This gorgeous 1958 Zenith Trans-Oceanic A600 radio is completely restored and upgraded. It is a seven-band, six-tube radio with a 4-inch speaker. With its wave magnet and whip antennas, it picks up many shortwave and AM stations. The leatherette-coated wood cabinet provides a deep, rich sound.
History—This radio is one in a long line of successive Zenith Trans-Oceanic portable radios dating back to 1939. The first public version, the 7G605, was released less than two months before the Pearl Harbor attack. It bore the sailboat image and became known as the "Clipper." It sold for $75 and was an instant success.
After the war, Zenith returned the radio to Trans-Oceanic production in the form of the Model 8G605 and then a slightly improved Model G500 which, outwardly, looked the same as the 8G605. These were produced from 1946 through 1951. The sensitive, high-performance portables remained a favorite among shortwave listeners and radio enthusiasts in general. In 1951, the H500 was introduced with an additional shortwave band, giving the user an additional band button to select. The H500 was the first model to use the new miniature tubes that had been developed as part of the war effort. All of the Trans-Oceanics featured Zeniths detachable "Wave Magnet" loop antennas.
In 1954, the 600 Series went into production. It featured a "slide rule" dial, a departure from the traditional dials used by its predecessors. It has seven bands: standard AM broadcast and six shortwave bands which are clearly visible on the slide rule dial. This series was produced until 1962 and was the last portable vacuum tube radio produced in the United States. This A600 model (chassis No. 6A40) was produced in 1958.
Today, this rare radio is sought after by collectors but almost never found restored to this near-perfect condition. We acquired this radio in early 2018 in a garage sale. The radio was working, and its cabinet had its original finish.
Cabinet – The cabinet got a complete cleaning restoration. The leatherette cover had a few scuffs which we cleaned up and finished with black shoe polish. The brass fittings were removed and cleaned only enough to retain the vintage patina.
Dial – The slide ruler dial with its clear background and switchable night light is still an impressive sight - especially in a dim or dark room. The numbers and lettering are original and show almost little sign of wear.
Chassis – We took extra steps and worked with a top expert at the California Historical Radio Society to ensure this radio produces no hum and will last for another 80 years or more. For its age, there was no damage and no spots of rust on the chassis. We went through the entire underside of the chassis and replaced all the old bumblebee and wax capacitors and checked and replaced resistors and wires where needed. We also cleaned and lubricated the main tuning capacitor for smooth operation. It now plays stations well across the bands.
We checked and replaced where needed all tubes with new old stock tubes. In addition, we added a ZENITH Trans-Oceanic FILT-R-PAK board which provides better electrolytic capacitor filtering and adds a diode that eliminates the nasty selenium rectifier and bypasses (eliminates) the expensive 50A1 tube. We also replaced the cotton dial cord with a new nylon one that will last indefinitely. We then performed a complete IF and RF alignment.
Power – This radio was designed to operate on either home AC or internal battery pack. The AC cord is housed internally on a reel. The battery packs are no longer made, however we were able to find an aftermarket unit that uses modern 9V batteries (10 of them to make 90 Volts) and 1.5 Volt D batteries for the tube filaments. Additionally, we got modern replica of the original dedicated battery for the dial light that takes a modern 1.5 Volt C battery.
Speaker – We had the all-original speaker cleaned and reinforced. The result is clear audio across the entire frequency range. This radio produces exceptional bass tones for its size and the great sound will fill the room.
Dimensions: 11"H x 17"W x 8"D
Weight: 15 pounds
See demo on YouTube here: youtu.be/_mSJTt4_tQ0
History—This radio is one in a long line of successive Zenith Trans-Oceanic portable radios dating back to 1939. The first public version, the 7G605, was released less than two months before the Pearl Harbor attack. It bore the sailboat image and became known as the "Clipper." It sold for $75 and was an instant success.
After the war, Zenith returned the radio to Trans-Oceanic production in the form of the Model 8G605 and then a slightly improved Model G500 which, outwardly, looked the same as the 8G605. These were produced from 1946 through 1951. The sensitive, high-performance portables remained a favorite among shortwave listeners and radio enthusiasts in general. In 1951, the H500 was introduced with an additional shortwave band, giving the user an additional band button to select. The H500 was the first model to use the new miniature tubes that had been developed as part of the war effort. All of the Trans-Oceanics featured Zeniths detachable "Wave Magnet" loop antennas.
In 1954, the 600 Series went into production. It featured a "slide rule" dial, a departure from the traditional dials used by its predecessors. It has seven bands: standard AM broadcast and six shortwave bands which are clearly visible on the slide rule dial. This series was produced until 1962 and was the last portable vacuum tube radio produced in the United States. This A600 model (chassis No. 6A40) was produced in 1958.
Today, this rare radio is sought after by collectors but almost never found restored to this near-perfect condition. We acquired this radio in early 2018 in a garage sale. The radio was working, and its cabinet had its original finish.
Cabinet – The cabinet got a complete cleaning restoration. The leatherette cover had a few scuffs which we cleaned up and finished with black shoe polish. The brass fittings were removed and cleaned only enough to retain the vintage patina.
Dial – The slide ruler dial with its clear background and switchable night light is still an impressive sight - especially in a dim or dark room. The numbers and lettering are original and show almost little sign of wear.
Chassis – We took extra steps and worked with a top expert at the California Historical Radio Society to ensure this radio produces no hum and will last for another 80 years or more. For its age, there was no damage and no spots of rust on the chassis. We went through the entire underside of the chassis and replaced all the old bumblebee and wax capacitors and checked and replaced resistors and wires where needed. We also cleaned and lubricated the main tuning capacitor for smooth operation. It now plays stations well across the bands.
We checked and replaced where needed all tubes with new old stock tubes. In addition, we added a ZENITH Trans-Oceanic FILT-R-PAK board which provides better electrolytic capacitor filtering and adds a diode that eliminates the nasty selenium rectifier and bypasses (eliminates) the expensive 50A1 tube. We also replaced the cotton dial cord with a new nylon one that will last indefinitely. We then performed a complete IF and RF alignment.
Power – This radio was designed to operate on either home AC or internal battery pack. The AC cord is housed internally on a reel. The battery packs are no longer made, however we were able to find an aftermarket unit that uses modern 9V batteries (10 of them to make 90 Volts) and 1.5 Volt D batteries for the tube filaments. Additionally, we got modern replica of the original dedicated battery for the dial light that takes a modern 1.5 Volt C battery.
Speaker – We had the all-original speaker cleaned and reinforced. The result is clear audio across the entire frequency range. This radio produces exceptional bass tones for its size and the great sound will fill the room.
Dimensions: 11"H x 17"W x 8"D
Weight: 15 pounds
See demo on YouTube here: youtu.be/_mSJTt4_tQ0