Tomorrow's Heathkit RE, poor quality parts, etc

[Guy G. Giacopuzzi DDS]

I'll tell you one known experience from the seventies.  Everyone
remember the little transitor 417-801?  Heath used them by the
thousands.  Motorola made them.  The top 5 % of them became 417-801's.
All the rest became Motorola MPSxxx's.  Heath had to have top quality
parts to insure that the rigs would work.  The comment concerning
quality was completely unwarrented.  I know.  I worked for Heath.  And
if we ever saw a bad part coming back repeatedly, we did something about
it--actually, it was company policy...

RE: what will be here twenty years from now...
        When my wife got her no-code-tech, I went down to Henry Radio
and dropped $3500 on two TH-78A's (loaded) and three TM-741A's
(144/220/440, also loaded with all accessories).  Every one of these
radios has been in the shop at least once.  All but one of the times
were out of warrenty.  The typical shop bill is $50--$120.  Obviously, I
can't begin to fix these radios, and most of the time (via conversation
with the tech) the problem is with the microproccesor.  At some point,
Kenwood will stop servicing these radios, and when they die, they will
become throw aways.
        Twenty five years ago, I built an SB-303/401/200/620.  I also
built a GR-2000 (TV), a VF-7401, a GR-64 and an AR-1515 (Stereo).  The
only problem I have had is the het oscillators falling out of tune about
every ten years--on the 303/401; something that takes about an hour to
re-peak.  I have not serviced any of the other gear in that amount of
time.  What rigs do you think will still be working twenty years from
now?  How "brand loyal" do think I am towards Kenwood?.  Towards
Heathkit?  If you need to ask me the answer to my loyalty, you're a few
tubes short of a full rig....


ggg, a former ham at heath, and one who appreciates electronics that I
can actually see, much less work on...

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