Heathkit making a comeback?

[zz0468]

Take the survey!

Heathkit Customer Survey - Spring 2013 ::

Now's your chance to tell them what you want to build. Ham gear? Scanners? Maybe they can be interested in building that bulletproof (i.e. not plastic) scanner that everyone wants.

 

[KR4BD]

Take the survey!

Heathkit Customer Survey - Spring 2013 ::

Now's your chance to tell them what you want to build. Ham gear? Scanners? Maybe they can be interested in building that bulletproof (i.e. not plastic) scanner that everyone wants.

Is this for real??? A Year ago, it was widely reported that Heathkit had thrown in the towel and was "gone forever".

If true, I would welcome the news. I cut my teeth on Heathkits back in the early 1970's. I built my first transmitter/receiver/VFO from Heathkits (DX60B, HR60B, HG10). I also built a Heathkit 10 channel scanner, with crystals back in the day....and lots of other items like a VTVM, SWR meter, CW-Keyer, Signal Generator, SW Receiver, etc.... Hams today are just not experiencing the fun we had building our own equipment. I still have a few pieces of Heathkit equipment that I assembled nearly 40 years ago which is still in working order! It was solid equipment that was easy to maintain.

 

[902]

Is this for real??? A Year ago, it was widely reported that Heathkit had thrown in the towel and was "gone forever".

If true, I would welcome the news. I cut my teeth on Heathkits back in the early 1970's. I built my first transmitter/receiver/VFO from Heathkits (DX60B, HR60B, HG10). I also built a Heathkit 10 channel scanner, with crystals back in the day....and lots of other items like a VTVM, SWR meter, CW-Keyer, Signal Generator, SW Receiver, etc.... Hams today are just not experiencing the fun we had building our own equipment. I still have a few pieces of Heathkit equipment that I assembled nearly 40 years ago which is still in working order! It was solid equipment that was easy to maintain.

I really hope it's for real. I would love to have a technologically updated SB series HF station! I'd also love to get my kids into building electronic kits. Without a doubt, we've shifted from being "hands-on" to being a disposable culture when it comes to all of our electronics. I used to work as a component-level technician in the early to mid 90s, and by 1996, it was evident that the newest versions of equipment - EVEN WITH the specialized equipment, like an X-Y axis clamp and hot air bonder, still required a trip to the depot because the component you bought, which was physically the defective component, wasn't sold with any of the smarts flashed into it, and the manufacturer wasn't going to let any of it out their doors. These days, electronics technicians are board swappers and laptop luggers. They wouldn't know how to go into components. This is where I think the niche for Heathkit lies. Hands-on training for our newest generation of technicians. I tell people there are two kinds of technicians: gray and dead. We're not seeing the schools turn out any, and I, for one, believe that this is one of the foremost reasons we as a nation have lost our technological edge to others. We're only consumers now and build or modify or design our way out of a paper bag if those foreign lands ever decided to withhold products (which are mostly junk anyway).

There are still a handful of specialty kits out there, like Elecraft, Hendricks, and Ramsey, but no one has the market penetration the name Heathkit does. I filled out my survey. Only time will tell if there's a team of executives looking it over in earnest or some goofus who bought the domain is playing a grand practical joke.

 

[jhooten]

As much as I would like to see them back I am not optimistic.

 

[902]

By the way, that DX-60, HR-10, and HG-10 trio was my first HF station when I had my novice license. Because of that setup and working completely CW, when I upgraded, I went directly from novice to general, bypassing technician, then I was able to make some 10 meter AM contacts once I finally got voice privileges. I still have my HG-10 somewhere, but alas, I traded the transmitter for a Hallicrafters HT-32B and the receiver for something else once I got my first integrated transceiver rig. Wish I held on to those. I also had a 20 meter HW-32, and a HW2021 2 meter portable on 146.52, my first FM rig! There was nothing cooler than being able to talk to people from miles away while I was walking down the street to the store. Okay, the thing was 9-1/4" x 1-7/8" x 3-1/4" and weighed 2 pounds, but I thought it was cool. (Yes, I used to get beat up once in a while, LOL. Then I replaced the HW2021 with an HT220.) I'm looking in the catalog - this brick was $170 in 1977 money - that's about $680 in today's money! More amazing was that my parents spent that much on me!

 

[Eickerman]

I really hope it's for real. I would love to have a technologically updated SB series HF station!

A related option to this is something I always wondered about because it seems almost too easy. An updated SB-101 (no not the SB104 nor the HW5400). Just an updated SB-101 or SB-102 based upon the same basic chassis. Call it the SB-102A.

What I am talking about is a board by board replacement where each semiconductor replacement board can be dropped into an existing SB-101/102 chassis. Maybe even using the existing wiring harness.

This could include a drop in LMO that contains both the LMO as well as the Hetrodyne oscillator outputs (i.e., no crystals for each band) and digital readout that shows through the existing bezel.

Then a drop-in PA module that fits where the PA cage goes. Then the Tune and Load controls could run a simple antenna tuner. The Driver/Preselector could still function as a preselector to help immunize against intermods due to operating in high power multi-op scenarios.

Curtis Eickerman

 

[russellmaher]

I took the survey and hope that Heathkit makes a comeback. I remember their products and I think there may be a market for them.

Russell

 

[AC2OY]

That's a long survey...LOL I wonder if they're going to start shipping things to my doorstep?!...LOL Good excuse to start learning who to build stuff!! Sadly to say I've never held a soldering iron in my hand. Watched my Father do it a few times but that's about it.

 

[KR4BD]

That's a long survey.......... Sadly to say I've never held a soldering iron in my hand. Watched my Father do it a few times but that's about it.

Yes, I know many hams who do not know how to solder. Our local club has an older ham (like me!!!!) teach basic soldering, kit assembly, radio repair, etc. on Saturday mornings to those younger hams who would like to learn these skills. In the 1960's, l learned how to solder by putting together some basic radio kits. When I felt I knew what I was doing (at age 14 or 15), I bought a $40 Shortwave Radio Kit from Allied Radio in Chicago. It was the Star Roamer model. After carefully following directions and many, many days later, it was ready for the smoke test.... It came right on and DID NOT SMOKE! Then, I found I had to learn how to align all the coils in it to optimize its performance. Again, following directions, I was successful in getting the thing to work quite well.

If Heathkit DOES return, I hope the younger hams try some kit building. It was addictive and LOTS OF FUN for me!

 

[902]

Michael, here's a sample of what a Heathkit project and assembly instructions look like. If you are patient and RTFM, you should do fine. It's like building models - you work your way up from simple projects. The documentation was the best for its time and would probably be great today.

KR4BD, I'm in an all-ham family, too. I'm just now bringing my 16 year-old with me on various repeater sites and projects so he gets to learn site management and RF hardware. He's got his general and likes to work DX. As it is, I'm throwing most of the simple repairs at him. I think we could do dueling Heathkits - we sit at the table with his kit on one side and mine on the other and see who gets done first.

 

[zz0468]

Is this for real??? A Year ago, it was widely reported that Heathkit had thrown in the towel and was "gone forever".

From the Heathkit Wikipedia entry (for whatever it's worth)...

"The company announced in 2011 that they were reentering the kit business after a 20 year hiatus. They then filed for bankruptcy in 2012, and began restructuring in 2013. In May of 2013, the Heathkit website was updated to reflect this restructuring process, featuring an extensive survey hidden in the source code of the page."

So, it could be for real. It would be a pretty pointless hoax if not. It seems that the will to get back into the kit business is there, even if the funding is not.

I built a ton of Heathkits when I was a kid, and had a blast with every one of them.

 

[jhooten]

Don't let anyone tell you Heathkit did not produce quality. This is from 1977ish and was found in the rubble pile after the 2011 conflagration:

 

[Scatcatpdx]

Serious doubt it

Unless it going to be modular like the Raspberry Pi I doubt it. The problem is new SMT technology, lead free solder, and programmable devices. I have even touch the issue of firmware. I have work as a rework tech in the electronics industry. It will be hard press to find any through hole parts teases days,

 

[902]

Unless it going to be modular like the Raspberry Pi I doubt it. The problem is new SMT technology, lead free solder, and programmable devices. I have even touch the issue of firmware. I have work as a rework tech in the electronics industry. It will be hard press to find any through hole parts teases days,

You're right about finding parts. About the only place I can get small quantities of anything is Digikey anymore. But you can buy a hot air or IR bonder on eBay for a reasonable price now. I bought one for a few hundred dollars and have reworked a few BGA devices now to the point where I don't destroy what I touch anymore. Kids have already mastered programmable devices. Imagine our younger generation if they can marry these skills with learning hardware we could be much more confident in our future.

I don't think SMT or special soldering techniques are a barrier. If anything, a Heathkit-like entity could introduce this to an entire cross-section of new experimenters. The first objective is learning. Then having fun, then having a lasting useful product you made and can be proud of. No losers there at all.

 

[zz0468]

I don't think SMT or special soldering techniques are a barrier. If anything, a Heathkit-like entity could introduce this to an entire cross-section of new experimenters. The first objective is learning. Then having fun, then having a lasting useful product you made and can be proud of. No losers there at all.

I agree, and your comment gives me an idea. One of the things Heathkit is well known for is some excellent training courses. They also sold electronic kits to go along with some of those courses.

How about an SMT training kit, where you build your own hot air station, hot tweezers, etc., and maybe it could come with some simple SMT kits for practice... things that would actually be useful.

The perfect starter kit, and then you move on to their more advanced kits, which are all SMT based, of course.

My home lab has been equipped for surface mount construction for quite some time now, and I find it only a bit more challenging than leaded components.

As for components, there's nothing wrong with Digikey, Mouser, and so on. Dan's Small Parts is a good place to stock up on SMT components for general project use.

Building has changed radically, but it's as do-able now as it's ever been. More, maybe. And every bit as fun as it used to be.

 

[Squad10]

The Rise and Fall of Heathkit -- And Rise of SparkFun

https://www.sparkfun.com/news/986


Sparkfun Electronics website is an excellent source of information, kits and components.

I recommend clicking on their Tutorials tab.

https://www.sparkfun.com/

For test equipment:

Multimeter,Multimeters- The PROFESSIONAL DMM AMM Online Direct Store

 

[902]

zz0468, Thank you for the leads! Yes, I think it's a perfect idea to build your own SMT station and then use it for skills-building kits. Hey, if Heathkit won't do it, it might just be the thing to do without them!

Squad10, the old man is more comfortable with a DEC PDP-11/70 and a Silent 700, but his son has been bugging him for an Arduino every time we walk into a Radio Shack. I might learn something from Sparkfun! (d'ya think? ;o) This has to be the most positive discussion I've been a part of in a long time! I'm really excited.

 

[KF7RHY]

I've never built anything from Heathkit (too young), but I've heard good things about them. I'd really like to build some amateur radio equipment. Filled out the survey. Thanks for the link.

 

[W2PMX]

I don't think SMT or special soldering techniques are a barrier.

For you youngsters. But if, even with a magnifier, you have trouble seeing how well you've soldered a thru-hole lead, of you're not sure which pin of an IC socket the tip is touching, some SMT components are too small to handle.

If Heath starts using SMT and smaller components, I'd like to see kits coming as both full kits and as kits with the microscopic parts already soldered in. I can still do a fairly competent job of soldering on 0,100 centers, but when the entire part is 0.1" across, I have trouble seeing it, let alone handling it.

We may be old, but some of us can still remember building an AR1 and QF1.

 

[Rt169Radio]

I have heard of them, but were they a radio company or a kit company, or both? If they were a radio company it would be cool to see them make scanners.