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70's Zenith TV where to recycle or ???

Elixer

Elixer

Lifer
TV kinda looks like this
2010_0412_TV0004.jpg

Both the local TV recycle places wouldn't touch it, they said too old/big, take it to the dump.

Seems kinda a waste, TV has tubes in the back, built like a tank, and the TV still works (well, the only thing I have to verify it works is a old pong game that hooks up to RF, and it shows it fine) so, was wondering what I should do with it?

Sadly, I can't detonate it into orbit, so, no fun stuff.

BTW, where the heck is the model information located on these old things?
All it says on the front is 'zenith color sentry chromacolor TV' and nothing on the back that is a model number or anything, just tells you to 'buy Zenith antennas for best picture."
 
If the casework is still in good shape I imagine some creative type person would be interested in re-purposing it into something.
 
*shudders*

Amazing Race Canada had a roadblock or some activity in a recycling center. They had people dismantle CRT TVs. I think they were knocking the electron gun thing off the back, some accidentally cracked the rear. If I remember right, they lined the rear with lead to keep the radiation in... Contestants were not wearing masks and probably didn't shower after changing out of their overalls.
 
Humpy said:
If the casework is still in good shape I imagine some creative type person would be interested in re-purposing it into something.
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If it still had decent picture quality, it would make an excellent TV for retro gaming.
 
Humpy said:
If the casework is still in good shape I imagine some creative type person would be interested in re-purposing it into something.
Click to expand...

This.

Refinsh that thing you could do something with the cabinet at least.

Even hinge the top and putting a fish tank in it would be kinda cool.

Just take the tube ad guts out and leave the channel changer/controls.

The case on that thing would probably look great refinished.
 
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Imp said:
*shudders*

Amazing Race Canada had a roadblock or some activity in a recycling center. They had people dismantle CRT TVs. I think they were knocking the electron gun thing off the back, some accidentally cracked the rear. If I remember right, they lined the rear with lead to keep the radiation in... Contestants were not wearing masks and probably didn't shower after changing out of their overalls.
Click to expand...

Those old tubes can kill you if you play with them wrong.
 
I basically still use one of those for my PC monitor, it kicks ass.

Definitely refurbish or find somebody who will.
Could try a craigslist ad or something to find people.
 
You could A, keep it in case we are nuked or an EMP goes off or B, give it to Best Buy since they take old TVs. Not sure if they take tube TVs though.
 
I would keep that, it's a classic. Does it actually still work? Even if not, that's an awesome TV just for the cabinetry alone.

They don't make stuff like they used to, those big beasts were built with pride, now it's all about making stuff as cheap as possible and so it breaks and can be replaced within a few years.

My grandparents had a similar TV and it still worked, they finally got an LCD as a gift. Not sure what they did with the old TV though, I hope they did not just scrap it. It was a RCA. I wonder if it was a RCA victor actually... those were another classic.

Oh, if it does not work, check inside, it might have some interesting components like vacuum tubes. You may actually be able to part some of that stuff out... heck, check to see if it's just a bad tube, it might actually be fixable. Not that you'd really want to use a TV like that as your main but it could be a fun project to try to fix it. Stuff back them was made more to fix.
 
I suggest dump.

It's ancient and filled with things that will probably harm you, give how back when it was built safety and enviro/end user concerns were not on anyone's radar.
 
Back when TVs were literally furniture. I'm a bit surprised the recyclers wouldn't take it. Must be nothing of value inside. Probably best just to dump it.

You sure it has tubes in the back? I assumed everything had moved to solid state by the 70s.

If you want to keep it, it might make for a cool vintage video game setup. Especially if you can snag an Atari 2600. You can also still use it as a regular TV if you get a converter box. Might be nice in a workshop or basement.
 
mmntech said:
If you want to keep it, it might make for a cool vintage video game setup. Especially if you can snag an Atari 2600. You can also still use it as a regular TV if you get a converter box. Might be nice in a workshop or basement.
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If I had a play room, I'd outfit it with retro stuff from multiple decades. That tv would have an Atari, and a vcr connected to it, with period furniture. Cheap and fun.
 
disappoint said:
Give it to clockboy Mohammed, he'll invent the world's first TV in an armoire.
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LOL, 7/10, not bad...anyway, OP list it on CL in the free section, rednecks LOVE shooting up old CRT's as they implode when the vacuum is suddenly gone. It will be out of your hands by the end of the day.
 
88keys said:
If it still had decent picture quality, it would make an excellent TV for retro gaming.
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I'd hope it has an F-type coax connector. I can't go to the corner store anymore to pick up the right kind of transformer to adapt coax to screw terminals.

[edit]

The Atari 2600 had screw terminals anyway. I probably wouldn't care about the TV if it doesn't have composite. NES is as far back as a really care to go with retro gaming, and the composite output of NES was superior to RF coaxial.

I only use S-video for SNES and N64.
 
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Yeah... sell it on Craigslist for something insanely cheap like $10. I'm sure that someone will find a cool use for that wood cabinet.
 
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