This company could be some rich Silicon Valley types who think this is viable and have more money than sense. In the 1970's using a soldering gun (not iron!) I built a Heathkit phone patch and was surprised that it worked.
I admire all of you who build these great things Gary and many of you have designed. I got my Novice ham license in 1969 and didn't need knowledge of electronics for employment so I didn't keep up with it. I've never been good at building and have shied away from projects such as small loops. Even simple things I build usually don't work. I've given up. I just turned 60. My hand/eye coordination isn't what it used to be. I have friends who would do a great job of building one of these for me but not for $150. Even if the price was more reasonable I wouldn't pay someone to beta test their new product. I've already paid Microsoft plenty for that "privilege". :) Heathkit had a few turkey ham kits. The worst one was the SB-104/104A HF transceiver in the 1980's. Two friends bought one. It spawned many Yahoo Group type nets. One was called the SB-104 disaster net. Not the usual type of disaster ham radio is very good for. I wish the new Heathkit company good luck. I think they will need it. Sent from my iPad > On Oct 8, 2015, at 8:14 PM, [email protected] wrote: > > Thanks for the info and link, Dennis. I was a Heathkit fanatic in the 1980's, > building almost all of their amateur radio-related kits. > > Unfortunately, the prognosis for this resurrected company is unlikely to be > much better than that of the original, in view of the changing demographics > of the electronic experimenter group. The thrill of long-distance radio > reception and the excitement of building electronic kits are concepts which > don't seem to connect with the younger generation-- raised on cell phones, > email and Skype. Even among our own generation the percentage of hobbyists > who are ready, willing and able to build electronic kits (and/ or design new > antennas) has been shrinking every year, mainly due to age-related health > issues. Even simple loopstick transplant projects can be intimidating to > those who don't have their original eyesight and/or hand coordination. As > such, the new Heathkit $150 radio kit may be a tough sell in view of what > features it offers in today's highly competitive radio market, and the > shrinking number of hobbyists willing to take up the building challenge. > > 73, Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA) > "Heathkid" on eBay > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Russ Johnson" <[email protected]> > To: "Mailing list for the International Radio Club of America" > <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, October 8, 2015 7:26:27 PM > Subject: Re: [IRCA] Fwd: New Heathkit kits > > Thanks for sharing. Interesting. Do you think this is a finished prototype? > The lack of any frequency markings seems odd. Cool overall look. > > 73 Russ J > >> On Oct 8, 2015, at 1:53 PM, Dennis Gibson <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> This is off topic but I think will be of interest to some of you. About >> three years ago I heard about the formation of a new Heathkit company. I >> filled out a survey but didn't hear anything more until now. >> >> The first kit is a TRF radio. >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> Begin forwarded message: >> >>> From: Heathkit <[email protected]> >>> Date: October 8, 2015 at 2:40:51 AM PDT >>> To: [email protected] >>> Subject: New Heathkit kits. >>> >>> If you are having trouble viewing this email, click here. >>> >>> >>> Dear Heathkit Insider, >>> >>> “What I really hope Heathkit will produce,” a Silicon Valley colleague >>> recently told me, “is a new radio kit with a beautiful finish, maybe in >>> rosewood.” Something great to enjoy building and learn from, and also >>> visually stunning, so he could put it in his living room and keep it >>> forever. >>> >>> Today, my friend gets his wish. >>> >>> Exciting news. More on that in a moment. >>> >>> It’s been a while since we wrote to our Heath Insiders. We promised not to >>> clutter your email inbox until we had something to say. Here’s a quick >>> summary of what we’ve quietly been doing at Heathkit during the past year: >>> We assembled a terrific team of very talented, hard-working, inventive >>> people. We acquired another company and merged its management, products, >>> assets, and operations gracefully into Heath Company. We ensured we own >>> every last bit of Heathkit intellectual property, to bring you all the >>> manuals, books, vintage designs, and classic logos you love, unencumbered >>> and in perpetuity. We built a company division and acquired a line of >>> vintage add-on designs to sustain the vintage products so important to many >>> Insiders. We developed and integrated our eBay site, so you can buy or bid >>> on auctioned items. We authored and published a helpful Android software >>> app on Heathkit’s GooglePlay site, with more apps to come. >>> >>> That’s a lot, but there’s more. We’ve designed and developed a wide range >>> of entirely new kit products. We authored the manuals for these kits, >>> complete with the beautiful line art you rely on, preserving and respecting >>> our iconic historic Heathkit style. We developed many new inventions and >>> filed patents on them. We relocated Heathkit, and set up a factory, and a >>> warehouse, and offices, in Santa Cruz, California, near Silicon Valley. We >>> built the back office infrastructure, vendor and supply chain >>> relationships, systems, procedures, operations methods, and >>> well-thought-out corporate structure that a manufacturing company needs to >>> support its customers, to allow us to scale instantly the day we resume >>> major kit sales. All this effort enables us to introduce a fleet of new >>> kits and helps ensure Heathkit can grow, prosper, and continue to bring you >>> great new products for a very long time. >>> >>> As you can see, we’ve been busy. It takes a lot to bring Heathkit back into >>> the kit business. And we’ve done it. >>> >>> We’ll have many product announcements coming, but today I want to tell you >>> about our flagship kit. >>> >>> It’s a simple kit—by intent. We feel an enormous responsibility to respect >>> and maintain the incredible legacy of Heathkit. To us this means, bringing >>> you kits you can build yourself, using our historic renowned Heathkit >>> you-can-do-it “We won’t let you fail”™ approach, yielding working useful >>> appliances so beautiful you’ll be proud to display and use them daily. It >>> also means creating an educational experience that teaches you how they >>> work, and how you can modify or repair what you own. >>> >>> Further, we feel a very strong commitment to making this experience >>> available to everyone, from 8 to 88 years old. That’s an especially high >>> hurdle. And we’ve done it. The result is the Explorer Jr.™ It’s a simple, >>> beautiful professional-looking little radio. It’s a historic design, made >>> new. It comes in several different colors. You build it yourself. Take it >>> anywhere. When you build it and as use it, you’ll learn to fall in love >>> with radio, for the first time—or all over again. And it’s just the first >>> in a series. >>> >>> As a Heath Insider, you are special to us. In a few days, we’ll connect >>> www.heathkit.com to our new website where our new products are listed. But >>> you stayed with us through this process. And we want to thank you. So we >>> are giving you, as an Insider, personal advance notice of the new products >>> and new website through this email, before we tell the general public. We >>> want you to know we appreciate your enthusiasm and respect for the Heathkit >>> name and history. >>> >>> We know that as an Insider, you want to own the first major kit we’ve >>> issued in decades. But please also think about this: >>> >>> Maybe you have a child, or a granddaughter or grandson, who is ready to >>> start their lifelong love for technology, or who will benefit from the >>> enormous self-esteem that comes from accomplishment. They deserve an >>> Explorer Jr too. (Remember to choose the style they’ll want most—we have >>> six colors). And then, please think about gently helping them build it. You >>> might remember the parent-and-child graphics on the front of so many >>> Heathkit manuals: We can’t count the number of Insiders who fondly remember >>> an adult helping them build their first Heathkit when they were young. What >>> a great way to spend time with someone you care about. >>> >>> We do not expect initial stock to last long, so please don’t wait to visit >>> our site. Also, please be patient while our new major kit, and new website, >>> go from zero to sixty in two seconds. We might have a few bumps in the road >>> as we scale up, and we appreciate in advance your patience. We’ll work with >>> you to get everything we can right. >>> >>> We anticipate 30-day shipping time for this week’s orders, and we’ll >>> continue to do everything we can to get all kits ordered this Fall to you >>> in time for the holidays. You can see and order the Explorer Jr. at >>> https://shop.heathkit.com/ now. Please don’t wait to be last: We don’t want >>> to disappoint anyone, but most of all, we don’t want to disappoint our >>> Insiders. Think about whether there’s anyone who would love one of these >>> kits as a holiday present. And thanks for your loyalty and patience as we >>> brought back to you Heathkit’s incredible legacy of the world’s best kits >>> again. >>> >>> Sincerely, >>> Andy (President) >>> and the team at Heathkit >>> >>> >>> -- >>> ____________________________________________________ >>> Heathkit ® is a registered trademark, and Explorer™, Explorer Jr.™, >>> Heathkit Jr.™, and Heathkit® Insider™ are trademarks, of Heath Company. (c) >>> 2015 All rights reserved. Heathkit® in all uses, the Heathkit name, the >>> Heathkit logos and slogans, and "Heathkit® Educational Systems" are >>> internationally registered trademarks of Heath Company. Other non-Heathkit® >>> marks incidentally appearing here are the property of their respective >>> owners. This message was only sent to people who opted in to the Heathkit >>> Insiders email list. >>> >>> >>> Links: >>> ------ >>> [1] >>> http://heathkit.com/http://www.heathkit.com/mailinglist/user/mailings.php?mail_id=15&[email protected]&code=9432379848967921c7b2ddefae044b94 >>> >>> [2] >>> http://heathkit.com/http://www.heathkit.com/mailinglist/user/[email protected]&code=9432379848967921c7b2ddefae044b94 >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> IRCA mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca >> >> Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the >> original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the >> IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers >> >> For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org >> >> To Post a message: [email protected] >> > _______________________________________________ > IRCA mailing list > [email protected] > http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca > > Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original > contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its > editors, publishing staff, or officers > > For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org > > To Post a message: [email protected] > > > _______________________________________________ > IRCA mailing list > [email protected] > http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca > > Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original > contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its > editors, publishing staff, or officers > > For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org > > To Post a message: [email protected] _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: [email protected]
