I just found this radio and bought it even though I don't know exactly what it is. It looks a lot like the Zenith 7J045T at http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/zenith_7j0 ... 7c61t.html, but that is a 7 tube radio and mine has 8 tubes, using a 7A7, 7J7, 7C7, 7B6, 6J5, 5Y4G, and two 6F6G's. It has a switch on the transformer to change voltage inputs.

The only identification is a serial number tag and some numbers printed on the speaker. 8C126 C is on the speaker, but I don't know if that would be the model number and I can't find any info on that number using Google.

The only obvious thing wrong is the dial string is broken, but I haven't taken the chassis out yet. It has a cardboard back cover with no model number on it either, that I removed for the photos. I'd like to know the model number, if there is any service data on this, and if anyone else has one of these.
Thanks!

Greg, great find!! Where is the dial hand to tell you what station you are at or is that what the push buttons are for! Do you think it is forigen made?? Bet Alan J could help with id! Thanks for posting that picture!!

Lynn

Cool radio. Have you tried the Zenith Oracle? It will take a serial number:

http://www.oldradios.com/reference/zenith.htm

Peter

Thanks! I had never heard of the Zenith oracle, but putting in Serial number S-999430 told me it was chassis 8B04BT. Now, Googling 'Zenith 8B04BT' brings up no results, but I still feel like I'm one step closer to finding some useful information about this radio.

Seems I recall that the T suffix identifies Zenith chassis as export.

For GE radios its X in the model code. For RCA radios its letter Q such as Q-105 or some such, or like 5Q55 etc.

Mark Oppat
www.oldradioparts.net

Hi,
Can you give us 2 close up photo's. One of the dial face itself, and the second of the power transformer
and in particular, the knob on the back of it.

The cabinet design and dial layout is very similar to many English set like Pye, etc. If the dial is in the english language, then it was most likely for britian or a british commonwealth country. If there are a lot of shortwave bands I would think this is more of a indicator. The british expat community liked to listen to the BBC, no matter what country they were in.

If the knob on the transformer is for 120/240 volts this would confirm my thoughts. England and a lot of their commonwealth countries use 220/240 volts. When the electrical grid was being set up in the 1920, etc England used 220 volts. So countries like Australia New Zealand, India, Burma, etc most likely got their electrical components
from England, or at least followed their designs.

At least that is what I would think.
wireless 12

PS, there seems to be no mechanical bandswitch on the radio. So each pushbutton selects the band shown above it.
The station indicator is probably a thin strip of metal that runs horizontally (east-west) When you tune the dial, this strip of metal (dial needle) moves up or down the dial scale (north-south)
So look for a very long dial needle at the bottom of the dial scale.

GIFarmer, what you have is a Zenith export model 8W645 from 1942. Cool set, but it has been refinished as the bottom strip along the front and the speaker grill slats had faux-wood grain decals (commonly dubbed "Foto-Finish") of Zebra wood originally. I have one of these and they are very large and heavy table sets.

This model was produced in three versions idenditified by the suffix: AT, BT, or CT. These designated the type of power required to operate the set.

The 8W645 basically replaced the 8W542 model from 1941 in the model line. The 7J045 employed basically the same chassis but was sold just after World War II.
I have a PDF of the schematic from the very scarce Zenith Export Service Manual - 1937-1942, if you need one.

The serial tag on your set, along with most Zeniths produced for the 1942 line, deviated from the standard metal tag to a fish-paper type of composite material, likely due to US Government strategic materials priorities (just as is the 1942 wooden cabinet substitutes for the Bakelite Durez phenol-formaldehyde resin cases, and the 1941 bezel being changed from brass to a cast pot metal).