{"id":12869,"date":"2015-03-30T09:44:19","date_gmt":"2015-03-30T13:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=12869"},"modified":"2015-03-30T09:53:25","modified_gmt":"2015-03-30T13:53:25","slug":"how-bob-found-his-zenith-bomber","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/03\/how-bob-found-his-zenith-bomber\/","title":{"rendered":"How Bob found his Zenith “Bomber”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Zenith-Bomber-Clipper-1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After posting a link to\u00a0Paul Litwinovich’s Zenith Transoceanic article<\/a>, SWLing Post<\/em> reader, Bob LaRose (W6ACU) sent me the following message:<\/p>\n

“Just a quick story to follow-up on the excellent Zenith Transoceanic article today. It brought back a lot of great memories!<\/p>\n

About twenty years ago I decided to collect some of the things that I couldn\u2019t afford when growing up. I acquired quite a number of Hallicrafters receivers and other \u201cheavy metal\u201d including several transmitters (including my Viking I AM Transmitter). In the process of our last move, I got rid of a lot of the collection. One part of the collection that I did keep was my Transoceanics. If I remember correctly I have every major model except the military one mentioned in the article and the very last one.<\/p>\n

Here is my story is about obtaining a \u201cBomber\u201d as described in the article. I was visiting a gun show at the North Carolina Fair grounds in Raleigh (I went there with a friend who is into Civil War collectables). Anyway, we were walking around and I spotted a small dusty suitcase on a table in the back of a booth. It was closed and to anyone else it looked like an old carrying case. However, by the size and the brown leatherette-grained case I thought it just might be a \u201cBomber\u201d.<\/p>\n

I tried not to act too excited and asked the seller what it was. He said it was an old radio and I asked him to bring it out. Sure enough, it was a Bomber! Still trying not to act too excited, I tried to let on that I didn\u2019t know what is was and asked him if it worked. He said he didn\u2019t know. I made a point of saying that it was missing the dial cover (but the pointer was there and unbent and the inside looked pretty clean and even had its \u201cWave Magnet\u201d).<\/p>\n

I asked him how much he wanted and he said $100. We haggled a bit over the condition and I finally got it for $75. I walked away very happy and excited!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Zenith-Bomber-Clipper-2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I spent some time cleaning it up, de-oxing the contacts and then used a VARIAC to slowly bring up the voltage to reform the electrolytics. But guess what? IT CAME TO LIFE! <\/strong><\/p>\n

I was even able to get the Sam\u2019s manual and do an alignment. I don\u2019t recall that I had to change any electrical parts or tubes and I even found a guy that made a replacement dial cover! It\u2019s not as shiny as the one in the article but it was sure a great find. It proudly sits on the bookshelves in my office along with the Zenith \u201cSailboat\u201d AM receiver mentioned in the article and my other Transoceanics. I\u2019ve attached a picture of the two side-by-side. [See photos above]”
\n<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Many thanks, Bob, for sharing your “barn find”–or should I say “gun show find”(?)– Zenith “Bomber.” What a great story. I’m glad it’s in the hands of someone who has restored it and can appreciate its history. Indeed, your story proves that you never know where you’re going to find a vintage radio deal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After posting a link to\u00a0Paul Litwinovich’s Zenith Transoceanic article, SWLing Post reader, Bob LaRose (W6ACU) sent me the following message: “Just a quick story to follow-up on the excellent Zenith Transoceanic article today. It brought back a lot of great memories! About twenty years ago I decided to collect some of the things that I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8,3,305,1936,3196,288,43],"tags":[3746,2899,3748,3749,3134],"class_list":["post-12869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-news","category-nostalgia","category-photos","category-portable-radio","category-radio-history","category-shortwave-radio","tag-bob-larose-w6acu","tag-zenith","tag-zenith-bomber","tag-zenith-clipper","tag-zenith-transoceanic"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-3lz","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12864,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/03\/paul-litwinovich-sheds-light-on-the-royalty-of-radios\/","url_meta":{"origin":12869,"position":0},"title":"Paul Litwinovich sheds light on the “Royalty of Radios”","author":"Thomas","date":"March 29, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Paul, who points out this excellent article about the Zenith Transoceanic\u00a0by\u00a0Paul Litwinovich of WSHU.\u00a0 Litwinovich's article covers a brief history\u00a0of the Zenith Transoceanic series including photos from his amazing collection (check out his model 7G605 above). Here's a short clip from his full article:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Zenith Model 7G605, the first in the line of Trans-Oceanic radios. Credit P. Litwinovich collection via WSHU","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Zenith-Paul-Litwinovich.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Zenith-Paul-Litwinovich.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Zenith-Paul-Litwinovich.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":32632,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/06\/radio-world-features-a-tribute-to-the-zenith-transoceanic\/","url_meta":{"origin":12869,"position":1},"title":"Radio World features a tribute to the Zenith Transoceanic","author":"Thomas","date":"June 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post contributors who've shared a link to this excellent article by Denny Sanders in Radio World Magazine about the history of the Zenith Transoceanic: Zenith Trans-Oceanic Radio in War and Peace This iconic portable receiver was known for durability and quality They say\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Transoceanic-Dial.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Transoceanic-Dial.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Transoceanic-Dial.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22385,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/ebay-find-zenith-transoceanic-in-an-unopened-box\/","url_meta":{"origin":12869,"position":2},"title":"eBay find: Zenith Transoceanic in an Unopened Box","author":"Thomas","date":"November 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Robert Gulley, who shares this link to an eBay auction for a Zenith Transoceanic D7000Y in an unopened box! Let's be clear here: this is no \"Black Friday\" deal. The seller has this gem listed at $5,800 plus shipping! I think this is the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"zenith-transoceanic","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Zenith-Transoceanic-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Zenith-Transoceanic-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Zenith-Transoceanic-1024x768.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":34611,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/10\/the-gorgeous-zenith-model-r-7000-2-trans-oceanic\/","url_meta":{"origin":12869,"position":3},"title":"The gorgeous Zenith Model R-7000-2 Trans-Oceanic","author":"Thomas","date":"October 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Tuesday night, I attended a local radio club meeting with buddy Vlado (N3CZ). Neither of us had ever attended this particular club, although we both knew a number of the members. What was the first thing I spotted when I entered the meeting room? A pristine\u00a0Zenith Model R-7000-2 Trans-Oceanic! Talk\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Myrna-Loy-Zenith-Transoceanic.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Myrna-Loy-Zenith-Transoceanic.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Myrna-Loy-Zenith-Transoceanic.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12679,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/03\/zenith-r520aurr-transoceanic-radio-on-ebay\/","url_meta":{"origin":12869,"position":4},"title":"Zenith R520A\/URR Transoceanic Radio on eBay","author":"Thomas","date":"March 17, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Since I'm a complete sucker for Signal Corps radios, my buddy David Korchin (K2WNW), thought it would be a great idea to tempt me with this recent listing on eBay: a rare Zenith R520A\/URR. Let's be fair. It's gorgeous.\u00a0 And I would like to know the full story behind this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nostalgia"","block_context":{"text":"Nostalgia","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/nostalgia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Zenith-Transoceanic","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Zenith-Transoceanic.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Zenith-Transoceanic.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Zenith-Transoceanic.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Zenith-Transoceanic.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58360,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2023\/12\/perry-spots-a-zenith-transoceanic-in-the-alligator-people\/","url_meta":{"origin":12869,"position":5},"title":"Perry spots a Zenith Transoceanic in “The Alligator People”","author":"Thomas","date":"December 6, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Perry Lusk (KG7YC), who writes: I spotted this on an old \"B\" rated film: Might be more fun to identify the movie than the Zenith Transoceanic we all know. The answer is The Alligator People (1959). The man is diagnosed with a fatal medical\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/gator-man.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/gator-man.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/gator-man.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/gator-man.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/gator-man.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/gator-man.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12869"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12869\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}