, Very interesting hint. At least there are still local medium wave stations in the USA. Here in Germany they have all shut down :-( Thanks for the video. 73 Bernd
What can I do if I can't get it to turn on at all? Whatever the problem is, I believe it was caused by my using it for a few years to prop up the corner of the wooden frame of my waterbed back about 25 years ago. My dad bought the radio brand new and I would love to have it working again. However, I know no where to get it fixed. I'm in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Texas area.
just replace that transistor with a Russian MP type of germanium transistor, you can find huge amounts of NOS stocks on Ebay for a few dollars. They work VERY well !!!
I have a Heathkit Mohican GC1A that has Germanium transistors and also positive ground i can pick up medium wave but no short wave do you think this would be a fix for me ? Thanks very much .
I no longer have the radio to look, but it's probably a very tiny incandescent light bulb at one side of the dial or the other. Those little rice grain light bulbs are hard to find these days, but you could replace it with an LED. I have ground off the dome of an LED in the past to diffuse its light and used it to replace those little bulbs in old radios. You just need a 330 to 420 ohm resistor in series with the LED and you need to pay attention to the polarity.
I would use batteries only. Many have tried using the 12v power supply and it’s fried the capacitors(?). I had a horrible hum with mine and I stopped using it.
Hi there thanks for this information. Do you or anyone know of a place in Los Angeles that can fix my Zenith 3000? I would love to get this radio working again. This was given to me by a friend. I am not an expert in electronics. My radio looks hardly used and is in great shape.
I don't think that would work. A BFO has to be a few hundred hz off the center frequency you're listening to. In a receiver using a VFO, the BFO will track along with the tuning of the VFO. In a crystal set, you don't have a VFO and mixer. It's just the strongest AM station that gets through your tuned front end. And it has to be AM since the carrier is rectified to provide the DC + audio that drives the earphone. You'd need to start with a direct conversion regeneratice receiver at the simplest, or a superhet design with an IF section if you want to have a BFO and SSB reception.
Need AC adapter. Is the jack 2.5mm mono plastic jack? Is the tip negative terminal? What should be the amperage of the 12V adapter? Look forward to hearing from you mate.
I don't remember the specific size of the Jack, but the tip is definitely negative. It's a reverse polarity, the chassis is positive. I would think anything that could handle an amp would be fine.
@@loughkb Thank you for the super fast answer. So the sleeve which is closer to the cable is positive and the tip which is closer to the radio is negative right?. Just confirming because this inherited radio from my grandfather is very valuable to me.
I use a 9 volt wal wart as these are low draw sets and the 12 volt ones put out an excess of 14-15 volts. That said, batteries are the way to go just to eliminate noise. These were designed for long life with carbon zinc cell and alkalines last forever in these sets.
I've had my granddad's Zenith in a closet for at least 20 years, after it finally quit working. After doing as you suggested, it fired right up. Thanks! Quite a testament to 52 year old solid state technology...
Being a portable and knocked around AND the fact that the transistors are socketed, I've found that simply checking for loose transistors can them back to life.
Hello Kevin! Just applied your fix to my Grandma's 56-year-old Royal 3000 that was not receiving any signals. It opened up the receive instantly on all bands, almost like magic. And it took all of 15 minutes to perform on the six transistors, as you noted. Worked like a charm. Sounds brand new now. Thank you sir....Good day
Hello Mr L,
I found 1 of these at my local thrift store. Paid 30 bucks for it.
She still works.
Thanks for the info, and if you can, make some more vids.
That's a heck of a deal!!! They go for big money on ebay. Lucky you!
I just fixed my radio using this tip! Many thanks for putting this together and showing us how to create a fix for these olds radios. Mine is working perfectly now.
I think the radio having a positive chassis goes back to the days when cars used to have a positive chassis.
When I was a kid (born in 1966) I used to take lots of car radios to bits to salvage the components.
Those radios used to have a positive chassis but a switch on the back allowed the radio to be fitted in a 'modern' car with a negative chassis... Well, that's how it was in England!
The "mineral growth" that's referred to in this video is also sometimes referred to as "whiskers". Tin whiskers or whiskers is a known problem in certain vintage electronics, they can sometimes be temporarily alleviated or "fixed" by giving them a good whack on the side.
Thank you soooo much for sharing and explaining this so clearly, Kevin ! I just fixed my grandparents' TO 3000-1 this way. Transistor #3 grounding to the case fixed AM and FM. It feels fantastic.
This trick just brought my Zenith back to life, Thanks a bunch!
I just pick up one and the AM-SW didn't work so I followed your instruction step by step and it works like a charm. Thank you much.
You are, in fact, the man. I've got a 3000-1 with exactly the same problem and haven't had time to troubleshoot it; you've just saved me hours.
worked like a charm one of the transistor in mix osc circuit had to lift ground never heard of this issue before thanks so much!
Cool old radio. I used to have one that had Nuvistors in it, I even had a spare set of new Nuvisters for it.
Joel Caulkins, you know they still sell nuvistors, don't you? You can find them on eBay.
Ah the tin whisker syndrome. Great repair tip Kevin.
Thanks for fixing my radio Kevin; your friend Charlie👍🏻
Great video and tips Kevin! I've seen these radios in a few youtube videos I've watched. I'm keeping my eye open for one at yard sales and resale shops. I'd love to get one.
I'd love to own one too. They're really sensitive and have great sounding audio.
Wanted one of those Zenith Transoceanic Radios while in high school. My job at McDonald's didn't pay enough to save for it. Had to put most of my earnings in the gas tank so I could take the girl friend out over the weekend. Hi hi If the PX at GTMO had a layaway plan I might have been able to afford one in the mid-60's. Finally, had to settle for a kit built AM/FM radio from Heathkit.
I suspect the reason Zenith ceased making these fine radios is because longevity exceeded demand. This Zenith you repaired was probably manufactured around 1961.
I tried this on all six transistors, I'm getting more static but still no stations yet. I'll get some replacement transistors and try those.
Thanks for the tip and pointing me in the right direction.
Hey kevin.. speaker was very low.. did your quick fix and it's perfect now!!!! Amazing.. would have never knew that (I'm dumb) thanks you!!!🙂🙂
Fantastic ! I love a good shortcut . Thank you
I just got a 3000-1 with that very problem! Your fix did the trick! Thanks! de N0JTE
Thanks man. I couldn’t get anything to come in a now it works like a charm.
Very nice. I just became Educated... thanks,,, 73's Kf2ms Biddeford,Maine
Hi Kevin,
Very interesting hint.
At least there are still local medium wave stations in the USA. Here in Germany they have all shut down :-(
Thanks for the video.
73 Bernd
Very good video, have never heard of this issue, thanks.
Man that intro is awesome!
73,
KQ4EYR
My grandparents had one. Wish I knew where it was now
Good repair tip, thanks for the great videos.
Good info. Many thanks for the video
I owned one of these radio. I gave it to a old tube radio repair guy.
Yay! Cool! Good going!
What can I do if I can't get it to turn on at all? Whatever the problem is, I believe it was caused by my using it for a few years to prop up the corner of the wooden frame of my waterbed back about 25 years ago.
My dad bought the radio brand new and I would love to have it working again. However, I know no where to get it fixed. I'm in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Texas area.
just replace that transistor with a Russian MP type of germanium transistor, you can find huge amounts of NOS stocks on Ebay for a few dollars. They work VERY well !!!
Hello can You helpme what is transistor number please
Good to know, thanks.
I have one of these with FM working but with some distortion. AM does not work at all. Do you think your fix would also help FM distortion ?
Me.puedes indicar el transistior que cambiaste el radio mio es el mismo solo funciona fm am nonfunciona ni elnreto de bandas saludos dese Ecuador😊
I have a Heathkit Mohican GC1A that has Germanium transistors and also positive ground i can pick up medium wave but no short wave do you think this would be a fix for me ? Thanks very much .
It's worth a try. It's a common problem with those old transistors.
Also no am! Am oscillator transistor is good...perfect audio and only good FM???
Cool good tip
Any idea how to get the light to work again?
I no longer have the radio to look, but it's probably a very tiny incandescent light bulb at one side of the dial or the other. Those little rice grain light bulbs are hard to find these days, but you could replace it with an LED. I have ground off the dome of an LED in the past to diffuse its light and used it to replace those little bulbs in old radios. You just need a 330 to 420 ohm resistor in series with the LED and you need to pay attention to the polarity.
Tried this with mine but no luck. Going to try replacing the transistors and batteries next. Any suggestions on finding a power supply?
I would use batteries only. Many have tried using the 12v power supply and it’s fried the capacitors(?). I had a horrible hum with mine and I stopped using it.
Hi there thanks for this information. Do you or anyone know of a place in Los Angeles that can fix my Zenith 3000? I would love to get this radio working again. This was given to me by a friend. I am not an expert in electronics. My radio looks hardly used and is in great shape.
did you get it fixed ?
I'd like to see how to make and install a bfo. That way when I build a crystal set. I'll have a real emergency radio.
I don't think that would work. A BFO has to be a few hundred hz off the center frequency you're listening to. In a receiver using a VFO, the BFO will track along with the tuning of the VFO. In a crystal set, you don't have a VFO and mixer. It's just the strongest AM station that gets through your tuned front end. And it has to be AM since the carrier is rectified to provide the DC + audio that drives the earphone.
You'd need to start with a direct conversion regeneratice receiver at the simplest, or a superhet design with an IF section if you want to have a BFO and SSB reception.
Need AC adapter. Is the jack 2.5mm mono plastic jack? Is the tip negative terminal? What should be the amperage of the 12V adapter? Look forward to hearing from you mate.
I don't remember the specific size of the Jack, but the tip is definitely negative. It's a reverse polarity, the chassis is positive. I would think anything that could handle an amp would be fine.
@@loughkb Thank you for the super fast answer. So the sleeve which is closer to the cable is positive and the tip which is closer to the radio is negative right?. Just confirming because this inherited radio from my grandfather is very valuable to me.
I use a 9 volt wal wart as these are low draw sets and the 12 volt ones put out an excess of 14-15 volts. That said, batteries are the way to go just to eliminate noise. These were designed for long life with carbon zinc cell and alkalines last forever in these sets.
Working in the Hood Huh !! Lol still nice video..
If I do this to all of them will it improve quality
Not unless one of them was failing.
Kevin Loughin ok
Zenith royal hearing
Zenith royal hearing device
What about using a MC1330A to replace the AM detector that is giving trouble ask #SHANGO066 about possible CCCP subitutes
FM is strong...volume is strong...all other bands...nothing!
AM tuner section needs some touch, i think .....