Re: [IRCA] New Heathkit kits

[Guy Atkins <dx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sadly, this is very true, Gary! I had to laugh when I saw the "solderless"
 screw-type circuit construction, which is evidently used instead of
soldering. Rather than being a radio worthy of the Heathkit name, it seems
to me to be more of a glorified Radio Shack Science Fair kit.

Most of the parts expense looks to have gone into the cabinetry and
controls rather than circuit design and components. For someone looking to
brush up on their soldering skills or to build their first "real" kit, I'd
suggest the Scout Regen Receiver as a starting point:

http://www.qrpkits.com/scoutregen.html

The price for the kit is a more reasonable $60 compared to the $150
Heathkit, and you are paying mostly for parts that actually contribute to
the radio's performance, not the enclosure. QRPkits has a good selection of
fairly priced and useful kits, not just for the QRP enthusiast but for
radio hobbyists in general.

73,

Guy Atkins
Puyallup, WA


> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: d1028gary@xxxxxxxxxxx
> To: Mailing list for the International Radio Club of America <
> irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc:
> Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2015 03:14:36 +0000 (UTC)
> Subject: Re: [IRCA] Fwd: New Heathkit kits
> 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
>
>
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