This smart looking set is the Zenith Royal 2000 Trans-Symphonic AM/FM radio. It's an eleven-transistor portable, powered by eight D -cells which are good for some 300 hours of listening. Audio output from a 5 x 7 -inch speaker is 1/2 watt undistorted. The whole work is assembled into an 12 x 10 x 5.2 inch package that weighs about 12 pounds. The radio features a large handle on top, two circular dials – one for AM and one for FM, separate tone and volume controls, and extendable "rabbit ears" antenna for FM.
Collectors debate over the audio quality of Zenith 2000. Some agree the sound quality is better than the 1000 and 3000 Trans-Oceanics, but not as good as the 7000 Trans-Oceanics, while others think it is better than all the Trans-Oceanics. Many, however, would agree that the audio quality of the Zenith 2000 Trans-Symphony is better than that found in most any portable multi-band radio you could buy today.
History - This portable radio was the first American made solid-state AM/FM radio. It was manufactured by Zenith Radio Corporation, Chicago from 1959 to 1963 and was first offered for Christmas, 1960 for $190. It was intended to be a companion radio to the Zenith Royal 1000 and 3000 radios.
The set's vital statistics are:
FM
Sensitivity (50 mw above noise) 4- 9µv
(30 dB quieting) 8 -13 µv
Second channel interference ratio
(I 10 -µv input) 37 dB
Image rejection 40 dB
IF rejection 55 dB
AM
Sensitivity
(50 mw above noise) 9 -12 µv /meter
(20 dB signal /noise ratio) 50 -80 µv /meter
Image rejection 77 dB
IF rejection 60 -95 dB
Build - The build quality is equal to that of the solid-state Trans-Oceanics. The Zenith 2000 is an eleven-transistor radio with point-to-point wiring. As such it had no printed circuit boards. The two circular dials, one for FM and one for AM, move in parallel. The on/off/volume control knob is in the middle of the tuning knob. The knobs at the upper right on the control panel are for band selection and tone control. Inside the rear chassis apron is the battery pack, an RCA phono jack, a three-way switch and an 1/8" mono earphone jack.
The radio has eight AM circuits and 11 FM circuits. AM performance is excellent and compares to the Trans-Oceanics on the broadcast band. The ferrite -coil AM antenna is in the set's carrying handle. FM performance is also very good. The FM section is tuned by three permeably tuned oscillators, normally found only on more expensive ham radio gear.
The audio stages are, of course, common to both AM and FM. They include one interesting feature, an RCA phono jack and switch arranged so the radio can be used as tuner for a hi -fi system (by disconnecting the audio amplifier and feeding the ratio detector's output to the external audio equipment) or as a phono amplifier (for portable record - player use or as the second- channel amplifier in a stereo system).
The radio is slightly larger than the 1000 and 3000 Trans-Oceanics. The chassis mounts upside down at the top of the cabinet to give plenty of space for the speaker and ample acoustic space for good sound.
Like the 1000 and 3000 Trans-Oceanics, the chromed side pieces are subject to pitting, unfortunately, and the soft aluminum control panel is easily dented, especially along the upper front edge. The lower front section covering the speaker is also aluminum, usually painted black.
Restoration - I found this radio on eBay (Ch=11ET40Z2 SN: 8681828). It played on both bands, but at very low volume. A recap took care of that, and the radio now plays with great audio and good sensitivity on both bands. The challenge was replacing the electrolytic capacitors. Recapping the Zenith 2000 is not a job for a novice. About half of the electrolytic capacitors are buried under other components. Getting them out is more difficult than soldering in new replacements.
After recap I modified the audio by clipping a capacitor (C48) that muddied the sound. This added back the ‘highs’ that the original engineers eliminated so that everything would sound more bassy. Additionally, I replaced the driver transistor (X9) with a new germanium one to eliminate any sound distortion. The result is incredible audio across the entire range.
Like many who own this radio I added an input for an external 12-volt power source so it could be used with or without batteries. The previous owner had already created a hole for the jack, and I used a standard AC to DC 12-volt adapter.
Restoring the cabinet, which was in good condition, was easy. I first cleaned it with Gojo and then spruced up the vinyl with ArmorAll.
Dimensions (WHD): 12 x 10 x 5.2 inch
Net weight: 11.75 lbs.
See demo on YouTube here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryAPQd6D0Ak
Collectors debate over the audio quality of Zenith 2000. Some agree the sound quality is better than the 1000 and 3000 Trans-Oceanics, but not as good as the 7000 Trans-Oceanics, while others think it is better than all the Trans-Oceanics. Many, however, would agree that the audio quality of the Zenith 2000 Trans-Symphony is better than that found in most any portable multi-band radio you could buy today.
History - This portable radio was the first American made solid-state AM/FM radio. It was manufactured by Zenith Radio Corporation, Chicago from 1959 to 1963 and was first offered for Christmas, 1960 for $190. It was intended to be a companion radio to the Zenith Royal 1000 and 3000 radios.
The set's vital statistics are:
FM
Sensitivity (50 mw above noise) 4- 9µv
(30 dB quieting) 8 -13 µv
Second channel interference ratio
(I 10 -µv input) 37 dB
Image rejection 40 dB
IF rejection 55 dB
AM
Sensitivity
(50 mw above noise) 9 -12 µv /meter
(20 dB signal /noise ratio) 50 -80 µv /meter
Image rejection 77 dB
IF rejection 60 -95 dB
Build - The build quality is equal to that of the solid-state Trans-Oceanics. The Zenith 2000 is an eleven-transistor radio with point-to-point wiring. As such it had no printed circuit boards. The two circular dials, one for FM and one for AM, move in parallel. The on/off/volume control knob is in the middle of the tuning knob. The knobs at the upper right on the control panel are for band selection and tone control. Inside the rear chassis apron is the battery pack, an RCA phono jack, a three-way switch and an 1/8" mono earphone jack.
The radio has eight AM circuits and 11 FM circuits. AM performance is excellent and compares to the Trans-Oceanics on the broadcast band. The ferrite -coil AM antenna is in the set's carrying handle. FM performance is also very good. The FM section is tuned by three permeably tuned oscillators, normally found only on more expensive ham radio gear.
The audio stages are, of course, common to both AM and FM. They include one interesting feature, an RCA phono jack and switch arranged so the radio can be used as tuner for a hi -fi system (by disconnecting the audio amplifier and feeding the ratio detector's output to the external audio equipment) or as a phono amplifier (for portable record - player use or as the second- channel amplifier in a stereo system).
The radio is slightly larger than the 1000 and 3000 Trans-Oceanics. The chassis mounts upside down at the top of the cabinet to give plenty of space for the speaker and ample acoustic space for good sound.
Like the 1000 and 3000 Trans-Oceanics, the chromed side pieces are subject to pitting, unfortunately, and the soft aluminum control panel is easily dented, especially along the upper front edge. The lower front section covering the speaker is also aluminum, usually painted black.
Restoration - I found this radio on eBay (Ch=11ET40Z2 SN: 8681828). It played on both bands, but at very low volume. A recap took care of that, and the radio now plays with great audio and good sensitivity on both bands. The challenge was replacing the electrolytic capacitors. Recapping the Zenith 2000 is not a job for a novice. About half of the electrolytic capacitors are buried under other components. Getting them out is more difficult than soldering in new replacements.
After recap I modified the audio by clipping a capacitor (C48) that muddied the sound. This added back the ‘highs’ that the original engineers eliminated so that everything would sound more bassy. Additionally, I replaced the driver transistor (X9) with a new germanium one to eliminate any sound distortion. The result is incredible audio across the entire range.
Like many who own this radio I added an input for an external 12-volt power source so it could be used with or without batteries. The previous owner had already created a hole for the jack, and I used a standard AC to DC 12-volt adapter.
Restoring the cabinet, which was in good condition, was easy. I first cleaned it with Gojo and then spruced up the vinyl with ArmorAll.
Dimensions (WHD): 12 x 10 x 5.2 inch
Net weight: 11.75 lbs.
See demo on YouTube here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryAPQd6D0Ak