Heathkit Returns!
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Elecraft List,
FYI: http://www.eetimes.com/discussion/break-points/4219631/Heathkit-returns-?cid=NL_Embedded&Ecosystem=embedded 73's, John C. Westmoreland, P.E. AJ6BC ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In the 1950s, the Heathkit AT-1 and AR-3 were pure junk. Yes, the prices
were low, but the design quality was awful. The DX-20, DX-35 and DX-40 were just okay but the VF-1 was trash. The DX-100 and DX-100B were okay if you were "rock bound," but if you used the VFO - it was a VF-1 - and it was terrible on CW and drifty on AM. By the 1960s, Heathkit had decided to be the poor man's alternative to Collins KWM-2. And, to their credit, the SB- and HW- series transceivers were a good value for the money. But, once the Japanese came in with FT-101B and TS-520, Heathkit's response was inferior and could not compete on price. That was the beginning of the end of its ham-radio kit line. In terms of design quality and value, Elecraft blows Heathkit, Collins, and Drake away and is certainly giving Yaesu and ICOM a run for their money. So, who cares if Heathkit may make ham-radio kits, again? They've lost several decades of experience which they'll never regain. Rob K6RB > Will keep it in mind, Rob. Might take a while to compose and recall, etc. > > Did you get the pix I sent of the > RadioGrill gathering at N6XI last weekend? > de Jerry/k6iii > > On Thu, Sep 8, 2011 at 11:16 AM, <[hidden email]> wrote: >> Jerry, >> >> Would you write and submit a "my story" article for October Solid Copy? >> I >> like to ha ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by John Westmoreland
In the 1950s, the Heathkit AT-1 and AR-3 were pure junk. Yes, the prices
were low, but the design quality was awful. The DX-20, DX-35 and DX-40 were just okay but the VF-1 was trash. The DX-100 and DX-100B were okay if you were "rock bound," but if you used the VFO - it was a VF-1 - and it was terrible on CW and drifty on AM. By the 1960s, Heathkit had decided to be the poor man's alternative to Collins KWM-2. And, to their credit, the SB- and HW- series transceivers were a good value for the money. But, once the Japanese came in with FT-101B and TS-520, Heathkit's response was inferior and could not compete on price. That was the beginning of the end of its ham-radio kit line. In terms of design quality and value, Elecraft blows Heathkit, Collins, and Drake away and is certainly giving Yaesu and ICOM a run for their money. So, who cares if Heathkit may make ham-radio kits, again? They've lost several decades of experience which they'll never regain. Rob K6RB > Elecraft List, > > FYI: > > http://www.eetimes.com/discussion/break-points/4219631/Heathkit-returns-?cid=NL_Embedded&Ecosystem=embedded > > 73's, > John C. Westmoreland, P.E. > AJ6BC > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailĀ¹ ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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The VF-1 could be considerably improved if operated from a separate
power supply and left on long enough to thermally stabilize. Not saying it could be confused with a crystal controlled oscillator, but a lot of its problems were related to voltage changes from the associated transmitter. Jack K8ZOA On 9/8/2011 6:46 PM, [hidden email] wrote: > In the 1950s, the Heathkit AT-1 and AR-3 were pure junk. Yes, the prices > were low, but the design quality was awful. The DX-20, DX-35 and DX-40 > were just okay but the VF-1 was trash. The DX-100 and DX-100B were okay if > you were "rock bound," but if you used the VFO - it was a VF-1 - and it > was terrible on CW and drifty on AM. > > By the 1960s, Heathkit had decided to be the poor man's alternative to > Collins KWM-2. And, to their credit, the SB- and HW- series transceivers > were a good value for the money. > > But, once the Japanese came in with FT-101B and TS-520, Heathkit's > response was inferior and could not compete on price. That was the > beginning of the end of its ham-radio kit line. > > In terms of design quality and value, Elecraft blows Heathkit, Collins, > and Drake away and is certainly giving Yaesu and ICOM a run for their > money. > > So, who cares if Heathkit may make ham-radio kits, again? They've lost > several decades of experience which they'll never regain. > > Rob K6RB > > > > >> Elecraft List, >> >> FYI: >> >> http://www.eetimes.com/discussion/break-points/4219631/Heathkit-returns-?cid=NL_Embedded&Ecosystem=embedded >> >> 73's, >> John C. Westmoreland, P.E. >> AJ6BC >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailĀ¹ > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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I will second that. As a novice in 1973, I had a Viking Challenger and a
VF-1. That combo gave me a "QSL" card from an Official Observer. I then built a stand alone power supply for the VF-1 and things settled down. The following year I got QRP fever, so I built an HW-7 (what a problem child that rig was). Then I got a factory built Ten-Tec Argonaut, and the world improved. I built a number of Heathkits through the years - some worked very well and a few not so much. My Novice receiver was an HR-10B that I built; and that was OK, but not great. Memories ... 73, Phil NS7P -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]]On Behalf Of Jack Smith Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2011 4:05 PM To: [hidden email] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Heathkit Returns! The VF-1 could be considerably improved if operated from a separate power supply and left on long enough to thermally stabilize. Not saying it could be confused with a crystal controlled oscillator, but a lot of its problems were related to voltage changes from the associated transmitter. Jack K8ZOA On 9/8/2011 6:46 PM, [hidden email] wrote: > In the 1950s, the Heathkit AT-1 and AR-3 were pure junk. Yes, the prices > were low, but the design quality was awful. The DX-20, DX-35 and DX-40 > were just okay but the VF-1 was trash. The DX-100 and DX-100B were okay if > you were "rock bound," but if you used the VFO - it was a VF-1 - and it > was terrible on CW and drifty on AM. > > By the 1960s, Heathkit had decided to be the poor man's alternative to > Collins KWM-2. And, to their credit, the SB- and HW- series transceivers > were a good value for the money. > > But, once the Japanese came in with FT-101B and TS-520, Heathkit's > response was inferior and could not compete on price. That was the > beginning of the end of its ham-radio kit line. > > In terms of design quality and value, Elecraft blows Heathkit, Collins, > and Drake away and is certainly giving Yaesu and ICOM a run for their > money. > > So, who cares if Heathkit may make ham-radio kits, again? They've lost > several decades of experience which they'll never regain. > > Rob K6RB > > > > >> Elecraft List, >> >> FYI: >> >> =NL_Embedded&Ecosystem=embedded >> >> 73's, >> John C. Westmoreland, P.E. >> AJ6BC >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailĀ¹ > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by k6rb
My 20MHz dual-trace oscilloscope and DMM still work - and I still use them.
I hope they will make test equipment kits again. Some folks are still running their Heathkit radios too. 73's, John AJ6BC On Thu, Sep 8, 2011 at 3:46 PM, <[hidden email]> wrote: > In the 1950s, the Heathkit AT-1 and AR-3 were pure junk. Yes, the prices > were low, but the design quality was awful. The DX-20, DX-35 and DX-40 > were just okay but the VF-1 was trash. The DX-100 and DX-100B were okay if > you were "rock bound," but if you used the VFO - it was a VF-1 - and it > was terrible on CW and drifty on AM. > > By the 1960s, Heathkit had decided to be the poor man's alternative to > Collins KWM-2. And, to their credit, the SB- and HW- series transceivers > were a good value for the money. > > But, once the Japanese came in with FT-101B and TS-520, Heathkit's > response was inferior and could not compete on price. That was the > beginning of the end of its ham-radio kit line. > > In terms of design quality and value, Elecraft blows Heathkit, Collins, > and Drake away and is certainly giving Yaesu and ICOM a run for their > money. > > So, who cares if Heathkit may make ham-radio kits, again? They've lost > several decades of experience which they'll never regain. > > Rob K6RB > > > > > > Elecraft List, > > > > FYI: > > > > > http://www.eetimes.com/discussion/break-points/4219631/Heathkit-returns-?cid=NL_Embedded&Ecosystem=embedded > > > > 73's, > > John C. Westmoreland, P.E. > > AJ6BC > > ______________________________________________________________ > > Elecraft mailing list > > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailąø > > Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by Phil Shepard
It's probably a little bit disingenuous to bash the late 50's Heathkit products too hard. Generally, the stuff was a good value, worked (some better than others of course), and was certainly no worse than most other comparable products of the time. I had a friend who got a set of St. James Grey gear as a 14th birthday present, but sadly, I was forced to have my fun with the "awful" Heathkit stuff. And I did have fun, thank you ..
I wonder how many thousands of VF-1s were sold? Judging by their ready availability still, I'd hazard it was the most common VFO of the era. Most of us who built/used one managed not to attract the attention of OOs or the FCC as a result :-) Grant/NQ5T On Sep 8, 2011, at 7:14 PM, Phillip Shepard wrote: > I will second that. My Novice receiver was an HR-10B that I > built; and that was OK, but not great. Memories ... > > >> In the 1950s, the Heathkit AT-1 and AR-3 were pure junk. Yes, the prices >> were low, but the design quality was awful. The DX-20, DX-35 and DX-40 >> were just okay but the VF-1 was trash. The DX-100 and DX-100B were okay if >> you were "rock bound," but if you used the VFO - it was a VF-1 - and it >> was terrible on CW and drifty on AM. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by k6rb
The one thing I can see Heath banking on is the wave of nostalgia that
has been in place for some time. I could see them bringing back some classics, perhaps in limited quantity, Playing off their history would be their strength. At this point I'm not sure that they could compete with the brain trust at Elecraft and play at the high end right off the bat. 73, de Nate N0NB >> -- "The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears this is true." Ham radio, Linux, bikes, and more: http://www.n0nb.us ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by Grant Youngman
One of the reasons I delight in the rock-solid stability of today's gear --
the K3 in particular -- is that I had a Vf1 when I was a brand-new ham in 69. It was good enough on 80 and 40 but when I fired it up on 10 meters with the DX-40, it was WA3MIX AM & FM. Lou ----- Original Message ----- From: "Grant Youngman" <[hidden email]> To: "Elecraft Reflector" <[hidden email]> Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2011 9:14 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Heathkit Returns! > It's probably a little bit disingenuous to bash the late 50's Heathkit > products too hard. Generally, the stuff was a good value, worked (some > better than others of course), and was certainly no worse than most other > comparable products of the time. I had a friend who got a set of St. > James Grey gear as a 14th birthday present, but sadly, I was forced to > have my fun with the "awful" Heathkit stuff. And I did have fun, thank > you .. > > I wonder how many thousands of VF-1s were sold? Judging by their ready > availability still, I'd hazard it was the most common VFO of the era. > Most of us who built/used one managed not to attract the attention of OOs > or the FCC as a result :-) > > Grant/NQ5T > > On Sep 8, 2011, at 7:14 PM, Phillip Shepard wrote: > >> I will second that. My Novice receiver was an HR-10B that I >> built; and that was OK, but not great. Memories ... >> >> >>> In the 1950s, the Heathkit AT-1 and AR-3 were pure junk. Yes, the prices >>> were low, but the design quality was awful. The DX-20, DX-35 and DX-40 >>> were just okay but the VF-1 was trash. The DX-100 and DX-100B were okay >>> if >>> you were "rock bound," but if you used the VFO - it was a VF-1 - and it >>> was terrible on CW and drifty on AM. > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by k6rb
My Heathkit antenna tuner (HFT-9A) is, since putting my K2/100 on-line, now back
on-line as part of my regular station setup (see the pic on my page at QRZ.COM). I have no idea how many years ago I built it, but it works great. And ditto for my HD-3030 terminal unit (!) ... built sometime in the mid-80s, and now back on-line and still going strong after re-peaking the filters. Cheers - Bruce
Bruce Rosen
K1FFX K2/100 6982 KSB2 KAT100-1 KAF2 KIO2 |
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In reply to this post by Nate Bargmann
I don't think Heathkit will be entering the Ham Radio market anytime
soon, Elecraft has taken that position from them. Their initial kit promise is for a "parking position" sensor that will allow you to position your vehicle in the garage - a 2x4 placed on the garage floor does that for me at the moment, so I am curious to discover the value added by this Heathkit offering. Heathkit used to be an affordable solution to the ham on a budget. The HW101 or the SB101 was a Solution to those who wanted the Collins KWM1 but could not afford the Collins price tag. Heathkit provided good transceivers (or separate transmitters and receivers) at an affordable price, and that fact is not to be diminished. I just do not see Heathkit continuing in that market with the likes of Elecraft leading the way with offerings like the K2, the K1 and KX1 and the kit version of the K3 and soon to come KX3 at affordable prices given the current economy 73, Don W3FPR On 9/8/2011 9:20 PM, Nate Bargmann wrote: > The one thing I can see Heath banking on is the wave of nostalgia that > has been in place for some time. I could see them bringing back some > classics, perhaps in limited quantity, Playing off their history would > be their strength. At this point I'm not sure that they could compete > with the brain trust at Elecraft and play at the high end right off the > bat. > > 73, de Nate N0NB>> > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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My three cents (have to account for inflation); Heathkit could enter the ham market again by offering something that Elecraft doesn't and something that would be just as useful. By this I mean that they could start out by offering a 2 meter mobile radio kit that is microprocessor controlled, as I believe one of the last kits they offered way back when was a computer kit.
Matthew Pitts N8OHU Sent from my Wireless Device -----Original Message----- From: Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]> Sender: [hidden email] Date: Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:55:10 To: <[hidden email]> Reply-To: [hidden email] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] my story for Solid Copy I don't think Heathkit will be entering the Ham Radio market anytime soon, Elecraft has taken that position from them. Their initial kit promise is for a "parking position" sensor that will allow you to position your vehicle in the garage - a 2x4 placed on the garage floor does that for me at the moment, so I am curious to discover the value added by this Heathkit offering. Heathkit used to be an affordable solution to the ham on a budget. The HW101 or the SB101 was a Solution to those who wanted the Collins KWM1 but could not afford the Collins price tag. Heathkit provided good transceivers (or separate transmitters and receivers) at an affordable price, and that fact is not to be diminished. I just do not see Heathkit continuing in that market with the likes of Elecraft leading the way with offerings like the K2, the K1 and KX1 and the kit version of the K3 and soon to come KX3 at affordable prices given the current economy 73, Don W3FPR On 9/8/2011 9:20 PM, Nate Bargmann wrote: > The one thing I can see Heath banking on is the wave of nostalgia that > has been in place for some time. I could see them bringing back some > classics, perhaps in limited quantity, Playing off their history would > be their strength. At this point I'm not sure that they could compete > with the brain trust at Elecraft and play at the high end right off the > bat. > > 73, de Nate N0NB>> > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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A Cantenna would be a nice start........
73, Mike NF4L On 9/8/2011 10:03 PM, Matthew Pitts wrote: > My three cents (have to account for inflation); Heathkit could enter the ham market again by offering something that Elecraft doesn't and something that would be just as useful. By this I mean that they could start out by offering a 2 meter mobile radio kit that is microprocessor controlled, as I believe one of the last kits they offered way back when was a computer kit. > > Matthew Pitts > N8OHU > Sent from my Wireless Device > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by Don Wilhelm-5
Don I agree but I think you missed one point. I can't ever remember a kit
before Elecraft that was judged best in class. Re-engineering and cost reduction was really Heathkit's forte. Heathkit's attempts at original engineering, like the Pawnee, Shawnee, and their first synthesized 2M rig were unmitigated disasters. Collins never felt the competition because if you could afford it you always bought the Collins even if that meant buying the used 75A4 or 51J. 73 Fred, AE6QL -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Don Wilhelm Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2011 6:55 PM To: [hidden email] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] my story for Solid Copy I don't think Heathkit will be entering the Ham Radio market anytime soon, Elecraft has taken that position from them. Their initial kit promise is for a "parking position" sensor that will allow you to position your vehicle in the garage - a 2x4 placed on the garage floor does that for me at the moment, so I am curious to discover the value added by this Heathkit offering. Heathkit used to be an affordable solution to the ham on a budget. The HW101 or the SB101 was a Solution to those who wanted the Collins KWM1 but could not afford the Collins price tag. Heathkit provided good transceivers (or separate transmitters and receivers) at an affordable price, and that fact is not to be diminished. I just do not see Heathkit continuing in that market with the likes of Elecraft leading the way with offerings like the K2, the K1 and KX1 and the kit version of the K3 and soon to come KX3 at affordable prices given the current economy 73, Don W3FPR On 9/8/2011 9:20 PM, Nate Bargmann wrote: > The one thing I can see Heath banking on is the wave of nostalgia that > has been in place for some time. I could see them bringing back some > classics, perhaps in limited quantity, Playing off their history > would be their strength. At this point I'm not sure that they could > compete with the brain trust at Elecraft and play at the high end > right off the bat. > > 73, de Nate N0NB>> > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by Don Wilhelm-5
What my reply left out was that a recent thread on the QRZ.com forum on
the Heathkit topic had at least one poster who was purportedly in talks with folks at Heath. According to him, they are interested in re-entry into the amateur market and that something along the lines of playing off their classic lines seemed to be high on their list. Time will tell, of course. 73, de Nate N0NB >> -- "The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears this is true." Ham radio, Linux, bikes, and more: http://www.n0nb.us ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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Not sure you should be advertising the competition on here, Nape.
Heathkit was excellent in years gone by, but for me it's ELECRAFT for the present and the future. 73 de David G4DMP In a recent message, Nate Bargmann <[hidden email]> writes > >What my reply left out was that a recent thread on the QRZ.com forum on >the Heathkit topic had at least one poster who was purportedly in talks >with folks at Heath. According to him, they are interested in re-entry >into the amateur market and that something along the lines of playing >off their classic lines seemed to be high on their list. -- + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - + | David M Pratt, Kippax, Leeds. | | Website: http://www.g4dmp.co.uk | + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - + ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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I grew up with Heathkit and built or repaired many of their products.
I learned a lot from them. (I would soon try my own hand at kit design. Alas, the high price of 1970s-era TTL ICs doomed my digital tach project.) There was a Heathkit retail outlet at Grossmont Center, two miles from my house in La Mesa. My high school friends and I would drop by occasionally to drool over the all-Heath ham station on display. The store's carefully dimmed ambient lighting enhanced the aristocratic glow of the meter lamps, while the triband yagi on the roof never failed to pull in strong DX stations on 15 meters. But in those days, funded as we were by paper routes and push mowers, the dream seemed far out of reach. The sales counter, pristine and intimidatingly high, was staffed by a clean-cut middle-aged man with a touch of gray at the sideburns. You know the stereotype: pipe in one hand, soldering iron in the other, as if he'd stepped right out of Heath's catalog. He politely denied my credit application. Wistful memories notwithstanding, the impending resurrection of Heath's kit line reminds me of the story about a woolly mammoth that drowned in icy waters some 10,000 years ago. Scientists found the beast nearly intact, suspended in a block of ice somewhere in northern Canada. Given the capricious nature of climate change, I suppose it could just as easily have been western Michigan. The mammoth was reasonably well-preserved. This elicited talk of a revival attempt by the same sort of scientists who have themselves quick-frozen upon their death, along with treasured artifacts like their pipes and soldering irons. Unfortunately, the best the team could do was thaw out a few small steaks and serve them to the hopeful. I can just imagine the labored grins on the faces of those hardy diners. We know from centuries of native oral tradition that mammoth meat was a bit tough, even when fresh. But back to western Michigan. My wife's family has a cabin in Ludington, a couple of hours north of Benton Harbor. We visit the cabin every other summer to enjoy the miles of lonely beach along the lake. Next time we go there, you can bet we'll be detouring to take in the Heath tour, which I hope includes a museum. I'd love to see my beloved DX-20 transmitter, which hummed and sizzled and arced in a manner not described in the literature, and which struck fear into the hearts of nearby TV viewers in my ancestral La Mesa homeland. With tongue firmly in cheek, and with appreciation for those who bothered to read this far-- Wayne, N6KR On Sep 8, 2011, at 10:59 PM, David Pratt wrote: > Not sure you should be advertising the competition on here, Nape. > Heathkit was excellent in years gone by, but for me it's ELECRAFT for > the present and the future. > > 73 de David G4DMP ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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Wayne Burdick wrote > <snip> The mammoth was reasonably well-preserved. Unfortunately, the best the team could do was thaw out a few small steaks and serve them to the hopeful. <snip> - - Reminds me of a field-day recipe book from long ago, for Elephant stew: First, dice one elephant . . . . > > But back to western Michigan. My wife's family has a cabin in > Ludington, a couple of hours north of Benton Harbor. W So that's where Luddites come from. I always wondered. <snip> > I'd love to see my beloved DX-20 transmitter, which hummed and sizzled > and arced in a manner not described in the literature, and which > struck fear into the hearts of > nearby TV viewers in my ancestral La Mesa homeland. I too started with a DX-20, back in the dark days of 1959. Mine made interesting sounds when it was keyed, but it never quit. Still got the darn thing. <snip> - Jim, KL7CC ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by wayne burdick
Wow. I had a DX-20 and NC-125 receiver in my college dorm room. Threw a very thin wire out the second floor window into a tree. It had to be loose because a few times the groundskeepers spied it and pulled it out of the tree. I used the receiver to keep track of club radio usage - W1AF. We had some international students who had no regard for band edges.
Wayne, you're not that old. Monty Shultes K2DLJ, Class of 1961 On Sep 9, 2011, at 3:57 AM, Wayne Burdick wrote: > I grew up with Heathkit and built or repaired many of their products. > I learned a lot from them. (I would soon try my own hand at kit > design. Alas, the high price of 1970s-era TTL ICs doomed my digital > tach project.) > > There was a Heathkit retail outlet at Grossmont Center, two miles from > my house in La Mesa. My high school friends and I would drop by > occasionally to drool over the all-Heath ham station on display. The > store's carefully dimmed ambient lighting enhanced the aristocratic > glow of the meter lamps, while the triband yagi on the roof never > failed to pull in strong DX stations on 15 meters. But in those days, > funded as we were by paper routes and push mowers, the dream seemed > far out of reach. > > The sales counter, pristine and intimidatingly high, was staffed by a > clean-cut middle-aged man with a touch of gray at the sideburns. You > know the stereotype: pipe in one hand, soldering iron in the other, as > if he'd stepped right out of Heath's catalog. He politely denied my > credit application. > > Wistful memories notwithstanding, the impending resurrection of > Heath's kit line reminds me of the story about a woolly mammoth that > drowned in icy waters some 10,000 years ago. Scientists found the > beast nearly intact, suspended in a block of ice somewhere in northern > Canada. Given the capricious nature of climate change, I suppose it > could just as easily have been western Michigan. > > The mammoth was reasonably well-preserved. This elicited talk of a > revival attempt by the same sort of scientists who have themselves > quick-frozen upon their death, along with treasured artifacts like > their pipes and soldering irons. > > Unfortunately, the best the team could do was thaw out a few small > steaks and serve them to the hopeful. I can just imagine the labored > grins on the faces of those hardy diners. We know from centuries of > native oral tradition that mammoth meat was a bit tough, even when > fresh. > > But back to western Michigan. My wife's family has a cabin in > Ludington, a couple of hours north of Benton Harbor. We visit the > cabin every other summer to enjoy the miles of lonely beach along the > lake. > > Next time we go there, you can bet we'll be detouring to take in the > Heath tour, which I hope includes a museum. I'd love to see my beloved > DX-20 transmitter, which hummed and sizzled and arced in a manner not > described in the literature, and which struck fear into the hearts of > nearby TV viewers in my ancestral La Mesa homeland. > > With tongue firmly in cheek, and with appreciation for those who > bothered to read this far-- > > Wayne, > N6KR > > > On Sep 8, 2011, at 10:59 PM, David Pratt wrote: > >> Not sure you should be advertising the competition on here, Nape. >> Heathkit was excellent in years gone by, but for me it's ELECRAFT for >> the present and the future. >> >> 73 de David G4DMP > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by Jim Wiley-2
I also started out with a DX-20 in 1961. For me the most memorable thing
about it was the meter on the front panel - completely undamped. It would rattle against the stops when keying. But it never failed. 73 Craig AC0DS ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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