[Elecraft] #3120 if FINALLY Alive and Well

[EricJ]

That's what I remember about the Heath TV, too, Larry. I built one just
before Christmas 1968, and stuffed every single board myself. When I saw
Ron's note, I thought I must be getting older than I thought! I'm sure I
bought the enclosure from Heath, though. Maybe they started pre-assembly
later in the game.

It was an intimidating project, but the manuals, of course, were quite good.
There's a lot of talk about current kit builders following in the Heath
tradition. I think Elecraft has followed the best of the Heath tradition,
but they have an advantage over Heath in having the tools to provide
outstanding customer service that was not really available then. No
Internet, no e-mail, no reflectors, no free anytime minutes on the phone.
Everything was done through the USPS. Even picking up the phone and calling
was a big thing then because of long distance rates.

Eric
KE6US
www.ke6us.com


 

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Larry - WA2DGD
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 1:27 PM
Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] #3120 if FINALLY Alive and Well

Ron,
Sounds like you built a fairly recent Heath/Zenith TV.
I built a Heath 19" color in 1970 and you stuffed each board (about 5 or
6 if I remember correctly) and then wired them all together, no plug and
play wiring harnesses. The entire TV was built within a metal enclosure,
which then slipped into the wooden enclosure of your choice.
I was able to operate my Galaxy V mk III, full output, with no TVI. When a
neighbor would complain about TVI, I would bring them into my house, show
them my TVI free TV, and explain to them it was their TV picking up unwanted
signals, by poor design. That Heathkit made it so easy to explain.

72
Larry
WA2DGD

Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
> Ha!  Talk about 'savoring the anticipation'...
> 
> Actually, the Heath TV was one of the simplest of kits. I built one. 
> It was really a great disappointment. All the boards were pre-stuffed. 
> Indeed, "service", if it was needed, was to pull a board and swap it 
> with a new one at the Heath center. I never needed to do that.
> 
> Gave the working TV set to Goodwill about 15 years later. 
> 
> Heathkit and Elecraft could both use the old Timex slogan, "Takes a likin'
> and keeps on tickin'" 
> 
> Ron AC7AC
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
> [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Vic K2VCO
> Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 8:35 AM
> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] #3120 if FINALLY Alive and Well
> 
> 
> Michael Bower N4NMR wrote:
> 
> 
>>LAPSED TIME:
>>
>>Years - 2.88
>>Days - 1052
>>Hours - 25248
> 
> 
> My friend, whose call will not be mentioned, has *two* unbuilt K2s.  
> One of them has a serial number less than 500.  He thought it might be 
> hard to make it current on all modifications, so he bought a newer one 
> -- that one is, I think, in the early 3000's.  He hasn't built either 
> of them yet, but every time I mention how much I like mine, he thinks
about it.
> 
> It's interesting, because he has built numerous complicated and 
> difficult kits in his life, including the Heathkit TV set, which I 
> believe to be one of the most elaborate kits they made.
> 

--
73
Larry
WA2DGD

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