I inherited this Zenith radio a few years ago. While it still works, reception isn't great because it is in my basement. Any suggestions for an antenna that would improve reception would be appreciated. It has three bands or settings. The first would be broadcast (AM) I presume. The second is foreign and the third is police.
Thx!






This shows its size. It is next to a 12" Klipsch subwoofer.

It might help to Google the model name and see if you can find any help or even the manual or search for "model name - anternna suggestions".

I would start with a random piece of thin wire maybe 60 inches or longer and see how that does. If there is an "antenna trimmer" knob then rotate that for strongest signal or noise level if you don't have a station you can tune into, and do it again when changing bands or frequency more than a little bit. I have old Hallicrafters SX 100 and I can pick up a lot of stations with a random wire. It might also be worth trying different lenghts of wire to see which works best and no problem twisting wires together to add to length.

All you need is a long ass piece of wire

Like speaker wire

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
All you need is a long ass piece of wire

Like speaker wire

This is true. Or a T shaped piece of wire (a dipole) plugged into the antenna jack. Loops can work well. The frequency you want to receiver matters. Getting that antenna up out of the basement would help a lot, though. There is a fair amount of info on the web about antennas if you are interested. Look at the stuff for shortwave receivers if your radio has shortwave bands, too.

What a cool old thing

I grew up with vacuum tube stuff. Today's electronics are powerful and all, but I have fond memories of the warm glow of "glow bottles" *sigh*

AM antennas are circular.
Like this one I just bought to beef up the AM reception for my garage receiver:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N...dt_b_product_details

Have you had the opportunity to visually inspect the speaker to see if there is one in it or it's condition?

Antique Radio Forum is the go to place.

It’s recommended that you do not turn it on for a couple of reasons. One, the capacitors inside are probably dried up and those failing can cause other damage including smoking the transformer and some of the tubes, if I remember right the tube, a 6X5 (or two) can be quickly damaged that way.

Also Zenith radios of that vintage had rubber coated wiring under the chassis, by now that had deteriorated to the point of being hazardous if anything shorts out.

On the positive, those “black dial” Zeniths with the eye tube are very desirable. Love those green tuning eye tubes.

I have a 1942 model that I don’t use, sometime I’m going to retire it because of the insulation and replace the caps in it.

Ir you join that forum get the number on the tag attached to the chassis, something like 10-S-669, that is the model number.

There should be a built in antenna underneath the chassis inside a cardboard enclosure that has marked on it Wavemagnet. That is the antenna and you can rotate it for better reception

Also that cabinet is the more desirable finish, they don’t use the fake wood grain like my 1942 model has, that called that photofinish as Zenith graduated to using cheaper wood for the cabinets at the early 40’s.

If it was me I would probably clean it up, touch it up ald let it be.

Was that a family pass down? Those are so cool, I have a ‘42 Silvertone that was my stepfathers and my wife has her grandmothers tabletop RCA of the late 40’s.

quote:

Originally posted by shovelhead:
Antique Radio Forum is the go to place.

It’s recommended that you do not turn it on for a couple of reasons. One, the capacitors inside are probably dried up and those failing can cause other damage including smoking the transformer and some of the tubes, if I remember right the tube, a 6X5 (or two) can be quickly damaged that way.

Also Zenith radios of that vintage had rubber coated wiring under the chassis, by now that had deteriorated to the point of being hazardous if anything shorts out.

On the positive, those “black dial” Zeniths with the eye tube are very desirable.

I have a 1942 model that I don’t use, sometime I’m going to retire it because of the insulation and replace the caps in it.

Ir you join that forum get the number on the tag attached to the chassis, something like 10-S-669, that is the model number.

There should be a built in antenna underneath the chassis inside a cardboard enclosure that has marked on it Wavemagnet. That is the antenna and you can rotate it for better reception

Solid advice on the big filter caps for the amplifier section, but even the small caps could be toast, too. I wouldn't have known that the wire insulation is so fragile.

I use a tube amp for guitar, and mine is a 1972 Fender. I had it recapped (with some other maintenance work) for about $200. It wouldn't be impossible to replace them yourselves if you want to give it a go. That won't have a printed circuit board.

jhe888,

Yeah, the wiring thing is a universal gripe with Zenith owners and restorers, I can’t think of any others offhand.

Resistors also go out of spec. Another top, I think that the tuner to dial is connected by a simple flat belt. If that belt cracks or breaks there is no need to but a NOS or a replacement belt, a correctly sized o ring will work perfectly.

Back to the ARF.COM, there are a lot of helpful people there, join there. Also you can find parts there too.

Another source for caps and resistors, Mouser Electronics is the go to place. A couple of members on the forum also, one guy local to Michigan is Mark Oppat @ Old Radio Parts in Plymouth Mi.

Email me if I can be any help.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
Have you had the opportunity to visually inspect the speaker to see if there is one in it or it's condition?

^^^
There is a functional speaker. I just can't get great reception.

I'll try the recommended forum too.

I got it from my grandmother 40 years ago. It has sat in my parents' home until last year when I finished my basement and brought it home.

I want to say it is from the 20s but I'm not sure. I'll have to check model and serial number.

Thanks everyone.

quote:

Originally posted by BB61:

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
Have you had the opportunity to visually inspect the speaker to see if there is one in it or it's condition?

^^^
There is a functional speaker. I just can't get great reception.

I'll try the recommended forum too.

I got it from my grandmother 40 years ago. It has sat in my parents' home until last year when I finished my basement and brought it home.

I want to say it is from the 20s but I'm not sure. I'll have to check model and serial number.

Thanks everyone.

Late 30’s/early 40’s.

Another thing, there are restorers that can add a Bluetooth so you can listen to other things besides talk radio which comprises most of the AM band anymore.Also,,they do make low power AM transmitters and again you can get advised by the ARF which one is best. Don’t let anybody that works on your radio talk you into gutting it and putting in a Bluetooth and an amp only, that zenith chassis is desirable especially the eye tube!

We had one and it was in the basement. A long piece of wire pulled in the White Sox games. Back when radios and TVs looked like furniture.

^^^^
I'll be joining ARF and solid advice on not gutting it. Adding Bluetooth sounds like an option possibly.

Thanks again everyone!

When you get it going try to get the Little Orphin Annie show.

Thanks for the antique radio forum tip. I have a Philco big box radio like the subject radio here. 1941 model. The phono was replaced long ago with a Radio Shack FM tuner. Works pretty good but cant compete with digital.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
AM antennas are circular.
Like this one I just bought to beef up the AM reception for my garage receiver:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N...dt_b_product_details

Some of them are, but not all of them. There is no "standard" shape for antennas for any band, there are only different ones designed to do different things.

quote:

Originally posted by Hamden106:
Thanks for the antique radio forum tip. I have a Philco big box radio like the subject radio here. 1941 model. The phono was replaced long ago with a Radio Shack FM tuner. Works pretty good but cant compete with digital.

I've got a few antique AM Radios and when I was doing paperwork with my Realtor when I sold my last house years ago I had a 1934 Zenith playing on the Fireplace Mantle. He looked over, saw the glow from the dial and asked what kind of radio I'd put in the old case.

I told him the guts were 1934 Zenith, nothing more. He said he couldn't believe an old radio could sound that good.