A Heathkit Moment

[Tom Horton]

Over the 50 plus years that I have been licensed and having been lucky enough to do well in contests, working DX etc...
 There is still nothing that compares to the time way back when I first fired up the used Heathkit AT-1. I had just bought it from a ham across town for 20 bux. I remember my dad, a non ham, but kind of a wanna be, paid for it for me.
 We brought it home and set it up. No, I didn't make a contact that night, but the next day and the day after that and so many more I had the world before me in the two little metal boxes in front of me...My very well used Hallicrafter S-38D and the AT-1 and the wires outside made friends with the world of ham radio.
  It was a magical moment that put me on the magic carpet that is still flying around the world all these many years later.
 Oh yeah, my dad was very interested in me getting on the air. He always said that he knew where I was a 10 PM and not out on the streets. He may have very well kept me out of trouble that way.
 Sorry for going so far afield... but this thread brought up a lot of memories.
 Tom K5IID 



"If It Weren't For The United States Military There Would Be NO United States of America ."
 
September 11, 2001 
We can never, never forget ! 
If we aren't free and alive, 
absolutely nothing else matters ! 


Tom Horton K5IID 
Hillsboro, TX 




--- On Thu, 3/4/10, Todd, KA1KAQ <ka1kaq at GMAIL.COM> wrote:


From: Todd, KA1KAQ <ka1kaq at GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: A Heathkit Moment
To: BOATANCHORS at LISTS.TEMPE.GOV
Date: Thursday, March 4, 2010, 8:12 AM


On Thu, Mar 4, 2010 at 8:53 AM, Wilson Lamb <infomet at embarqmail.com> wrote:

> As I've said many times, I'd rather listen to a Heath than a KWM-2 or S-Line
> receiver.  This one is no exception.  Hopefully he will throw up a wire and
> get on a little.  Who knows, I may pick up another 101, after I fiinish the
> 10 or so projects already hanging around here.

GREAT story, Wilson. It's always amazing to hear what some of this old
gear is still capable of after years of disuse, neglect, abuse,
whatever it may be.

Heathkit, like the WRL stuff, got a bad rap with some folks for being
lower in quality than Collins, Johnson, National, etc, though I find
this to be more a symptom of the rebirth of boatanchor interest in the
last 10+ years. Both companies made some excellent gear that allowed
many more folks to get on the air who couldn't afford a  new
Hammarlund receiver, Johnson or Collins transmitter. And as nice as
the old A-Line gear is, the big Heathkit Injuns from the late
50s/early 60s are just a feast for the eyes IMO.

In fact, after the 32V crapped out again for the third time in less
than a year (lost audio this time), I pulled out the Apache and Mohawk
I got from JP last spring and plan to get it on the air this weekend.
Unfortunately the Mohawk is stock and suffers the typical bad audio as
a result, but the simple fixes in ER will address that.

It's all good, and we're fortunate to live in a time when we can enjoy
so much of it.

See you at the Raleigh 'fest next month -

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4

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