But as alluded to on their site, that's what they are starting out with, and are asking for ideas from DIYers for additional kits.
This *has* entered my mind for the past few years as I thought about the disappearing hobby of electronics among young people
but especially, our litigous society.Sometime in my late 20s I realized that back when I was getting into the kit building hobby, I built several projects that required 120 volts supplied by the local outlet, and I was only 12 years old! I don't remember being particularly worried though - maybe because I had already been shocked a couple times as a child, once when accidently touching the blades of a lamp plug while pushing said plug into the outlet - and do remember taking extra care to follow the manual's directions exactly when dealing with circuitry in the kit that used 120V. All of my 120V kits* worked properly the first time AND I was never shocked.
FYI: though it didn't require 120V, the "Goofy-Lite" p-box kit (page 143) I built used a high voltage circuit to activate the 5 neon bulbs it used, and if you touched one of the bulb's leads, you could receive a rather unpleasant ZAP that you most definitely didn't want to repeat!
Being a major novice concerning tubes, I had to look these up - whoa those are small! Though transistors at the time were still smaller, except for the current needed to heat the filament, I bet a Nuvistor could provide some strong competition to their SS counterpart in certain types of equipment.
I guess if they really wanted to stay out of the high voltage end of the hobby but still wanted to have some kits that required a long-term power source, they could sell kits that came equipped with a solar panel and a lithium-ion battery pack.....
* Radio Shack color organ; Heathkit touch-activated on/off switch; 5 volt power supply supplied to me by my junior high school electronics class
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BTW after checking out some tube-amp kit suppliers, it looks like my initial guesstimate of a $150, 20 watt per channel power amp was way off the mark. $300 seems more realistic now.
The closest I've come to building a tube amplifier kit was one of Radio Shack's p-box kits that I mentioned above, in this case a battery-powered, single tube AM radio. Unfortunately I never found out if it worked because it required, if I remember this correctly since it was back in the late 70s, a 22 volt battery. I found them at K-mart of all places, but the first - and the second one - I bought had no charge. I wasn't exactly surprised since both had the look of a piece of merchandise that had been sitting in that display case a looooong time.
$300 seems more realistic now.The closest I've come to building a tube amplifier kit was one of Radio Shack's p-box kits that I mentioned above, in this case a battery-powered, single tube AM radio. Unfortunately I never found out if it worked because it required, if I remember this correctly since it was back in the late 70s, a 22 volt battery. I found them at K-mart of all places, but the first - and the second one - I bought had no charge.
I wasn't exactly surprised since both had the look of a piece of merchandise that had been sitting in that display case a looooong time.
http://radiorestorer.com/burgessdata.PDF
Now about $45 each. I know this because I have a custom built precision low ohm meter (range 1 uOhm to 10k Ohm) that calls for FOUR of them and two 3V lantern batteries... that I'm currently sweating out converting to AC power.
Doc
Forty five dollars - yikes!! I'm really surprised they even manufacture them anymore, since the market for them seems like it would very limited.
Is that ohm meter a vintage design or a modern design used to test specialty products?
The least expensive way to get 22V or 45V is to build a "boost" switching power supply and follow this up with a linear regulator. House the thing in a Hammond box (aluminum) to keep the switching transients from radiating all over the place. (You can always use a small cookie tin as well.)
I have a Genrad hand-held sound level meter (from the stone age) which uses a set of 4 "AA"s and a switching power supply.
I have a Genrad hand-held sound level meter (from the stone age) which uses a set of 4 "AA"s and a switching power supply.
WOW, WOW, WOW... a big part of my history. I still have a bunch of their test gear. The AJ-15 was one of the first digital and the greatest FM tuner, around 1968. Excellent company - at the time. Not expensive, then. All kinds of audio goodies and test equipment.
I still have their crystal radio (with a diode and two tuning caps, not cats whiskers).
Wow.
Ben
I still have their crystal radio (with a diode and two tuning caps, not cats whiskers).
Wow.
Ben
Here's the Heathkit AA-1640 amp I assembled back about 1975.
I even went for the optional (pictured) meter kit.
My "JBL L-100" speakers loved it!
$530 was a lot of money back in 1975. I used to bring home only about $300 a week back then.
However, considering there was not all the electronics and entertainment services we now "need" to spend our money on, $530 was not that much to spend on audio which was the center of entertainment back then.
I was an audio "nut" even then
I even went for the optional (pictured) meter kit.
My "JBL L-100" speakers loved it!
$530 was a lot of money back in 1975. I used to bring home only about $300 a week back then.
However, considering there was not all the electronics and entertainment services we now "need" to spend our money on, $530 was not that much to spend on audio which was the center of entertainment back then.
I was an audio "nut" even then
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In the day, building heathkits was neat. But I've since noticed that some of the designs were not that impressive even compared to other equipment that you could buy assembled back then. Heathkit seemed to have a simple way of designing everything.
As recently as 20 years ago I built a frequency counter which I still have. Physically it's built like a Brick you know what. However, it's made using all discrete TTL logic chips and the specs weren't half as impressive as a Chinese one made with one VLSI chip that sells 30% of the Heathkit. I went with the Heathkit because I liked having nice looking stuff.
As recently as 20 years ago I built a frequency counter which I still have. Physically it's built like a Brick you know what. However, it's made using all discrete TTL logic chips and the specs weren't half as impressive as a Chinese one made with one VLSI chip that sells 30% of the Heathkit. I went with the Heathkit because I liked having nice looking stuff.
Is limited, but that's where they got you if you really need them for old equipment.
Based on a Wheatstone bridge / log amp null meter design. Thing is built inside a copper lined box. Supply must be whisper quiet (electrically). Unit was constructed by old salt who worked in primary cal lab I used to work for. After I moved on they called one day and said they were throwing out a bunch of old stuff and did I want it? My stock answer to such questions; Sure.... Pile also included an HP8640B and a GenRad 1422D Standard air cap (that I just sold for $1k).
Doc
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I've built a few Heathkits over the years and they varied from ho-hum to great. The biggest problem is that they don't teach you anything about electronics. I still have my IM-5238 AC Voltmeter, sort of a clone of the HP400 series. Back when I built it, the HP meters were still terribly expensive on the used market, and well beyond my means; the IM-5238 is plenty solid and accurate.
Maybe it was a really old heathkit, but I was given a full blown color TV that had been put together as a kit. Worked very well after I got it debugged.
The old HP400 series are going for a song nowadays. I think I own a 400D, a 400D/410B (no AC) rack mount custom Navy combo, a 400H and a 410BR with AC probe and extra diode tube. Also have a 3400C AC RMS that I snagged off ebay. But all my 400 series I got cheap on the surplus market. Recall paying $25 for the 410BR in... 1978.
Doc
A lot of loose talk about "learning" - let's look closer.
First, Heath did generally provide circuit explanations. But the wiring-up was pretty much rote and that is not inherently educational.
In olden tymes, the parts were rarely black-box integrations. You handled each piece and could see the connections and understood tube heating, star grounding, variable tuning capacitors, the ever-entrancing world of cords used for faceplate radio tuning indicators, resistor codes and tolerances, etc.
When done, you quite often had to signal trace or do fault trees to figure out why it wasn't working on first try.... sometimes using your nose. That certainly meant you understood everything about the kits functioning.
A world of difference between the rote wiring of today's integrated circuits versus being intimately hands-on with a Heathkit, even modifying them for enhanced performance.
Ben
First, Heath did generally provide circuit explanations. But the wiring-up was pretty much rote and that is not inherently educational.
In olden tymes, the parts were rarely black-box integrations. You handled each piece and could see the connections and understood tube heating, star grounding, variable tuning capacitors, the ever-entrancing world of cords used for faceplate radio tuning indicators, resistor codes and tolerances, etc.
When done, you quite often had to signal trace or do fault trees to figure out why it wasn't working on first try.... sometimes using your nose. That certainly meant you understood everything about the kits functioning.
A world of difference between the rote wiring of today's integrated circuits versus being intimately hands-on with a Heathkit, even modifying them for enhanced performance.
Ben
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If we want audio kits from Heath again, we're going to have to tell them what we want and expect. And expect some time to see how well they're doing in getting back into the kit market; it may take some time for them to develop an audio line and we could help shape that development if we let them know.
Wonder if they'll go for nostalgia and tubes, or Class D amplifiers?
Trying not to get my expectations too high...
Wonder if they'll go for nostalgia and tubes, or Class D amplifiers?
Trying not to get my expectations too high...
Except that Nuvistors are no longer manufactured. Only NOS is available, as far as I know. I guess the Russians didn't catch on?
I feel really sorry for Heathkit making kits again.
Its one thing fixing something that has worked and something quite different fixing something that has never worked. When a kit is assembled it needs great care to make sure every component is right and that the thing is wired up correctly, there is so much that can go wrong. Even if a fault is found and fixed the fault could have blown up half the circuit board !
Supplying kits is not for the faint hearted.
I remember myself having to look up a TV technician to help me getting a Maplin sound to light kit working.
Its one thing fixing something that has worked and something quite different fixing something that has never worked. When a kit is assembled it needs great care to make sure every component is right and that the thing is wired up correctly, there is so much that can go wrong. Even if a fault is found and fixed the fault could have blown up half the circuit board !
Supplying kits is not for the faint hearted.
I remember myself having to look up a TV technician to help me getting a Maplin sound to light kit working.
Actually, assembling a (major) kit is not for the faint hearted either.
If I remember correctly, Heathkit stipulated that they would repair a kit that did not work due to user mis-assembly for a (high) price.
Also, with any involved kit, a muti meter was supplied to conduct tests at every apropriate step with the spec tolerences you should be getting.
People accepted responsibilty for ther own screw ups/actions even it they "blew up" a circuit board, etc.
BTW, In the past I had what turned out to be a dumb question about my amp (that was working perfectly) and I called their tech support. I got a tech on the line in about 2 minutes who politely answered my question.
Also, I had one small set of screws missing for the amp.
I got them in about 6 days via 2-way snail mail!
Some OP transistor insulators were also missing but, I got them locally as there was no point of waiting for them since they only cost a couple of dollars.
However, I fear in today's world where customer support is rapidly becoming a thing of the past and we have a general dumbing down and lack of resposibility with certain populations, the outcomes may be much different.
If I remember correctly, Heathkit stipulated that they would repair a kit that did not work due to user mis-assembly for a (high) price.
Also, with any involved kit, a muti meter was supplied to conduct tests at every apropriate step with the spec tolerences you should be getting.
People accepted responsibilty for ther own screw ups/actions even it they "blew up" a circuit board, etc.
BTW, In the past I had what turned out to be a dumb question about my amp (that was working perfectly) and I called their tech support. I got a tech on the line in about 2 minutes who politely answered my question.
Also, I had one small set of screws missing for the amp.
I got them in about 6 days via 2-way snail mail!
Some OP transistor insulators were also missing but, I got them locally as there was no point of waiting for them since they only cost a couple of dollars.
However, I fear in today's world where customer support is rapidly becoming a thing of the past and we have a general dumbing down and lack of resposibility with certain populations, the outcomes may be much different.
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I like the idea that Heathkit is making kits again, and I have a number of them, but you have to wonder, what is their market going to be? There were a lot of people interested in electronics when I was growing up. Many of these people have been seduced by the software side of the force. Relatively few people remain interested in electronics and other than military electronics, there is very little designed here anymore.
The tube era allowed people who were clumsy solderers to produce a working kit because the tube sockets and other components had little temperature sensitivity for soldering. Modern semiconductor devices are a bit more fragile. This will be particularly true in markets that requirte unleaded solder.
The tube era allowed people who were clumsy solderers to produce a working kit because the tube sockets and other components had little temperature sensitivity for soldering. Modern semiconductor devices are a bit more fragile. This will be particularly true in markets that requirte unleaded solder.
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