[Heathkit] Ye gods and little fishes!

[John Dilks K2TQN]

Hi Ken and all,

I remember that the SB-101 (similar rig) was "much more" than one 
week's salary when I bought my kit back in 1964 or 65(?).  Today the 
eBay sale is only a little more, percentage wise, than back then.

I had the pleasure of building two SB-101's in my life.  I built 
mine.  Then a friend convinced himself that he couldn't build his 
after the kit arrived.  He traded me a great receiver to build it for him.

I do miss kit building though, it was a major life event for me 
then.  First the anticipation of the arrival of the kit, then setting 
aside a place to build it, then building it, and last - testing it 
and putting it on the air.  When I built mine, I was at a company 
school in Columbus Ohio (Western Electric).  When I finished it, I 
was on the evening shift at the school (it was an 8-week school).  I 
threw a 40-meter dipole over the roof of the cottage I stayed in, and 
the first QSO was with Australia at about 4 AM.  Memorable!

73, John Dilks, K2TQN

At 11:48 PM 7/9/2006, Kenneth G. Gordon wrote:
>Unbuilt Heathkit HW-101 kit: $1695.00. 25 bidders. Last bid went in
>about 3 seconds before the auction ended, beating out the second
>highest bidder by $25.00.
>
>I am amazed and appalled...