What is a Heathkit??

[David Fouchey]

Chuck you said it all perfectly. It transported me back to when I was
assembling my HW-101 in the tool shed outside late into the night, and the
wonder when it fired up the first time with nary a puff. I might add it is
STILL my primary rig to this day. (Built it in 75) And my thanks also go to
Ron Oxley at R.T.O. for resurecting it from the dead earlier this year.

Thanks Chuck for the reminder of the feelings.

 73's
dave wa4emr

At 09:56 PM 7/23/98 -0400, Chuck K3FT wrote:
>What is a Heathkit?
>
>It's a mysterious collection of parts, metal, and paper wrapped in a box.
>It's the trepidation that fills the newly minted constructor as he pores
over the manual
>comparing pictures and words with that LARGE and COMPLEX pile of parts,
metal, and
>paper... thinking "I'm GONNA BUILD THIS and IT WILL WORK??"
>It's the manual telling you "WE WON'T LET YOU FAIL!"
>It's the learning what those colored bands on those little cylinders mean
>(and recalling the military mnemonic for the resistor color code.. which
taught us
>about someone named Violet and what bad boys do to girls!),
>It's the checking off of boxes, being careful not to 'S' when it clearly
says 'NS'!
>It's the missed sleep, missed school, missed work, while the hours pass as
we solder,
>clip, check, and wire.
>It's the final box checked, the resistances checked, the pots and switches
preseet, the
>AC plug inserted, and the momentary panic that preceeds the FLIPPING OF
THE SWITCH!
>
>It's the flush of "HOLY SH--!! NO SMOKE! IT WORKS!, as the rush of white
noise pours
>from the speaker, the meters flicker and the pilot lights light up. (AND
STILL NO
>SMOKE!)
>
>It's the sitting there for a while just staring at the assembled
collection of 'stuff'
>and THEN.. aligning it and hearing it receive signals.. SSB, CW, AM, RTTY..
>
>It's that INDESCRIBALY DELICIOUS FEELING that sweeps over you as you
realize YOU BUILT
>IT! IT WORKS! and YOU DID IT!
>
>That is what a Heathkit is.
>
>73
>
>Chuck k3ft
>
>C'mon you guys.. admit it. No one can see you. I see you all shaking your
head and going
>UH HUH! You ALL feel the same thing!
>
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