Free guts out of a console

[hermitcrab]

Picked this mess up from a FB listing the guy was stripping out a Zenith console near by because it was trashed ... so I went and got all the guts , the speakers, the amp, the tuner ... the Changer...I was kinda disappointed to find the guts were out of a MW airline ... even though the cabinet was a zenith ... someone must have switched the chassis out once before..., now to see if I can find anything on it.... the speakers appear to be from a zenith... will have check the mfg codes

[electra225]

The Airline chassis might be as good as a Zenith, particularly if was built by Wells-Gardner. Those speakers look healthy. Good score!

[William]

That definitely was a TOTL Arline with an amp and tuner/preamp looking like the ones pictured. Interesting style of the VM changer, at least I think it's a VM changer. The speakers remind me of Maganvox speakers. Nice catch, Elton.

Bill

[hermitcrab]

I pulled a sam's for it, it is from 1967, the speaker EIA code is 137 says they are CTS mfg, and they are correct for what the schematic calls for , 15" 3x9 horn, and 3.5 tweeter . The changer is a VM unit. The amp with only 2 transistor push pull output per channel , you wouldn't think it could power the speakers, but looking at the schematic it shows an extra preamp stage per channel on the radio chassis before the power amp... where most only have 2 preamp stages before the power amp. So it may be a good performer.

[William]

I'm guessing it will kick some butt. Are you doing to build a cabinet for it?

Bill

[TC Chris]

The amp has substantial transistors and ample heat-sinking, so it's not flea-powered. I was just out in the shop examining my Heath AD-19 chassis, a console device. It has big ol' germanium transistors like the ones in the photo but the only heat sinking is the chassis aluminum. I don't have specs at hand but Heath did not design crummy stuff. The console itself uses acoustic-suspension speakers, not noted for efficiency, but I bet it will make lots of noise anyway. Your guts should too.

I'll be trouble-shooting the Heath as time and weather allow. It has been like spring here and I was able to do epoxy-based repairs on my sailboat dinghy outdoors (in Feb.!!), and then paint the repairs over the weekend. When the weather is favorable, spring projects get the nod.

Chris Campbell