I salvaged my great-grandmothers 1937 zenith model 10-S-153 from my grandmothers garage before it could get pitched during her recent move. My situation is that I would like to get it working for her 85th birthday but have no idea where to start. It needs knobs, front glass plate over the dial, tubes, speaker(does that have to be original?), the works. I am an electrician and can read a schematic and understand the functions of the components but I need a resource. Please help!

Jordan, here is the schematic: http://www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByModel/682/M0024682.pdf

Your electrical background will help a lot, but this would not be my choice of a set to start on. It's got 10 tubes, 3-bands, 2-stages of audio, push-pull final audio, etc.

Somebody canibalized the speaker, tubes, etc., which suggests that something else was wrong first. The original speaker was a dynamic model, with a field coil. You could replace it with a modern permanent-magnet speaker, and put a power resistor in place of the field coil.

As far as the missing knobs, you might be satisfied with newly manufactured, wood-looking generics.

The replacement dial cover might be easy - IF it is round.

Probably the first thing to check is the power xmfr - see if each of the windings has continuity.

With a set of tubes, new capacitors, knobs, speaker, and possibly other things, this is going to run maybe $200 in parts.
Doug

:I salvaged my great-grandmothers 1937 zenith model 10-S-153 from my grandmothers garage before it could get pitched during her recent move. My situation is that I would like to get it working for her 85th birthday but have no idea where to start. It needs knobs, front glass plate over the dial, tubes, speaker(does that have to be original?), the works. I am an electrician and can read a schematic and understand the functions of the components but I need a resource. Please help!

:Thank you Doug. I would be willing to pay to have the stereo fixed and buy whatever parts it needs. I live in the Chicagoland area...any ideas of who to call or email. also, my dad said that he dropped this radio while moving this piece years ago.
:Jordan, here is the schematic: http://www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByModel/682/M0024682.pdf
:
:Your electrical background will help a lot, but this would not be my choice of a set to start on. It's got 10 tubes, 3-bands, 2-stages of audio, push-pull final audio, etc.
:
:Somebody canibalized the speaker, tubes, etc., which suggests that something else was wrong first. The original speaker was a dynamic model, with a field coil. You could replace it with a modern permanent-magnet speaker, and put a power resistor in place of the field coil.
:
:As far as the missing knobs, you might be satisfied with newly manufactured, wood-looking generics.
:
:The replacement dial cover might be easy - IF it is round.
:
:Probably the first thing to check is the power xmfr - see if each of the windings has continuity.
:
:With a set of tubes, new capacitors, knobs, speaker, and possibly other things, this is going to run maybe $200 in parts.
:Doug
:
:
::I salvaged my great-grandmothers 1937 zenith model 10-S-153 from my grandmothers garage before it could get pitched during her recent move. My situation is that I would like to get it working for her 85th birthday but have no idea where to start. It needs knobs, front glass plate over the dial, tubes, speaker(does that have to be original?), the works. I am an electrician and can read a schematic and understand the functions of the components but I need a resource. Please help!

It definitely isn't a stereo (it's a radio), but several suppliers sell, or at least used to sell, Zenith knobs of many kinds. If you can't find exact replacements, you most likely can find some that will look good on the radio. There are other suppliers that may have the glass used on the dial.

To name a couple, www.radiodaze.com and www.tubesandmore.com have in the past supplied Zenith knobs. Others on here can give you more names. There's a place that I was going to buy knobs from that probably has a dial bezel for you and many more things, but it was too expensive for me at the time so I didn't buy the knobs. I can't remember the name of the place at the moment. Doug or Norm probably have the name, or maybe Edd.

T.

This may be the place for Zenith reproduction parts and knobs that Thomas was thinking of: http://www.gn4radios.com/ That store is located in Minneapolis, and is run by Alan Jesperson.

If the dial cover is circular, Bill Turner is a source: http://www.dialcover.com/ He is located in a suburb of St. Louis.
Doug

:It definitely isn't a stereo (it's a radio), but several suppliers sell, or at least used to sell, Zenith knobs of many kinds. If you can't find exact replacements, you most likely can find some that will look good on the radio. There are other suppliers that may have the glass used on the dial.
:
:To name a couple, www.radiodaze.com and www.tubesandmore.com have in the past supplied Zenith knobs. Others on here can give you more names. There's a place that I was going to buy knobs from that probably has a dial bezel for you and many more things, but it was too expensive for me at the time so I didn't buy the knobs. I can't remember the name of the place at the moment. Doug or Norm probably have the name, or maybe Edd.
:
:T.

Many of the auto glass and window repair shops will cut you a piece of glass if you can give them accurate dimensions. I know plate glass breaks easier but depending on who you go tothey might have thicker glass that you can use. Also dont forget to check the resistors because they could have drifted in value over the years, not like the ones made today.

::Thank you Doug. I would be willing to pay to have the stereo fixed and buy whatever parts it needs. I live in the Chicagoland area...any ideas of who to call or email. also, my dad said that he dropped this radio while moving this piece years ago.
::Jordan, here is the schematic: http://www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByModel/682/M0024682.pdf
::
::Your electrical background will help a lot, but this would not be my choice of a set to start on. It's got 10 tubes, 3-bands, 2-stages of audio, push-pull final audio, etc.
::
::Somebody canibalized the speaker, tubes, etc., which suggests that something else was wrong first. The original speaker was a dynamic model, with a field coil. You could replace it with a modern permanent-magnet speaker, and put a power resistor in place of the field coil.
::
::As far as the missing knobs, you might be satisfied with newly manufactured, wood-looking generics.
::
::The replacement dial cover might be easy - IF it is round.
::
::Probably the first thing to check is the power xmfr - see if each of the windings has continuity.
::
::With a set of tubes, new capacitors, knobs, speaker, and possibly other things, this is going to run maybe $200 in parts.
::Doug
::
::
:::I salvaged my great-grandmothers 1937 zenith model 10-S-153 from my grandmothers garage before it could get pitched during her recent move. My situation is that I would like to get it working for her 85th birthday but have no idea where to start. It needs knobs, front glass plate over the dial, tubes, speaker(does that have to be original?), the works. I am an electrician and can read a schematic and understand the functions of the components but I need a resource. Please help!

Hi Jordan,
One thing you may want to try is that while you are working on the radio, keep a search on eBay for Zenith Speaker. These speakers often come up on the parts, and are typically perfect. It will also likely have an output transformer on it, which your radio is lacking.
If you find a speaker, you may also find the chassis, too, tubes and all. This oculd make your restoration even easier.

Best Regards,

Bill Grimm

Hi Jordan,
I found a chassis like yours. eBay auction number is 130208713339.
It looks like it was in a flood. However, it has coils and other items that would be beneficial to have if your set has an odd problem. It also has a dial glass.
You may want to contact the seller to see if he has the speaker. Even if the cone is shot, it will have the transformer you need, at the very least.

Best Regards,

Bill Grimm