Unscientific Poll

[Larry Knapp]

Brian - In answers specifically to your questions:
1).  No.
2).  "Heathkit" will NOT be revived (see comments below).
3).  No.
4).  D.
5).  Kits are available from a variety of sources today.
6).  Certainly.  Check with companies who do this today...i.e., Ten-Tec,
     Vectronics and others.

Comments:  Heathkit as most of us knew them and some of us worked for (myself
included) was a special place at a special point in time.  We may wish that kit
TV's and SB-102's were made again for us to buy, but that can never come back
again.  If an Edsel were made again would it still draw the same attention?  If
Collins were to start making 75A4's again would it be the same?  The electronic
kits that Heath engineered were special....at the time they were in business.
And they had one "heck of a run", to paraphrase Chuck Penson.  If one were to
"start' a kit company, Heathkit would certainly be a good model.  But another
"Heathkit" would never be.  If another kit company started up, fine.  But don't
try to have it be the same as the "olde" Heathkit.

IMHO:  Larry (KC8JX), St. Joseph, Mi (one of the many former Ham's at Heath)

--- Brian Wood <brianmwood at EMAIL.MSN.COM> wrote:
> I want to thank those of you who responded to my request for information on
> Heathkit's current status. It's a long, sad story, and apparently the
> current owners are happy with the way the educational business is going and
> aren't too interested in reviving the kit business.
>
> I'd love to hear from everyone on the list for answers to the questions
> below. It's decidedly unscientific, but I'm really curious!
>
> 1. Have you built a kit of any kind in the last year? (Even unbuilt
> Heathkits from EBay!)  How much did you spend?
>
> 2. If Heathkit-style electronic kits were revived, what would you most like
> to build?
>
> 3. Printed manuals are very expensive and many companies are offering them
> on on CD. If you could save 10% (or $50, whichever is lower) on the cost of
> the kit by getting just the user's manual, theory of operation, schematics
> and troubleshooting guide in printed form, but had to print the assembly
> portion of the manual yourself on your own computer from CD-ROM or even
> online via the web, would you order the kit this way?
>
> 4. If there were PC boards with surface mount components on them in the kit,
> how would you like to assemble them:
>    a: Using a provided magnifying glass and tweezers, I'd remove the tiny
> parts from the muffin tin, one by one, where I had sorted them, then I'd
> glue the parts on the board using provided glue, then I'd heat the parts
> using a provided (optional) heat gun and watch it reflow before my very
> eyes.
>    b. I'd glue the parts on, then I'd be happy to send it to you in a
> provided, pre-paid mailer, where it would be reflowed, tested and shipped
> back within one business day.
>    c. I'd glue the parts on, then I'd like to take it to a local store where
> they could reflow it and test it.
>    d. I wouldn't even try this.
>
> 5. Suppose new company were to spring up that offered kits in the same
> manner as good ol' Heathkit but had a different name and a Lucent or Agilent
> style tag line (my current favorite is "Moor Co. - Continuing the Heathkit
> Tradition", since a moor is another name for a heath in England) would you
> be OK with that? Or does it *have* to be Heathkit itself to have real
> meaning? Bear in mind that using a tag line like that would require a
> license from Heathkit Co.
>
> 6. Do you think today's kids can be torn away from the 'Net long enough to
> build a kit?
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> Brian, W0DZ
>
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=====
May your days be full of sunshine and good thoughts fill your head.
From: Larry Knapp, KC8JX, St. Joseph, Mi  49085
  Best 73's

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