1951 Zenith Super Trans-Oceanic H500 Short Wave Radio

[BDM]

Brown leather 600 series T/Os aren't that un-common

[PSGreg]

Well,  finally dug out the Trans-Oceanic.  It is a model A600L, stamped inside the rear door.  I'm not sure how to tell the date of this radio.  Perhaps you can tell me BDM. I know it worked years ago but I plugged it in last night and now it does nothing.

I've done a little research on-line and I understand the batteries have not been available for quite some time.  Is there any type of replacement battery one can use?

Best,
         Greg

[HobieSport]

Hi Greg,

I don't know about new batteries for the Trans-Oceanic Radios, but that's an interesting question that Bud and others might answer.

Meanwhile I must admit that I cheated over the Hollidays and I bought an inexpensive refurbished T/O H500.  The problem with it of course is that they either speak in foreign languages or they speak the dreaded American.  As much as I love my country...I mostly listen to the BBC during the evenings.

My cat basically couldn't care less.

Still, it a very nice radio.

[bingster]

You're getting the BBC World Service?  I thought they stopped all broadcasting on shortwave to the Americas years ago, except to Cuba.

[Dan/Panther]

BDM, Those brown 600 are common, but they still bring high bucks.

Matt;
How much did you pay for the restored 500, I've not seen any go under $400.00.

Greg
They make reproduction batteries for the T/O, you put 9 Volt transistor radio batteries in them, You can also put in rechargeables if you want., the empty battery runs some where in the area of 30 to 40 dollars, if I remember correctly
Do an Ebay search for Transoceanic, you'll be amazed at the stuff they have.
Does your T/O work on AM, but not the upper bands? If it does it most likely  a bad 1L6, if nothing works you may need a recap, or maybe just the Selenium rectifer is bad, replace it with a 1N4007 Silicone diode, and a resistor to obtain the correct voltage.
Jump over to ARF, they have muych archived about the T/O, and how to get them going again.

D/P

[McHeath]

When we watch the 5 o' clock news the BBC broadcast is on our local PBS station.  I usually skip them as they spend way too much time talking about boring things like world events and complex multinational problems, and not nearly enough time talking about Lindsey Lohan, Brittany Spears, and the latest medical/social/steroidal/gambling/sex scandal to hit baseball/football/basketball/the military/colleges/hollywood.

[BDM]

Dan,
I was replying to someone who said they're rare. Whomever posted that, must have deleted it?

Greg,
I have a battery pack I bought from "abbattery" off Ebag. He makes a quality product that uses 9 D cells or a 10th cell for the lamp used in the 600 series sets.
Also, check this out. Many different options as well as building your own.
http://home.comcast.net/~morrised2006/radios/radio6.htm

[PSGreg]

Hey Dan,
                     No AM, no upper bands, nothing.

BDM,
         Thanks for the link.  Can you tell me how to correctly date this particular T/O?

Thanks again,
                        Greg

[BDM]

Hey Dan,
                     No AM, no upper bands, nothing.

BDM,
         Thanks for the link.  Can you tell me how to correctly date this particular T/O?

Thanks again,
                        Greg

Look at this link. This is the best way to date it, depending on which 600 you have.
http://bellsouthpwp.net/p/a/padgett46/tubedto.htm

[HobieSport]

/quote]


Dan, I only paid $125. plus $25. shipping for my completely restored re-capped and re-aligned T/0 H500.  He even re-shellacked the brass.  Basically it looks and runs like new.

I don't have the fellows name whom I bought it from, but it was a buy-it-now price on Ebay, and I think he sells them from time to time.  In speaking with him he just sounds like he does the work for the love of the radios, not for profit.

I had already bought an un-refurbished H500 that needed a new 1L6 tube.  By the time I paid for the radio, shipping, and a new SS 1L6, I was in at about $135, and it still needs re-capping, aligning, etc..

I'm a total amateur with radios, so if anyone asks about how to buy a good T/O, I just recommend from my little experience that they do a buy-it-now search on Ebay for a good reburbished job and be patient.

To bad that radio programing quality these days doesn't compare with the great quality of the old radios.  For that I go online to http://www.otrcat.com/

-Matt

[Dan/Panther]

Matt;
'I have what is called an SSTRAN 3000 am transmitter. I hook it to my computer and braodcast Old Time Radio shows to my AM radios.
You can buy a kit, for about $100.00 from the internet.
At least you used to be able to.

D/P

[PSGreg]

Thanks for the link BDM.  Looks like it's a 1958 (same as me )

[Dan/Panther]

Hey Dan,
                     No AM, no upper bands, nothing.

BDM,
         Thanks for the link.  Can you tell me how to correctly date this particular T/O?

Thanks again,
                        Greg

Is the set completely dead, or you just can't receive a station?

Make sure the incoming AC is working, the cord may be bad, is the power switch O.K., are the tubes lighting ?

Make sure the switch that disconnects the battery section is not stuck, it's in the back where you plug the ac line cord into the chassis to get battery power.

Then check or have the tubes checked.

If that doesn't do it, have the selenium rectifier checked, while at it, change it to Diodes. 1N4007 with a resistor to get proper incoming voltage.

If still no go, a recap may be in order, all of the paper and Electrolytics will need to be changed.

If that don't do it, send it to me.

D/P

[bingster]

To bad that radio programing quality these days doesn't compare with the great quality of the old radios.  For that I go online to http://www.otrcat.com/

OTRcat is a nice little site, but if you want some serious OTR, head over to OTRplus.com.   It's an OTR trading forum I run with a guy from Toronto.  It takes a free registration to see the goodies, but once you're in, you'll find countless thousands of radio shows to keep your radios busy for the rest of your life.

[HobieSport]

Thanks for the tip Bingster, I just went ahead and joined OTRPlus.  That's going to take some serious exploration as I know next to nothing about the OTR classics.