Zenith 6D512 "Beehive" S/N U217732 5

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I've been dragging this radio around with me since sometime in the 70s and after reading along with a few topics on the forum, thought it was about time to open it up and see what's what.

Other than a heavy layer of dust, it is in remarkably good shape. No cracks or chips or missing Bakelite cabinet pieces. It was stored in a dry, heated location wherever I went so it never was exposed to high humidity or hot/cold temperature.

The only things missing are one front knob, the radio back and the plastic dial cover. With the help of a link from LarryInMichigan, a repro dial cover is on the way. This model is quite simple to open up: take off the knobs and the 3 screws on the bottom and the chassis slides right out.

With a long, fine small paint brush and a good vacuum, the dust is now gone, or at least most of it. Took the tubes out and washed their tops off. Put them back and plugged the radio in. Turned it on and it slowly came to life. Hardly any hum or buzz. The background between stations is quite clean. Was surprised that this radio, built in early 1941 in Chicago, is still working as almost new.

While cleaning it out, I was thinking about the radio and what was played out of it early in its life. It is an AM/SW band radio my mother first acquired in Green Bay, Wisconsin in mid-1941. I was tying to picture who was sitting around the radio listening intently to it as it played the news of Pearl Harbor and all that was aired over the next few years. This radio is a piece of history and I'm glad I kept it, and kept it well over its near 74 years of existence.

Here are the photos (it was originally the color shown on the bottom of the cabinet but a few years after I took possession of it, I stripped the badly chipped factory off-white paint off of everything right down to the black Bakelite except for the bottom, there the model number can still be seen as printed on the paint).

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And here is the schematic, for posterity.

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Found this image on the web. It's what my Zenith "Beehive" will look like once the repro dial cover arrives and is installed.

[LarryInMichigan]

That is a beautiful radio.  I always make sure to clean the tube pins, usually with a rotary tool and wire brush attachment, and make sure that they are tight in the sockets because it is quite common for the electrical connections in the tub sockets to be unreliable because of dirt, oxidation, and/or simply loose contacts. 

Does the dial light illuminate when the radio is on?  If not, it needs to be replaced.  These radios were often designed to rely on the power consumed by the bulb, so an open bulb filament can lead to tube filaments going bad.  The bulb is probably a type 47 or 51.  It might indicate the type on the base.

Even if the radio works, the capacitors should be replaced because they can easily go bad and cause serious damage.

I believe that the 'W' at the end of the model number indicates that the radio cabinet was white.

I am on the lookout for a Zenith of that style at a reasonable (ie. cheap) price.  There is a slightly older model with push buttons on the front which often sells for a good sum.


Larry

[jsowers]

Kudos to you, John, for preserving your family's radio. Is there anyone in your family alive who remembers it? After you get it finished, you need to show it to them. It's truly amazing it still works. What's the switch on the back for?

I have my grandmother's 1941 Philco AM/SW radio that my mom remembers going with my grandfather to buy. They listened to all the war news on it when she was growing up. It's not in nearly as good condition as yours. It has an early plastic dial and speaker cover that's badly warped with age and from being in my parents' attic for a couple years. I have another model Philco that looks similar that I found at an auction and it still works, so I use it in my kitchen. My grandmother's radio didn't work when I got it. It had high mileage. She used it regularly into the 1970s. It sat on the kitchen counter, right beside her chair in the adjoining den. I have very distinct childhood memories of seeing it playing and how ancient I thought it was at the time. Now I've had it longer than my grandmother.

Be sure to come back and post some "after" pictures when you get the dial cover installed.

[Dennis Markham]

John, this is a great story.  That you've kept the radio in the family all of these years.  I'm like you and think about those that sat around the radio and listened to the events of the world during its existence.  I have a Zenith console from 1939 and I've often wondered about who listened to the events of Pearl Harbor from that radio.

As Jonathan said, I look forward to seeing the photos once it is finished.

Your "Beehive" is awesome.  I've been watching them on eBay from time to time and they usually sell relatively high.   

I'm currently working on a Zenith desk top radio and just finished (for the most part) re-capping a Crosley D 25CE.  Larry has been a huge help to me.  I couldn't have done what I have done without his help.

~Dennis

[LarryInMichigan]

  Larry has been a huge help to me.  I couldn't have done what I have done without his help.

~Dennis

Dennis would not have had to do what he has done if it hadn't been for my help

Larry

[Phonesrfun]

  Larry has been a huge help to me.  I couldn't have done what I have done without his help.

~Dennis

Dennis would not have had to do what he has done if it hadn't been for my help

Larry

Huh??

[Phonesrfun]

I have a Fairbanks Morse upright I need to work on some day.  For me, the electronics will be the easy part.  The wooden cabinet will be my challenge.  The radio was bought brand new from my wife's great-aunt.  I think I have been storing it for at least 30 or 35 years since Aunt Minnie died.  My wife has been hinting that she would like me to get off my butt and work on it. 

[Mr. Bones]

Beautiful radio, John!!

Are you going to keep it stripped (~black), like the web pic? It will look gorgeous, no matter, just wondered....

Might have to hunt me up one of these models, I sure do like the lines....

Best regards! Don't forget to send more pics, please.

[Dennis Markham]

Bill, hat translates to it's Larry's fault that I've taken an interest in refurbishing old radios.  The truth is I've always wanted to do that but never took the plunge.

~Dennis

  Larry has been a huge help to me.  I couldn't have done what I have done without his help.

~Dennis

Dennis would not have had to do what he has done if it hadn't been for my help

Larry

Huh??

[Bill]

What's the switch on the back for?

Jonathan -

It appears to be a tone control. When closed, it connects the plate of the detector tube (audio signal) to ground through a 0.002 mfd capacitor. That would have the effect of rolling off the highs. In other words, "Treble Cut".

Bill

[TelePlay]

It appears to be a tone control. When closed, it connects the plate of the detector tube (audio signal) to ground through a 0.002 mfd capacitor. That would have the effect of rolling off the highs. In other words, "Treble Cut".

It would appear to be that but in operation, it has no effect on the "tone."

Maybe it will after I re-cap the radio (and check out the switch for proper operation).

[Bill]

Can't think of anything else it would be. If I am right - and I admit it's been a long time - the 0.002 capacitor, working against an assumed 100K plate resistance of the 12SQ7, would have a corner frequency of about 800 Hz. About right for "treble cut", so a check of the cap and the switch is in order. Let us know.

Bill

[Babybearjs]

does that thing still work??