[Elecraft] Heathkit Returns!

[Dave KK7SS]

Ed,

I beg to differ on one point

>> So SMT did not take it from hams - 
>> the hams took HB out of hamradio. 

In my opinion, what took the 'HB' out of Ham radio was the decline in descrete parts that you could see and handle.
I think that the electronics industries ubiquitous use of SMTs, LSI's, GPA's etc. caused the decline in demand in manufacturing of the more expensive and labor intensive items like tubes, variable caps, resistors. etc.

Add PCB's and flow soldering to the equation and it became no longer cost-effective to manufacture parts for a relatively small private(?) market.

73 de

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Dave G  KK7SS
 Richland, WA

'59 Morris Minor 1000 - working on it..
'65 Sprite - running with a bad valve guide :(
'76 Midget - co-owned with #4 Son :)
'06 Honda Civic Hybrid