[Heathkit] Does Heathkit Still Exist?

[Richard Franzson]

In an hypothetical scenario. If Heathkit were to manufacture even a
small, easy to put together kit (the light dimmer was small enough kit).
Would the company re-think the kit manufacturing business in today's
world? And would there be enough people out there to even want to
attempt to build a one?

 Where in this present world of "I have no time and I'm to busy with
family etc". Would I buy a Heathkit product and put it together? Yes I
would, I miss those days. And I would find the time to build it.

But it's nice to dream.
 
Rich, KE2VM


>>> Glen Zook <gzook at yahoo.com> 8/29/2007 10:24 AM >>>
Heathkit is still very much in business.  However,
they are no longer making electronic kits (haven't
been for decades).  They continued with the computer
eductional systems that were started in their later
years as a kit builder.  This basically the original
company.

Go to  http://www.heathkit.com to see their present
business.

The Heathkit operations are actually now in Benton
Harbor, Michigan.  The old plant (when they were in
the electronic kit business) was NOT in Benton Harbor!
 Their mailing address was Benton Harbor but the
actual plant was in a large "H" shaped building in St.
Joseph, Michigan, which is on the south side of Benton
Harbor.

When I was in high school (and a few times after I
went off to college) I drove the 35 miles to the Heath
plant from my "olde home towne" of LaPorte, Indiana,
quite a number of times just to "drool" over the
equipment which was displayed in a sales room in the
plant or to purchase a part (like a new meter for my
original DX-100).  You could walk in and purchase any
current kit and take it home.  You also could purchase
parts.  The display room was to the left of the main
door to the plant.

If you had a question on some Heath equipment that you
already owned you could ask the receptionist and she
would call back to the engineering department. 
Someone from that department (often the actual person
who designed the unit or was on the original design
team) would come out and talk to you.  Several times I
came home with a hand drawn schematic and a bag of
parts to make a modification on the unit (no charge).

But, getting back to your original question:  Yes,
Heathkit is still very much in business but is no
longer at the old St. Joseph location.

Glen, K9STH


--- "Duane Fischer, W8DBF" <dfischer at usol.com> wrote:

No, this is not one of my infamous spoofs. This is
serious.
 
I have a Ham who insists that Heathkit is still
manufacturing products. Specifically what products he
did not say. Nor did he indicate if these products
were being made in Benton Harbor, MI where the
original Heathkit was.
 
Has somebody else purchased the name of "Heathkit" and
is now making products bearing the "Heathkit" name,
even if said products are not Ham or other types of
electronics?









Glen, K9STH

Website:  http://k9sth.com 


       
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