The Problem is my radio collection is...

[TA Forbes]

An early Zenith ?? Now I dont feel so bad about the AK 42....

[greg denney]

That is agood looking zenith Ron.!!!....I will try not to tell anyone ........I have 6 Zenith consoles but can never remember all their numbers!!!!...9 s 367...8s 154...10 s 474....8 s 52??...7 s 363...and I just traded off a 12 s 370 for some cash and the zenith console with the pretty rolled speaker grill(1940 but don't know the number) .....but I have the same number of Philcos to keep things even!!!! ...........Greg

[Jayce]

I have a couple Zenith consoles in the collection. One is a small Zenith chairside (can't remember the model number!) and the other is a nice Zenith 34P console from 1928 that uses the expensive number 10 output tube. Only other Zenith console I'd like to grab one of these days is one with the robot dial and motor tuning. Now as far as Philcos go, I'd love to find a 38-116 yet and of course it would be fun to find a 38-690, but I might just be dreaming on that one!

[FStephenMasek]

I've decided not to sell or give away any of my Philcos until I have all of them finished, so that I can at least take a photo of the Philco section of my collection. I've got the following Philcos:

116B (early version)
38-10
38-116 code 121
40-195
41-225
41-250
42-321
46-1203T Code 125
46-350 Code 121
620
B-1756

Ron Ramirez Wrote:A month ago, I found this 4-V-whatever (4-V-31, I think) in a local shop...



Yes, it was priced at $19.99. No knobs, no speaker, cabinet in poor shape with veneer issues on top...I passed. Should I have grabbed it?

Please pardon the poor quality picture; it was taken on the spur of the moment with my cellphone camera.

Please grab it for me, as I like the styling.

[Glenn Roberts]

OK I'll bite..
The problem is my collection getting too large for my workshop. I know I'll build a bigger workshop, in my spare time... . I've started storing a couple of consoles at my Maintenance shop at work until I can get to them. Once they are done then I can move them into the house (house rules). My problem is I like the different styles and like to share with relatives and when I see a good deal I just can't pass it up. At the pace I'm going I think I'll be busy through next winter.

Glenn

[Ron Ramirez]

FStephenMasek Wrote:Please grab it for me, as I like the styling.

Too late, Stephen...it was back in August of last year that I saw that set. I looked again shortly after I posted the photo in September...gone with the wind.

[Arran]

Ron Ramirez Wrote:The Problem in my radio collection is...

...not enough room!

Several Philcos here share the space with an AK 20 Big Box & AK horn, a Peerless cathedral speaker, and a Super-Zenith VIII.

I would consider owning just one black dial Zenith, but the prices those things bring are ridiculous (in my opinion). A few to several Philcos can be purchased for the cost of one black dial Zenith.

If I were to get a Zenith it would have to be one of the early to mid 30s ones, before they started cheapening them out with cheap transformers and dodgy front ends. I like the cabinets on any of the models but I'm not that crazy about the dials on the 1938s, not to mention that just about any 1938 Philco or RCA will blow an equivalent Zenith out of the water in performance and is half the price. The prices of black dial Zeniths are ridiculous, an average one costs more then a high end model of any other brand, and it is all based on aesthetics and name recognition near as I can tell.
My collection seems to have Philco and Canadian General Electric sets in about even proportions, I think the the CGE stuff may be gaining the lead at the moment. I also seem to like Sparton and Dominion Electrohome stuff, which was a similar sort of company to Wells Gardner in the U.S in that they made private label radios for store chains. I do have a few Zeniths but all are portables, three are Transoceanics, two 600 series ones from the 1950s and a transistor one from about 1971.
Best Regards
Arran

[Arran]

Ron Ramirez Wrote:

FStephenMasek Wrote:Please grab it for me, as I like the styling.

Too late, Stephen...it was back in August of last year that I saw that set. I looked again shortly after I posted the photo in September...gone with the wind.

It was a battery set anyhow, I'm guessing that it had four tubes and a vibrator power supply for six volt operation. There are other ones around, unrestored but complete ones seem to sell for a pretty reasonable price over fleabay, even though it was $19.99 if you factor in the cost of a replacement speaker and knobs it could cost more then buying a complete set by the time you're finished. It may have been a mixed blessing to miss out on it in a way.
Best Regards
Arran