Ooooold Kits?

[Nick England]

The electrolytics probably aren't any worse than ones in rigs that have
sat in basements for the last couple of decades.

It may not be rational, but I'm one of those guys who think preserving
something unique like an unbuilt 1950's Heath kit is worthwhile.
I hope there will be a museum some place to house these things so
some folks can remember the way it used to be, and others can see first
hand what got me and lots of other people started in a career in
electronics.

I once traded a brand new Ten-Tec kit for a couple of old heathkits. I
got to preserve the old kits and the other guy got the fun of building
a kit.

There is also the thrill of the chase to consider. Finding an unbuilt kit
is not just a matter of money. You can't go down to the local antique
store and order a couple no matter how much money you have. I have a
lot of fun scouring hamfests - and experience a real thrill when I find
an unbuilt kit. NOT because I could make money on it - I can do quite
well making money at my real job, thank you. But the thrill is because
I get to rescue a unique, never to be re-created, piece of engineering
history.

73, Nick KD4CPL, certified Heathkit nut
(and Eico and Knight and Dyna and Halli-kit and Johnson and .....)

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Nick England  KD4CPL  nick at cs.unc.edu   Univ. Of North Carolina
http://www.cs.unc.edu/~nick             Chapel Hill NC