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| Zenith Transoceanic, Model B600 |
Yes, I should be putting the money into something useful, like ammo. If there were any. I justify it as an(other) EMP/CME-proof radio. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
This is the latest, and likely the last of my tube Zenith radio acquisitions. Space and money, make more unlikely. Although if a Stratosphere were to show up at a low, low price….
The Zenith B600 Transoceanic is the last vacuum tube-based Transoceanic, as well as the last tube-based portable radio built in the US. Add to that a really low price for a radio in very good condition plus my Zenith bug and it was close to a no-brainer for me.
(Wuflu and economic note: Things like this, that is to say, “toys”, are starting to show up at very reasonable prices. I couldn’t/wouldn’t have afforded this radio a couple of years ago. Yesterday, it was hard to come up with an excuse not to. In times like these, having a stash of cash can allow you to take advantage good buys on everything from radios to land. Something to bear in mind.)
The radio seems to have been “gone through” relatively recently. Only two tubes appear to be originals, and the replacements show little sign of extended use. The interior is very clean, nearly no dust (!); just a few cobwebs. The power cord may not be original.
And it plays! That alone helps me out a lot with Mrs. Freeholder, who contends I have too many projects as it is. My view is that I was put on earth to accomplish a certain number of things, and as long as there is still a list, I have time left on the clock.
We’ll see how that works out for me.
More pictures. I really hate the owner’s sticker wasn’t filled out. That would have made it even more special.
A note about the picture “up top”. Normally, I crop my photos better. But I’ve become aware that there are folks out there who love to look at pictures like this and see things in the background that say a little something about the photographer. Since there’s nothing there that could server to unmask my identity (other than the bit of reflection of yours truly taking the photo), I decided to leave it.
All that stuff was on my workbench. None of it was posed or moved, although I did have to move a couple of things to put the radio down. The Intertubz may now indulge in rampant speculation….
