How many of you built Heathkits?
- Thread starter HiFiCanada
- Start date
dly66
Addicted Member
Needed a PC at Virginia Tech so my parents decided to buy the Heathkit HS-161 portable kit (more like 40 lb luggable) so summer before college spent doing a lot of soldering and component insertion. Portable IBM XT clone. Fortunately we had a Heathkit store in Greensboro at the time they helped get the video card adjusted right apparently I was not getting it right. Computer finally went brain dead during grad school about 5-6 years later. I have seen there are some videos on Youtube of someone building boards for the HS-151 desktop version.
Macaroonie
Super Member
Great stories folks. Thanks from Scotland.
gtv2000
Super Member
I've been offline for a few weeks. I think I have the original manual, let me look.
graphixman
Active Member
I have fond memories of my father building Heathkit projects on the kitchen table. Oscilloscopes, radios, and other test equipment. If I remember correctly he built a console television too. He was an electrician in the Air Force and dreamed of opening a repair shop.
I fried one once, does that count?
graphixman
Active Member
Sweet....
audiocast
Active Member
I built so many heathkits I 'll never remember them all. the first one which was my first introduction to the world of electronics was the GR-64 short wave radio. I still own it and need to repair it soon. I was 14 when I built it. the most complicated one was the HW5400 ham radio transciever. or maybe the 25" color tv included with bell and howells master T.V. course. I think I even have transistor tester somewhere around. I would still be buying kits if they were back in business. A great hobby for sure.
oldgoatsrock
New Member
Several back in the 70's
BeDome
Super Member
I love the kit! You should build it.
Maybe look for any puffing up of any of the old electrolytics. Otherwise they might be fine.
I could not help but notice the old Dual boxes in the background. Any hopes for those?
simplynuts
Super Member
Dynaco pat4 kit, heathkit oscilloscope, sine square wave generator, color tv pattern generator, vtvm/ Still have the heathkits along with their assembly manuals.
I got my HAM radio license back in the '70s at age 13 and my 1st rig was Heathkit. I had a separate transmitter, receiver, and an electronic keyer. I still have the keyer.
simplynuts
Super Member
Built test equipment in the 70's. oscilloscope is, vtvm, sine square wave generator, dot matrix color bar generator. Stillhave all with instructions. I read that the assembly books are worth more than the equipment.
I built the 1681 transmitter & the 1680 receiver around 1975 or so. I later sold them after I inherited my Grandfather's Kenwood SSB transceiver when he passed away.
This is a pic of the same model keyer I built around the same time. I still have it but haven't used it in years.
This is a pic of the same model keyer I built around the same time. I still have it but haven't used it in years.
Freds.Bands
Live Music Listener
I've built kits from EICO, Scott, and Heath (an AR-15 and several instruments, no ham stuff). Wish I had bought more. From a closing Rochester Heath NY store I bought a b/w portable Heath TV (factory-built) and a TEAC R2R deck.
My Great Grandfather & Grandfather were both Hams but my father wasn't. He did build an EICO tube amp back in the early 60's though and I remember how awesome it sounded. He had it up the the late '70s - early '80s.
I always wanted a Heathkit mini bike when I was a kid but santa never delivered on that wish.
I always wanted a Heathkit mini bike when I was a kid but santa never delivered on that wish.
My first Heathkit was a code practice oscillator in 1977 or '78 when I was in Jr. High School. My second was an IO-4541 5 MHz single trace scope received as a Jr. High graduation present; built it over the summer of 1979 just before freshman year of HS. Still have it lurking about here somewhere.
-Pat
-Pat
AkaiGuy19
New Member
I was travelling north to Boston and see that the old Company off rte.95 North that use to be Healthkit had (at one time , probably years ago) changed to " You -Do -It Electronics Co.? Do you know if they are still in Business?
Similar threads
