That's an impressive set and a true Heirloom Radio designed to last several generations. Kudos to the owner for wanting to spend the money to get it in 1st class condition. Great work as usual on circuit analysis and repair.
I know from previous experience working these old Zenith's, ( I own several, mainly consoles, including a 9-S-262, 1938 shutter dial like that Walton) those chassis did not like any metglass tube. If you had one in circuit, along with the tube shield, you were guaranteed distortion and poor performance. That was notated in Zenith's shop manual dating back to 1935. I have also found in my experience working on these older tube chassis Zenith, that if you varied too far from the original configuration, one could kill all reception, due to the wrong type of tube used . RCA was big on the Metaglass tubes, because it cheapened the overall price of their radios, and they designed their units to use those type of tubes beginning in 1935-36. Hope this bit of ancient history helps you and others in our craft of rebuilding and restoring these works of art. Great video also!!
Nice radio with a nice original finish on the cabinet. Great find for the owner! Couple things about these 1938 Zeniths. The original eye tube was a 6T5 which had a target shaped pattern- an outside circle would fill in as you got on a strong station. They exist but are hard to find and expensive. Additionally, every 1938 Zenith I've ever worked on, if the candohm resistor hadn't failed already, in a year or two of use it will either go open or short. If they open, you generally lose B+. If they short, they usually take out the power transformer. I just replace them by default now in any 1935-38 Zenith. I also recommend adding a dropping resistor to lower the incoming line voltage (to the radio only, not to the tuning motor). Most early Zenith transformers don't like to see above 115v or so, they were marginal when new and the 125v some people's houses have today will shorten their life. While Zenith built a nice looking and decent performing set, they were huge on cost cutting. They'd install the smallest possible transformer they could get away with. I usually try and drop the voltage down to 112v or so. The highest failure rate is on the 1940 models that used two 6X5 rectifiers, but that's a whole other story!
I'm always impressed with your grasp of components and radio......I've never seen a cap tested that way for leaks......Definitely learned something here....again =)
I was happy to come across your channel. I have an old Grundig Majestic radio that was my dad’s. He purchased it around 1962. It doesn’t work. Have kept it for sentimental reasons. Would appreciate information as to who can help restore it. Keep saving our history!
I can't remember where, but I was reading about emissions tube testers and there was shown that there is a lot of arbitrariness concerning pass/fail between testers. I don't think I would be just discarding (to the garbage can) tubes entirely on a strict pass/fail. Especially some of older and/or rarer ones. Personally, I would hang on to those tube boxes too as they were some of the older styles ones.
Time is money so it's understandable Putting time in only the essentials repair. I always enjoyed the looks and the aid in tuning in stations of the magic eye.
I am with Lurker's comment about the Walton's radio. It would be my guess that a typical rural household wouldn't own this high end of a Zenith and in a lot of cases it would not have been a 110 volt AC version.
35:18 Right on!... "Good ol' 'Yaaayyy-Emmm'..." as the famous ham radio operator/old-time-AM-ham-radio-vacuum-tube-technology-guru known as Timtron (WA1HLR) says ; - D Yup, around 3880 or 3885 or so on 80 meters is where lots of AM'ers hang out. That's definitely a beautiful and iconic set. I was a kid when the "The Waltons" series was new on the air and I would love it every time the intro would happen and that model radio was carried out of the truck and into the house plus any time the set was shown in the show, being such a radio nerd that I am and always have been.. lol : - D Thanks for sharing bro.
41:33 Yup... that Bill Monroe and The Bluegrass Boys' "Molly and Tenbrooks" song would definitely be right at home on 650 WSM Grand Ole Opry... turns out though that you did a great job aligning that set since that was a different station. That set is a BCL's/SWL's delight... definitely very sensitive and selective, and that shutterized/motor-driven multi-turn tuning dial setup is insanely awesome and relatively accurate, too.
Where do I get parts to restore my radio? I need all the electrolytic capacitors as well as new internal wiring. The cloth covered wiring has discinigrated as well as the AC cord.The green fluorescent dial light is working.
Thanks for showing us around this beautiful radio! I have a Roberts transistor radio from the 1960s I think that I bought from an antique shop that picks up MW and LW and I enjoy it very much. I am trying to understand the history of these radios and one thing confuses me: How come this Waltons radio only picks up SW? I read on wikipedia that MW was in widespread use since the 1920s, so why didnt they build this radio with that band in mind? Did MW only gain popularity much later? And were the earliest radio stations SW only? I'm hoping anyone can clear this up for me because I can't find much information online, and I live in the UK if it makes any difference. Thank you again for the awesome video, I love looking inside older radios :)
Ok this one blows me away. I cut my teeth watching the Walton's and remember seeing this monster with all the actors gathered around it listening quite intently. Maybe I missed something but what the heck is going on when you push that middle knob and the dial spins really fast back down to the "bottom" ?????? And something to consider about that bulb that made the lower tuning needle stick out /hit the upper tuning needle is maybe it's supposed to be a small round type (shorter bulb)....????
I never watched the Waltons, and I wish they'd used a more period and economically correct radio like a Philco 70 instead of the Zenith that would have only been in a wealthy home after the Depression. Then I'd be able to own a "Robot Dial" Zenith at a reasonable price! Also, I wish there was at least one other style of tombstone besides that one, so I could find one that didn't look like "that radio from The Waltons"! I guess I need to make room for a console one, because I would like to own a Robot Dial Zenith!
Not only that, in the time depicted in the program, they are driving around in T model, and A model Fords, and its somewhere about 1933-34, or so That Zenith hasnt seen the design board yet in actual life, not to mention, being displayed on a national sitcom, that supposedly took place 5 years prior to 1938. Like the gentleman stated, a philco 60 cathedral would have been more in tune for that time frame, and also, people in that urban area of Virginia, didn't have the $$$$ funds to afford, much less own a zenith radio of that design. Sorry, but that was the way it was then. My family grew up and lived in southern W Va during the depression, and Ive seen pay stubs from my grandfathers, for 3.00 per day, 12 hrs each day, 6 days per week, so no way did the waltons own such a radio in actual life.
I would also suggest that I think it is a good idea to put a line fuse in these old radios to save them from catastrophic failure should a cap, or whatever, fail.
I have no idea for sure but maybe the standards for passing tubes on the military tester are high to maintain optimal performance for military reliability????
Just fixed a problem on my personal Zenith 9S262 (console version of your Walton's). Weird.... The 6K7 used in the RF would work for about 5 to 10 minutes then go into saturation (excessive transconductance) never seen a 6K7 ever do that. New tube fixed it!
You're right in that they weren't using the metric in a lot of fields but the prefixes mega and kilo were being used all the time. Kilocycles. Megacycles. I was just looking at the specs for a 41-95 Philco and all of the resistors were in mega ohms. Grid leak detector circuits of the 20's use a resistor that looks like an inline glass fuse and have labeling that says mega ohms.
Wow! A `Test Set-Electron Tube TV-7/U ` Would have sold my own parents into Russian slavery for a piece of test gear like that when still a young teenager. Which of course had reflected a teenager's understanding of the German Goulash versus the Russian Gulag valve production system. However, forces beyond one's own comprehension had kept one humble and sufficiently meek to align oneself with the community standards of ethics and intelligence prevalent at that time in Hannover West Germany. So one had to patiently wait for the understanding of Gulag electron valves gradually to develop in the electronics tech apprentice years until replaced with more agreeable ideas like Valvo, and Silicon Chip.😞 Eventually, the concept of true democracy and higher intelligence was rekindled by evolutionary quantum leaps spearheaded by Motorola, Transactor, and much later Intel.😔 Conclusively, no reasonably well-educated man deserves the burdens of family and wife. What he needs is an intelligent robot to faithfully serve him for the rest of his life.😉 Ps.: Love the way `die Lupe` (the magnifier) and the alien wearing the blue T-shirt were integrated into the operation of the main dial.🙄
That's an impressive set and a true Heirloom Radio designed to last several generations. Kudos to the owner for wanting to spend the money to get it in 1st class condition. Great work as usual on circuit analysis and repair.
I know from previous experience working these old Zenith's, ( I own several, mainly consoles, including a 9-S-262, 1938 shutter dial like that Walton) those chassis did not like any metglass tube. If you had one in circuit, along with the tube shield, you were guaranteed distortion and poor performance. That was notated in Zenith's shop manual dating back to 1935. I have also found in my experience working on these older tube chassis Zenith, that if you varied too far from the original configuration, one could kill all reception, due to the wrong type of tube used . RCA was big on the Metaglass tubes, because it cheapened the overall price of their radios, and they designed their units to use those type of tubes beginning in 1935-36. Hope this bit of ancient history helps you and others in our craft of rebuilding and restoring these works of art. Great video also!!
Good job! I believe the customer will be very happy.
Nice radio with a nice original finish on the cabinet. Great find for the owner! Couple things about these 1938 Zeniths. The original eye tube was a 6T5 which had a target shaped pattern- an outside circle would fill in as you got on a strong station. They exist but are hard to find and expensive. Additionally, every 1938 Zenith I've ever worked on, if the candohm resistor hadn't failed already, in a year or two of use it will either go open or short. If they open, you generally lose B+. If they short, they usually take out the power transformer. I just replace them by default now in any 1935-38 Zenith. I also recommend adding a dropping resistor to lower the incoming line voltage (to the radio only, not to the tuning motor). Most early Zenith transformers don't like to see above 115v or so, they were marginal when new and the 125v some people's houses have today will shorten their life. While Zenith built a nice looking and decent performing set, they were huge on cost cutting. They'd install the smallest possible transformer they could get away with. I usually try and drop the voltage down to 112v or so. The highest failure rate is on the 1940 models that used two 6X5 rectifiers, but that's a whole other story!
The candohm had already been bypassed. I forgot to show it. The owner has a setup to run it at a lower line voltage.
I'm always impressed with your grasp of components and radio......I've never seen a cap tested that way for leaks......Definitely learned something here....again =)
I was happy to come across your channel. I have an old Grundig Majestic radio that was my dad’s. He purchased it around 1962. It doesn’t work. Have kept it for sentimental reasons. Would appreciate information as to who can help restore it. Keep saving our history!
That''s a beauty! I really like those shutter dials. Glad that it is being used rather than just setting somewhere as an investment piece.
The quality goes in before the name goes on.
Zenith was a quality product. 👌
Awesome old radio! I love the shutter dial. Good job with the repair.
Just checking in, glad to see you’re still at it.
Glad you did. Hope you're doing well Tyson.
Glad the classic is working again. Very nice work!
I can't remember where, but I was reading about emissions tube testers and there was shown that there is a lot of arbitrariness concerning pass/fail between testers. I don't think I would be just discarding (to the garbage can) tubes entirely on a strict pass/fail. Especially some of older and/or rarer ones. Personally, I would hang on to those tube boxes too as they were some of the older styles ones.
Time is money so it's understandable Putting time in only the essentials repair. I always enjoyed the looks and the aid in tuning in stations of the magic eye.
I am with Lurker's comment about the Walton's radio. It would be my guess that a typical rural household wouldn't own this high end of a Zenith and in a lot of cases it would not have been a 110 volt AC version.
35:18 Right on!... "Good ol' 'Yaaayyy-Emmm'..." as the famous ham radio operator/old-time-AM-ham-radio-vacuum-tube-technology-guru known as Timtron (WA1HLR) says ; - D
Yup, around 3880 or 3885 or so on 80 meters is where lots of AM'ers hang out.
That's definitely a beautiful and iconic set. I was a kid when the "The Waltons" series was new on the air and I would love it every time the intro would happen and that model radio was carried out of the truck and into the house plus any time the set was shown in the show, being such a radio nerd that I am and always have been.. lol : - D
Thanks for sharing bro.
41:33 Yup... that Bill Monroe and The Bluegrass Boys' "Molly and Tenbrooks" song would definitely be right at home on 650 WSM Grand Ole Opry... turns out though that you did a great job aligning that set since that was a different station.
That set is a BCL's/SWL's delight... definitely very sensitive and selective, and that shutterized/motor-driven multi-turn tuning dial setup is insanely awesome and relatively accurate, too.
Had to click as soon as the notification dropped! I love your work, keep it up 👍
Where do I get parts to restore my radio? I need all the electrolytic capacitors as well as new internal wiring. The cloth covered wiring has discinigrated as well as the AC cord.The green fluorescent dial light is working.
Thanks for showing us around this beautiful radio! I have a Roberts transistor radio from the 1960s I think that I bought from an antique shop that picks up MW and LW and I enjoy it very much. I am trying to understand the history of these radios and one thing confuses me: How come this Waltons radio only picks up SW? I read on wikipedia that MW was in widespread use since the 1920s, so why didnt they build this radio with that band in mind? Did MW only gain popularity much later? And were the earliest radio stations SW only? I'm hoping anyone can clear this up for me because I can't find much information online, and I live in the UK if it makes any difference. Thank you again for the awesome video, I love looking inside older radios :)
im glad youre back on you tube also
The Walton radio had that big blue pilot light, which actually didn't look stock even back when the show came out. I'm guessing it wasn't?
Ok this one blows me away. I cut my teeth watching the Walton's and remember seeing this monster with all the actors gathered around it listening quite intently. Maybe I missed something but what the heck is going on when you push that middle knob and the dial spins really fast back down to the "bottom" ?????? And something to consider about that bulb that made the lower tuning needle stick out /hit the upper tuning needle is maybe it's supposed to be a small round type (shorter bulb)....????
I never watched the Waltons, and I wish they'd used a more period and economically correct radio like a Philco 70 instead of the Zenith that would have only been in a wealthy home after the Depression. Then I'd be able to own a "Robot Dial" Zenith at a reasonable price! Also, I wish there was at least one other style of tombstone besides that one, so I could find one that didn't look like "that radio from The Waltons"! I guess I need to make room for a console one, because I would like to own a Robot Dial Zenith!
Yeah that's Hollywood. things they do don't make sense.
Not only that, in the time depicted in the program, they are driving around in T model, and A model Fords, and its somewhere about 1933-34, or so
That Zenith hasnt seen the design board yet in actual life, not to mention, being displayed on a national sitcom, that supposedly took place 5 years prior to 1938. Like the gentleman stated, a philco 60 cathedral would have been more in tune for that time frame, and also, people in that urban area of Virginia, didn't have the $$$$ funds to afford, much less own a zenith radio of that design. Sorry, but that was the way it was then. My family grew up and lived in southern W Va during the depression, and Ive seen pay stubs from my grandfathers, for 3.00 per day, 12 hrs each day, 6 days per week, so no way did the waltons own such a radio in actual life.
I would also suggest that I think it is a good idea to put a line fuse in these old radios to save them from catastrophic failure should a cap, or whatever, fail.
I have no idea for sure but maybe the standards for passing tubes on the military tester are high to maintain optimal performance for military reliability????
Avançado demais para a epoca muito bom radio (WAITONS ) antena no telhado obviamente não conhecíamos o bom funcionamento...
That's a pretty good radio!
Just fixed a problem on my personal Zenith 9S262 (console version of your Walton's). Weird.... The 6K7 used in the RF would work for about 5 to 10 minutes then go into saturation (excessive transconductance) never seen a 6K7 ever do that. New tube fixed it!
Tubes do some of the craziest things sometimes. Glad it was a simple fix Bob. Hope you're doing well.
Gassy tube?
@@johnnytacokleinschmidt515 It's possible but wasn't visual within the tube. Thanks for stopping by. RW
You have an outdoor antenna hooked up?
Very very nice
Super !
The "M" is the Roman numeral for 1000. That was before everyone started thinking metric.
You're right in that they weren't using the metric in a lot of fields but the prefixes mega and kilo were being used all the time. Kilocycles. Megacycles. I was just looking at the specs for a 41-95 Philco and all of the resistors were in mega ohms. Grid leak detector circuits of the 20's use a resistor that looks like an inline glass fuse and have labeling that says mega ohms.
@@wdmm94 Very true, it was a mix back then.
I'm from India nice radio any available I want radio
Go radio yourself buddy !
If you are able to get PHILIPS/RAYTHEON Wire-Ended vacuum tubes then you would be able to run it off a walwort and lose the HV Power supply.
Wow! A `Test Set-Electron Tube TV-7/U `
Would have sold my own parents into Russian slavery for a piece of test gear like that when still a young teenager.
Which of course had reflected a teenager's understanding of the German Goulash versus the Russian Gulag valve production system.
However, forces beyond one's own comprehension had kept one humble and sufficiently meek to align oneself
with the community standards of ethics and intelligence prevalent at that time in Hannover West Germany.
So one had to patiently wait for the understanding of Gulag electron valves gradually to develop in the electronics tech apprentice years
until replaced with more agreeable ideas like Valvo, and Silicon Chip.😞
Eventually, the concept of true democracy and higher intelligence was rekindled by evolutionary quantum leaps spearheaded by Motorola, Transactor, and much later Intel.😔
Conclusively, no reasonably well-educated man deserves the burdens of family and wife. What he needs is an intelligent robot to faithfully serve him for the rest of his life.😉
Ps.: Love the way `die Lupe` (the magnifier) and the alien wearing the blue T-shirt were integrated into the operation of the main dial.🙄