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C'mon Guys, Fess Up
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I confess . When I was 13 or so I built a IM-28 VTVM,A 2-channel O'scope,a RF signal generator,A transistor checker and a Portable Shortwave Radio model GR- 78. The test equipment was built for my fathers Radio(CB,Ham,Businessband) repair business. The SW Rec. was for me.I just finished refurbing the only thing left the IM-28. http://audiokarma.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1437829&postcount=17
http://audiokarma.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1437831&postcount=18
http://audiokarma.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1437831&postcount=18
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Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
Peanut Head
My brothers and I built several Heathkit amps, receivers, VTVM's SW radios and even a guitar amp! There was also Eico, Knight-Kits, Dynakit and several others. McIntosh even offered kits back then! Back then, DIY or kit building was the best part of the audio hobby.
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jhal
Titanium Bliss
I also built the gray pocket radio when I was in electronics class in 9th grade high school. The teacher got all aggravated with me because I finished it without having him inspect every step of assembly. Little did he know, I learned to solder when I was 10.
I still have it and it still works.
I still have it and it still works.
Don't forget Hafler.
mhardy6647
Lunatic Member
Used to build the 400 VDC power supplies for fun and a very modest profit when I was an undergrad. They were used in the undergrad biochem lab as electrophoresis power supplies. My PhD lab had one too (not built by me). My thesis advisor gave the latter one to me a few years ago, and it is now my troubleshooting/breadboarding power supply.
I also built the 4-digit blue/green fluorescent digital clock for my father ca. 1977. He still has, and uses it.
I also built the 4-digit blue/green fluorescent digital clock for my father ca. 1977. He still has, and uses it.
Built several Knight-Kits, but the only Heathkit exposure I had was finishing a Heath color TV for a guy who got frustrated about 25% into the project. Surprised the hell out of me when it worked!!
markn2wae
Mark T N2WAE
"Time capsule" Heathkit GRC-2700 TV.
About 4 years ago, my neighbor gave me a 27 inch Heathkit TV (an unassembled GRC-2700).
The manual showed two fancy cabinets for it, but because he got it as part of his past electronics training school, he never assembled it, stored it in his attic, and it has what I called the "Fred Flinstone" style of cabinet (see pic.)
The only PCB you built from "scratch" was the built in (hard wired, no RF output) dot bar generator, all the other boards where prebuilt, all you did was mount them and plug cables and wires between them.
No problems where encountered when powering up (parts where never stressed by use).
Full instructions where given to picture tube alignment.
I felt a little like Dr. Frankenstein when I powered it up!
Mark T.
About 4 years ago, my neighbor gave me a 27 inch Heathkit TV (an unassembled GRC-2700).
The manual showed two fancy cabinets for it, but because he got it as part of his past electronics training school, he never assembled it, stored it in his attic, and it has what I called the "Fred Flinstone" style of cabinet (see pic.)
The only PCB you built from "scratch" was the built in (hard wired, no RF output) dot bar generator, all the other boards where prebuilt, all you did was mount them and plug cables and wires between them.
No problems where encountered when powering up (parts where never stressed by use).
Full instructions where given to picture tube alignment.
I felt a little like Dr. Frankenstein when I powered it up!
Mark T.
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bshorey
Super Member
I still have my Heathkit AA-1640 power amp, 200 watts per channel out of the box. It's huge, and weighs a ton. Bought it with gift money I received from relatives when I earned my Eagle Scout, so I'll never part with it!
I've got a couple of other kits lying around somewhere..
bs
dshoaf
That high voltage buzz
That's cool, Mark. You don't find many unassembled kits these days.
I, too, built my first radio from Heathkit - Motto: "We won't let you fail" - a GR-64 shortwave radio, all tube. It looked absolutely awful inside but it did work when I turned it on. The thrill of actually seeing it come to life is still with me and returns each time I get something working again even today.
I also built lots of other audio gear from Hafler, test equipment from a number of small houses, projects from Popular Electronics, etc, none of which I still have, unfortnuately.
Anyone remember Southwest Technical Products? I built a couple of their power amps in the 70s. The notorious Tiger amps for one. Actually gutted a couple of Ampex 351 preamps for the chassis on those! Geez, what I'd give to have those back......
Later in engineering school, I fixed _lots_ of other people's attempts at building Heathkit products. They were usually bad solder joints but finding them was the tough part. The troubleshooting skills I learned there set me up for my first job with Texas Instruments as a field repair engineer.
Cheers,
David
I, too, built my first radio from Heathkit - Motto: "We won't let you fail" - a GR-64 shortwave radio, all tube. It looked absolutely awful inside but it did work when I turned it on. The thrill of actually seeing it come to life is still with me and returns each time I get something working again even today.
I also built lots of other audio gear from Hafler, test equipment from a number of small houses, projects from Popular Electronics, etc, none of which I still have, unfortnuately.
Anyone remember Southwest Technical Products? I built a couple of their power amps in the 70s. The notorious Tiger amps for one. Actually gutted a couple of Ampex 351 preamps for the chassis on those! Geez, what I'd give to have those back......
Later in engineering school, I fixed _lots_ of other people's attempts at building Heathkit products. They were usually bad solder joints but finding them was the tough part. The troubleshooting skills I learned there set me up for my first job with Texas Instruments as a field repair engineer.
Cheers,
David
Electronic Heirloom
When I was in high school, I used to hang out at our local Heathkit store a lot. I really liked their big digital clock, with electronic Westminster chimes and huge edge-lighted plexiglas numerals. I never got the kit becasue it was listed as "advanced" and was not cheap.
Ten years later, Heathkit was making a (short-lived) comeback, and the clock kit was one of their "classic" projects. In 1982, my then girlfriend told some friends about my desire for this strange clock, and they got me the various kits for my birthday. I put it together, and it worked like a charm (chime?)! I have had it ever since, though it has had problems (due to leaky electrolytic capacitors, mainly), and the chimes don't work now, but the clock still sits proudly on my mantle, like a modern "family heirloom".
I really miss Heathkit, and I hope to get the clock working completely again some day.
When I was in high school, I used to hang out at our local Heathkit store a lot. I really liked their big digital clock, with electronic Westminster chimes and huge edge-lighted plexiglas numerals. I never got the kit becasue it was listed as "advanced" and was not cheap.
Ten years later, Heathkit was making a (short-lived) comeback, and the clock kit was one of their "classic" projects. In 1982, my then girlfriend told some friends about my desire for this strange clock, and they got me the various kits for my birthday. I put it together, and it worked like a charm (chime?)! I have had it ever since, though it has had problems (due to leaky electrolytic capacitors, mainly), and the chimes don't work now, but the clock still sits proudly on my mantle, like a modern "family heirloom".
I really miss Heathkit, and I hope to get the clock working completely again some day.
Kenny Brant
Kenny bugs
Ar-1500
Built a Heathkit AR-1500 in 1972, now I have 6 various AR-1500's and AR-1500A's.
Built a Heathkit AR-1500 in 1972, now I have 6 various AR-1500's and AR-1500A's.
Harvey/ Ga
Super Member
I built their color TV in the mid '60's...a 21" IIRC. A few others as well as at least one EICO (VTVM) Also built my first computer, a Northstar 8088 with (gasp) 16 KB memory
clydeselsor
Lunatic Member
I built a Heathkit s.s. phono preamp in 10th grade in electronics class. It worked fine but would pick up all of the neighbor's CB radios (a big craze back then) so I mounted it inside one of my mother's Kitchen canisters to shield it. It was then renamed the "flour preamp"!
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