Zenith Trans-Oceanic
The Zenith Trans-Oceanic series (transoceanic also known as trans-oceanic) of shortwave portables would stretch from 1941 through 1982, with tube models produced until 1963. They were characterized by heavy-duty, high-quality construction and their performance as shortwave receivers. Of the many products of Zenith Radio, the 'Trans-Oceanic' series of portable radios were among the most famous.
The Zenith Corporation was founded in 1918 by amateur radio operators Ralph Matthews and Karl Hassel in Chicago as Chicago Radio Labs. They produced and sold amateur radio equipment. In 1921 they were joined by Eugene F. McDonald, who had served as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy in WWI. By 1924, the company began marketing consumer radios and in 1926 began the mass production of its first AC powered radio.
Lieutenant Commander Eugene F. McDonald (1886–1958) asked his company's engineers to develop prototype radios that could provide entertainment broadcasts as well as being able to tune into weather, marine and international shortwave stations. By 1940 they had concept sets that were ready for production. The accepted prototype from a serious of those rejected consisted of a six button band selector from which the user could select between the AM broadcast band, and five shortwave bands ranging up to 16 MHz.
Exterior design for the Trans-Oceanic came from a graduate of Grinnell College in Iowa, Robert Davol Budlong. The components used in the tuning unit were of the highest quality to ensure stability in the often rough environment that a portable radio might be operated in. The first version of Zenith Trans-Oceanic line of portable shortwave radios was the 7G605. It hit the market less than two months before the Pearl Harbor attack. You can identify the pre-Pearl Harbor version because a sailboat was etched on the grill cloth, later replaced with a bomber after the Japanese attack.
Zenith Trans-Oceanic radio production series
- 7G605/8G005Y series
- 500 series
- 600 series
- Royal 1000/3000 series
- Royal 7000 series
In comparison to other shortwave and multiband receivers what made the Trans-Oceanic so good was the overall rugged design, a long telescoping antenna, and a particularly large mechanical tuner. The physically large tuner provided better reception and selectivity for receiving more distant stations as compared to anything else available to the consumer of the day.
Zenith Trans-Oceanic radios were prized among soldiers and sailors stationed in remote areas or at sea. Not only was it sensitive enough to pull in far-off stations it was also so well built soldiers joked that it was bulletproof. On the insistence of Commander McDonald, the unit was resistant to humidity, with wax coatings on many critical components. This not only made the Trans-Oceanic a robust unit for sea voyages but was an added advantage in the humid conditions of tropical military outposts.
