[Heath] Farewell, GR-2000

[Brian Wood]

A sad day. I remember all too well the day my parents called to say they
were replacing the GR-295 color TV that I built in 1965 at the ripe old age
of 14 with a more modern GE set. My dad and I had actually installed it in
the wall, so we had "hang-on-a-wall" color TV in 1965 - something only
possible with the Heathkit line, since you did not have to buy it with the
wood cabinet! Ironically, the GE was the only one dad could get to fit in
the opening, and he had to settle for a 19" model. The GR-295 looked much
better there.

 

They asked if I wanted it, and I had to say no. It was old, tube-based, and
I really had no place to put it. It was the second kit I ever built, the
first being my GR-64 shortwave receiver (which I still have and which still
works as badly as it did when first built!). Indeed, the GR-295 and the H-89
are the only two Heathkits I ever built that I no longer own.

 

Fond memories!

 

73,

Brian, W0DZ

 

 

From: heath-bounces at puck.nether.net [mailto:heath-bounces at puck.nether.net]
On Behalf Of wb4lnm at aol.com
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2011 10:15
To: heath at puck.nether.net
Subject: [Heath] Farewell, GR-2000

 

Just before penning this message, I tossed the last piece of my GR-2000 25"
color TV into the trash bin. 

The low-boy cabinet had been disposed of a couple of months ago, after
intercession with a Sawzall.

Printed circuit boards had been pulled and sent to recycling due to concerns
about the lead solder content.

My neighbor and his .22 LR put the CRT to sleep a week or so ago so it was
safe to handle.

It had been posted as 'free to a good home' a couple times here with no
serious takers.  

 

Thus ended about 31 years life of a TV that performed as well at the end as
it did in 1980 when assembled.

Yes, it had maintenance over the years, including a new HV power supply and
new audio output IC.

But, in the end when disassembled, there was not speck of rust on the
chassis, and every nylon tie was pristine.

My only complaint is the very bad choice of the "Z" lead IC sockets.  They
caused innumerable problems.

I should have just soldered the IC's into the sockets, and suffered the
additional labor if I had one go bad.

 

Soon after we moved into our house in Stevensville, Michigan, my wife and I
assembled the TV.

She assembled all the PCB's and I the chassis wiring.  Not one mistake was
made.  I still have the iron.  

I remember the snow was several feet deep outside, much as it has been this
winter in the midwest.

It took us two weeks or so, and another week of troubleshooting, but it
served us well for many years.

The group of good folks in the TV kitting group down the hall provided much
valuable assistance.  

 

Here's hoping you found your kit products as much fun and rewarding as I
did.  Farewell, GR-2000.

 

John...                Heathkit Amateur Radio Group Senior Design Engineer
1979-1981

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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