EICO stuff

[Sandy Blaize]

        Back when I was hot and heavy into kits and high school, I
had a stable of both Heath and EICO stuff.  EICO made, by far, the best
grid dipper
in the 710.  The 950B capacitor checker was ahead of Heathkit as well!
Most
of them I've found these days have a bad power transformer though.
(Shades of the SB610 and HO-1 Heath transformers).  The 145 Signal Tracer
was a dilly, and the 324 signal generator beat the SG-8!  The 753 SSB
tri-Band Transceiver was a disaster though!  If it hadn't drifted up a
storm,
I might have been a decent rig.  I did put up with mine for a number of
years
before I replaced it.
        The most disappointing Heathkit I built was the "Tunnel dipper".
Temperature changes drove the DC amplifier in it insane!  Both companies
had some very good and not so good designs.  Heath did break some new
ground in many
areas though that EICO just "followed".  Heath had the best manuals by far.
73,

Sandy Blaize, W5TVW
MERRY CHRISTMAS & Happy New Year