Zenith 6-V-27
A substantial tombstone radio (23 inches tall), it started life as a 6-volt farm set, but was converted
to 110 volt AC at some point, probably in the 1940s. The tubes were rewired for a
series filament connection (with several replacement types), the power
transformer and synchronous vibrator were removed, and the original 8 inch speaker was replaced. The chassis is huge and deep -- lots of working room under there! It's a 3-band set; broadcast
and two shortwave bands, ranging up to 23 Megacycles -- quite an accomplishment in 1936. The original price back then was $69.95.
The original tube lineup was
- 15 RF Amp
- 6A7 Mixer-oscillator
- 15 IF Amp
- 75 Detector and first audio
- 76 Second audio
- 19 Audio output
The speaker field coil was connected right across the 6 volt power input, and the speaker itself was a special center-tapped high impedance type.
The pictures show it as it was purchased from an antique store. There's some work to be done, but it's a beauty! Here's a picture of an original-condition AC version, a model 6-S-27, for comparision.
Three Bands
550-1780 kc/s
2100-6800 kc/s
7000-23000 kc/s
Updated April 26, 2000
