Looks like Heathkit is coming back

From this link: "BACK IN THE FIGHT" Products --> New Products: "Please visit the Heathkit app store for our Android software apps"

Want to fake a company's resurrection? There is an app for that!

R.W.

Oops, from THIS link:

It seems they do need some serious help in setting up their web site. Not from some script kiddie but from someone who has the wisdom to keep it simple.

I just doubt there'd be enough of market these days and then the US postal service threw a rock into small businesses like this by discontinuing surface mail to overseas. That was outright stupid.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Yep. I just got my "insiders" notice.

It seems that the latest Heathkit has also purchased the former Heath "Legacy Manual Duplication and Distribution Business" from Don Peterson, who has specialized in threatening and occasionally suing anyone selling copies of Heathkit manuals. Hopefully, this might see an end to that nonsense.

April 2015 Data Professionals of Pleasanton California has been acquired by Heath Company and will focus on supporting vintage kits by providing parts, modification, and even 'Certified Pre-Owned' Heathkits for sale.

Also, according to Wikipedia:

On October 8, 2015, Heathkit circulated an email to its "insiders" - those who'd indicated an interest in the company's progress - that it had now secured the rights to all Heathkit designs and trademarks, secured several new patents, established new offices and warehouse space and a factory in Santa Cruz, California, and had now introduced the renewed company's first new electronic kit in decades.

The web pile shows Heath operating out of a PO Box. A PO box Seems rather small to handle the company, but it's a start. I have to turn off my web virus scanner to view the web pile because Avast claims that the cloudflaressl.com certificate is bogus or out of date. Sigh. Nice to have Heathkit in my backyard. Now, all I have to do is find them. City of Santa Cruz business license database as of 9/1/2015: Oh-oh... no Heath Co or Heathkit listed.

--
Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com 
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com 
Skype: JeffLiebermann     AE6KS    831-336-2558

Wow, their AM radio kit is through-the-hole components with each pin bolted to the PCB. There's also a story about how nice the wood panel is. This looks more hipster than educational.

These kits really need updating - some kind of breadboard that can accept SMDs without having to hand-craft a bunch of adaptors. Throw in a cheap device to expose PCBs and I'd buy it. Something like a laser printer with a UV laser.

--
I will not see posts from astraweb, theremailer, dizum, or google 
because they host Usenet flooders.

Thanks.

No offense, but they (heathkit) need to partner with sparkfun or adafruit or someone like that. Else it's only old farts (like us) who will notice.

George H.

No-one's going to partner with Heathkit because they have nothing to offer

NT

They have the name and I would presume the library.

Sparkfun is +150 people selling electronics and kits

I hardly buy anything from the US, with shipping tax and duties, it'll be double the price before it gets here

and for anything over ~10 EURO including shipping the postman slaps on an additional fee of ~20 EURO for handling the taxes and duties

for some reason stuff shipped from China seems to fly under the radar

-Lasse

The name is only recognisable to people old enough that we won't be buying heathkits. It's basically worthless.

NT

I can recall Heathkit being referred to as "Heapshit" ;-)

I also remember assembling an Eico VTVM and Dynaco kits... FM tuner and PAT-4 (?) preamplifier. ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson                                 |    mens     | 
| Analog Innovations                               |     et      | 
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    | 
| San Tan Valley, AZ 85142     Skype: skypeanalog  |             | 
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  | 
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     | 
              
I love to cook with wine.     Sometimes I even put it in the food.

It is the flea powder. You still have many ticks, AKA poly-ticks feasting on the body (politic). .

Not sure I agree. There are a lot of grandparents out there with money, who would love to see the kiddies make something useful. Anything useful. ;-)

I assembled an SB-301 ham receiver. It was certainly not shit.The VTVM was so-so, but functional.

My brother assembled an Eico tuner, also. I wasn't much into audio.

My Heathkit tuuuuuube Wein Bridge Audio osc with the non linear light bulb resistor still works.... and has lower distortion than the solid state alternative function generator.

Mark

We called it "Griefkit" or "Nursekit" (the company president at the time was D.W. Nurse). I spent a summer in high skool moving boxes and running errands at the Smog Angeles Heathkit store. It was an interesting and educational experience which thoroughly trashed my illusions about the company, the customers, and the consumer electronics business.

My favorite kit was the GC-1005 Nixie tube digital clock. The kit was nothing special, but buying the kit for my fathers birthday, and watching him struggle with it was priceless. I pretended to help, but really relished the revenge for making me fix everything I had previously broken. The resulting truce was well worth the expense and effort.

--
Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com 
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com 
Skype: JeffLiebermann     AE6KS    831-336-2558

1. How many kids now want to build anything electronic? Very few it seems.
2. Heathkit has no products on the linked site. I'm fairly sure I saw them offer products a while ago, but absurdly priced.
3. How often does a heathkit-aware grandparent coincide with a child prepared to build one? Not often I think.
4. And finally, one can buy cardboard & springs kits at a small fraction the price for beginners.

What ground is left for Heathkit? Almost none.

NT

Sure but there's a reason for that. Given the level of integration, there really hasn't been that much for a kid to build. Anything built today may be more make-work than useful but it might spark an interest.

Sure. That can change, particularly if someone gets involved that has something to sell.

Perhaps but they aren't aware because it hasn't existed for decades.

Cardboard and springs is *really* boring.

You might be right but I think there is room for electronics for kids and not crappy cardboard and springs.

Yikes an air spaced cap for $19 I remember when they were