I just wanted to show everyone a little something i picked up at a local thrift store today. It's a 1956 zenith Z733 clock radio. It was labeled "not working" at the store, so i bought it expecting to have to bust out a soldering gun and replace a trafo. I don't know if i was excited or disappointed to find out that the only thing wrong with it was a tube completely out of its socket and rolling around inside the chassis. BTW: there are 7 tubes in there. For some odd reason i can't locate any sort of ON/OFF switch on it either.
Anyways, it's up and running...and i think it's pretty true what i've read lately : tube radios from this era can't be beat. I don't think i've ever heard such good reception and quality sound out of a clock radio. It's mono, and still kicks the crap out of almost every stereo i've got in the house.
-Maz
Anyways, it's up and running...and i think it's pretty true what i've read lately : tube radios from this era can't be beat. I don't think i've ever heard such good reception and quality sound out of a clock radio. It's mono, and still kicks the crap out of almost every stereo i've got in the house.
-Maz
Attachments
It's beautifully ugly
Looks about 1957 to me.
Unforunately, it's very difficult to buy stuff like this in the UK now, except for at specialist sales.
In the last few years the safety legislation has been tightened, and anything sold, must conform by testing.
It costs to get the stuff tested, and much of it fails, so it tends to all get junked.
Looks about 1957 to me.Unforunately, it's very difficult to buy stuff like this in the UK now, except for at specialist sales.
In the last few years the safety legislation has been tightened, and anything sold, must conform by testing.
It costs to get the stuff tested, and much of it fails, so it tends to all get junked.
Great find Magnetmaz!!
Good to see it's going to a good home, unlike too many others of it's era that end up in the landfill for future archaeologists to find....
By the way dhaen, that's an interesting point about the UK safety laws governing consumer electronics. How do they affect the DIY crowd these days? Is there an exemption in the law for homebrew, or is it "don't ask, don't tell, and certainly don't sell..."?
All the best,
Morse
Good to see it's going to a good home, unlike too many others of it's era that end up in the landfill for future archaeologists to find....
By the way dhaen, that's an interesting point about the UK safety laws governing consumer electronics. How do they affect the DIY crowd these days? Is there an exemption in the law for homebrew, or is it "don't ask, don't tell, and certainly don't sell..."?
All the best,
Morse
Morse,
I'm no law expert, but I do know that I am responsible for what I sell, and with an engineering education, I can't even plead ignorance
I was a comittee member of BEAB for a while, and became well read in the (then) British Standards associated with consumer electronic safety.
From what I've seen, not much valve kit would have passed the safety tests.
If you want, I could bore you for hours with 15 years' out of date safety rules But I don't think too much has changed, except some European harmonisation with CE and LVD.
BTW Thanks for the e-mail. I will reply.
Cheers,
I'm no law expert, but I do know that I am responsible for what I sell, and with an engineering education, I can't even plead ignorance
I was a comittee member of BEAB for a while, and became well read in the (then) British Standards associated with consumer electronic safety.
From what I've seen, not much valve kit would have passed the safety tests.
If you want, I could bore you for hours with 15 years' out of date safety rules
But I don't think too much has changed, except some European harmonisation with CE and LVD.BTW Thanks for the e-mail. I will reply.
Cheers,
This thing rocks...
I figured it all out..i feel like an idiot for not realizing how it turns on off...as it is suprisingly similiar to the way clock radios operate today....
The left knob on the clock face was the on/off.
I woke up to it this morning, and it was pretty hilarious how you hear the "WHUMP" as the unit turns on, and the tubes start warming up..and then the music turns on 10 seconds later.
-Maz
p.s. I'll post the a pic of the original tube layout which is still glued to the bottom of the unit when i get home.
I figured it all out..i feel like an idiot for not realizing how it turns on off...as it is suprisingly similiar to the way clock radios operate today....
The left knob on the clock face was the on/off.
I woke up to it this morning, and it was pretty hilarious how you hear the "WHUMP" as the unit turns on, and the tubes start warming up..and then the music turns on 10 seconds later.
-Maz
p.s. I'll post the a pic of the original tube layout which is still glued to the bottom of the unit when i get home.
Dhaen - thanks for the info on the UK legal situation. It's interesting that very little valve kit would have passed muster there these days! When I was studying up to start building my own amps, one of my 'bibles' was the book "Tube Circuits for Audio Amplifiers" via the Mullard company. Lovely layout work in those old beauties!
Magnetmaz - you wouldn't happen to have the schematics or a pic of the interior layout on that as well as the valve layout, would you? I'm collecting schematics and layout info on radios in preparation for some DIY valve radio receiver work. If you've got 'em handy, I'd certainly appreciate seeing them posted. Sadly I'm discovering that RF work is way more involved than simple little audio frequency amplifiers.
I'll echo the other sentiments here - it must be great to wake up to such a terrific old radio! Enjoy!
All the best,
Morse
Magnetmaz - you wouldn't happen to have the schematics or a pic of the interior layout on that as well as the valve layout, would you? I'm collecting schematics and layout info on radios in preparation for some DIY valve radio receiver work. If you've got 'em handy, I'd certainly appreciate seeing them posted. Sadly I'm discovering that RF work is way more involved than simple little audio frequency amplifiers.
I'll echo the other sentiments here - it must be great to wake up to such a terrific old radio! Enjoy!
All the best,
Morse
dhaen,
As I understand the law in the UK, equipment must comply with modern safety standards only if you sell it as working - a lot of the old vintage valve stuff will be sold as untested/ not working and therefore does not have to comply - this is why some junk shops will still sell you and old radio or amp as untested or with some statement such as.." should have it checked by a competent technician before connecting to mains.." The vintage radio sites have more information on this.
Interestingly, if you bought an original piece of equipment years ago and it has not been modified in any way, it can be sold as working so long as it comformed to electrical safety regs that existed at the time it was bought!
Near to were I live is an old radio shop, a throwback to the 1960s, with shelves of old valve radios, ham equipment and the odd amplifier, with boxes of pots, caps etc.. just like the old radio junk shops. I'd hate to see how the owner would fare if he couldn't sell anything!
As I understand the law in the UK, equipment must comply with modern safety standards only if you sell it as working - a lot of the old vintage valve stuff will be sold as untested/ not working and therefore does not have to comply - this is why some junk shops will still sell you and old radio or amp as untested or with some statement such as.." should have it checked by a competent technician before connecting to mains.." The vintage radio sites have more information on this.
Interestingly, if you bought an original piece of equipment years ago and it has not been modified in any way, it can be sold as working so long as it comformed to electrical safety regs that existed at the time it was bought!
Near to were I live is an old radio shop, a throwback to the 1960s, with shelves of old valve radios, ham equipment and the odd amplifier, with boxes of pots, caps etc.. just like the old radio junk shops. I'd hate to see how the owner would fare if he couldn't sell anything!
For anyone interested - you can find a schematic online (Y733 - it says Z733 is similar) at
http://www.eskimo.com/~p0lez1/beitman/beitmanhome.htm
Download the 1956 volume, page 182. 8 megabytes or so...
If you have dial-up internet, e-mail and I can send you just the one schematic. For more schematic links, see my web site - http://www.audiophool.cjb.net
http://www.eskimo.com/~p0lez1/beitman/beitmanhome.htm
Download the 1956 volume, page 182. 8 megabytes or so...
If you have dial-up internet, e-mail and I can send you just the one schematic. For more schematic links, see my web site - http://www.audiophool.cjb.net
hey, guess what i found at the goodwill store a couple days ago! a Zenith K731 am/fm tube radio!
I am keen to play with it, but unfortunately i'm keeping it at my office due to WAF issues with my 'junk' that keeps showing up at the house. So, I'm waiting for a clear lunch hour when i can open it up and do some inspecting and cleaning. I found a schematic so I can do some parts replacements here and there - 40 year old 'condensors' might not be as juicy as they used to be.
I haven't really listened to it unfortunately...the office is a headphone environment. But I've read it was a great sounding radio. mono of course.
Anyone else have experience with vintage stuff like this? suggestions for improvements? (antenna? speaker upgrade? headphone jack?)
thanks in advance
/andrew
ps - no pictures, but if you google for 'zenith k731' and click to the images search results, you'll see a few.
I am keen to play with it, but unfortunately i'm keeping it at my office due to WAF issues with my 'junk' that keeps showing up at the house. So, I'm waiting for a clear lunch hour when i can open it up and do some inspecting and cleaning. I found a schematic so I can do some parts replacements here and there - 40 year old 'condensors' might not be as juicy as they used to be.
I haven't really listened to it unfortunately...the office is a headphone environment. But I've read it was a great sounding radio. mono of course.
Anyone else have experience with vintage stuff like this? suggestions for improvements? (antenna? speaker upgrade? headphone jack?)
thanks in advance
/andrew
ps - no pictures, but if you google for 'zenith k731' and click to the images search results, you'll see a few.
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