In a word
Zenith, Heath would probably still be around if Zenith had not
purchased them for the Heath computer products line, And as per usual
the Zenith guys who were consumer products guys could not understand
why people would want to assemble their own electronic products so if
you look at the last few years of catalogs there were many items which
were only available 'Assembled' which of course defeated the purpose
of buying Heathkits in the FIRST place. My last HeathKit was a 512K
Printer Buffer which allowed for interface conversion ie RS232 in
Parallel out or vice versa which I still have and use today on occasion.
I know that Heath educational systems STILL exist. But if it had not
been for Zenith screwing with the effective Heathkit model I think
Heathkit would still be around today because in the US the DIY spirit is
still very much alive.
Heath had Amateur Radio kits, Robots, weather instruments,
Electronic Organs
speaker kits including the wonderful Altec-Lansing 'Voice of the
Theatre' systems. All of these items appealed to a niche market
which Heathkit serviced beautifully but as with other acts of corporate
hubris Zenith wanted to take Heathkit 'Mass Market' and as a 6 year old
could have predicted it was a dismal failure.
On the 'build from scratch' this is STILL very much alive in Japan,
Germany, China etc all places which STILL have a functioning
manufacturing base. Yes you can buy all the parts and tools mail order
but where does a newbie learn to use them. This is the function which
the counterman at the industrial supply store serves if you want to do X
you need Y if you can't afford Y here's how you do it on the
cheap.
Roger wrote:
> Glen Zook wrote:
>
>> There are some kits available, usually fairly simple, but there are a couple
>> complex ones out there.
>>
>> But, Heath's "bread and butter" was NOT amateur radio although, for decades,
>> amateur radio equipment was very profitable. Heath sold many thousands of
>> test equipment, "hi-fi" equipment, and so forth.
>>
>> Like it or not, amateur radio operators are a VERY small market when
>> compared to consumer items. Then "figure in" the actual number of operators
>> who really would build kits if they were available. Frankly, the economics
>> are just not there! The companies who are manufacturing kits today are
>> generally doing so as a "side line" and are not showing a large profit.
>>
>> Next, we live in a society today that is very prone to "suing" someone if
>> things don't go right or if they are injured in any way. Frankly, someone
>> today building an amplifier kit with lethal voltages present is an open
>> invitation to a very large lawsuit. If liability insurance is available,
>> the cost of such insurance is going to increase the cost of the kit
>> substantially. Back when Heath was in its "hey day" if someone got shocked
>> they figured out why and tried not to get shocked again. Today, if someone
>> gets shocked, or worse, then the lawsuits start. It seems if the lawsuits
>> include the manufacturer of the device, the electric company that provides
>> the electricity, the manufacturer of the wire that conducted the
>> electricity, the mine owner who owned the mine from which the copper that
>> was used in the wire came from, and anyone else who is remotely a party.
>>
>> I definitely would like to see a "new" Heathkit type of company. But,
>> realistically, it just isn't going to happen. At least on a scale that is
>> even a fraction of what Heath produced.
>>
>>
>
> And contrary to what some believe the demand just isn't there. Sure
> there are some, maybe even groups that would like to build some kits.
> Still...few of us want to build the same thing so the kit line would
> need to cover a variety of equipment. Just the entry level and legal
> limit amps means two entirely different setups. Although, to be smart,
> use the same cabinet on all. Use sub assemblies that can be assembled
> and then installed. A number of the commercial amp manufacturers do it
> that way. Rectifier and capacitor banks. can be built as modules. Use
> the approach Alpha did with almost all of the metal work being flat
> panels. The cover which is a very simple U-shape with those broke edges
> costs $200 for a 76A. Any actual shaping adds considerable to the time
> and cost.
>
> The ham who said he uses Aluminum angle for the corners and then fastens
> flat sheets to them has the right idea. I'd not use angle any where
> near the size he does, but I'd use sufficient that when assembled it'd
> be rigid and strong. The more *stock* pre formed pieces such as angles
> and sheets the faster and neater it goes together.
>
> However Heath did fold for the reasons given and it was a different
> world back then. As Glen says, you didn't have to worry (much) about
> getting sued for someone else's mistakes. Nor are people as interested
> in technology today as they were back then. The numbers for those
> entering science and engineering college courses is down even though
> enrollment is up. People want to be protected from virtually everything
> and unwilling to take responsibility for their own actions.
>
> Three years ago I ended up in the hospital. The doc on call misdiagnosed
> the problem and sent me home. A couple hours later I was back. After 5
> days in the hospital I had to learn how to walk again. Many at that
> point would have thought their fortune had been made.
>
> 73
>
> Roger (K8RI)
>
>> Glen, K9STH
>>
>> Website: http://k9sth.com
>>
>>
>> --- On Sun, 1/31/10, Charles Harpole <k4vud@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Sorry, but I do not accept the answers to why there are no more ham
>> Heathkits, at least today.
>>
>> Today, hams are hungry for a safe and sure building projects which 1.
>> includes all all all the parts, 2. has good instructions in English, and 3
>> results in something one would want. Elecraft may be partial proof of the
>> consumer kit choices.
>>
>> Power supplies and RF amplifiers could be the items a person would want and
>> would be willing to build. Maybe add SWR meters, Keyers, advanced speaker
>> enclosures, remote touch pad for several rigs (K3 etc), and remote antenna
>> switches?
>>
>> I get a laugh at the building projects in QST over the last few years....
>> Who in the world actually builds these things? It looks to me like ARRL
>> wants to continue the idea, now a myth, that hams are overall very
>> technically adept and cutting edge regardless of if the articles are
>> actually built by anybody.
>>
>> To me, ham radio as a hobby today is much like the old car guys... Model T,
>> etc. Add old airplanes, or add your favorite. These are old technology
>> played with for fun and celebrated for what it is... a beautiful and
>> wonderful part of history. CW is the same thing, the practice of an elegant
>> old communications method. No one puts down a guy with a beautifully
>> restored Model T Ford, and hams should NOT stand being put down just because
>> our technology does not nearly equal what the military has, for example.
>>
>> We should accept and celebrate the kind of radio hams do. The return of
>> point-to-point wiring! Hurray! Bring back kits!
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>>
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