[Lafayette] Still works

[peter markavage]

This is from 40 year old memory and some sales notes I had stashed away
in my HA-225 and HE-80 folders that I dug up this evening but I think it
went this way and my initial statement "The HE-80 was the replacement for
 the HA-225" was inaccurate.

The HE-80 was initially advertised in 64 catalog, which actually came in
at the end of 3rd quarter 63. Stock number was put on back order. Don't
remember if we were ever given a reason at the time. Sometime in 1964 we
received a sales bulletin indicating that model HA-225 was going to be
the initial stock and that all queries and sales should be directed to
this model. The 1965 catalog, which came out in the 3rd quarter of 64,
also showed the HE-80 model. Some time in 1965, HE-80's started to arrive
in stock for sale. We were told to sell down any HA-225 inventory as
quickly as possible to avoid having similar models available. The catalog
preparers for the 1966 catalog, which actually started to be organized
and prepared sometime around the end of 1st quarter 1965, either weren't
made aware of the model switch and/or finally decided on their own to
replace the HE-80 ad in the previous catalogs with a HA-225 ad. If you
recall the quarterly smaller type catalogs(i.e. 651, 652, etc.(main
catalog ended in "0" as 650)) from  64 to 66 both the HE-80 and the
HA-225 appeared at random times since they weren't sure when the HE-80
was coming in to replace the HA-225 if ever. By the time the 1967 catalog
came out, both models were history.

So the bottom line, HE-80 was supposed to have come first. I don't
believe the HA-225 was ever meant to be a follow on product to the HE-80.
HA-225 appeared on the U.S. market first because HE-80's weren't
available in the time frame that they thought they would be available.

I can probably relate 101 other bizarre stories about the 60's and 70's
life and times at Lafayette Radio.

Pete

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 10:43:50 +0900 "Toshikazu \"dan\" Sakakibara"
<nootaro at bay.wind.ne.jp> writes:
> Hello Pete, Ron and the list;
> 
>    I'm confused about the HE-80 and HA-225. In my understanding
>   the HE-80 came first, then HA-225 replaced it. I saw ads on QST,
>   that the HE-80 appeared in early 1964, and the HA-225 appeared
>   on December 1964. I don't have Lafayette catalogs so I don't
>   know if the ads on QST properly reflects when they were
>   introduced to the market.
> 
>    From my observation the differences are;
> 
>    1: HA-225 covers longwave, instead of BC.
> 
>    2: HA-225 has a separate heter transformer. The LO and
>       mixer tubes are heated up even when the power switch is
>       OFF.
> 
>    3: In HA-225 the main and bandspread tuning caps are covered
>       by a steel box for better shielding.
> 
>    4: In HA-225 the audio output transformer is mounted
>       with 45 degree angle. Reason unknown. Possibly to reduce
>       hum.
> 
>    5: BFO tube is mounted on a sub chassis, possibly to reduce
>       the BFO leakage.
> 
>    6: Dial string route is different.
> 
>    7: HA-225 uses coaxial cable from antenna trimmer cap to the
>       coil pack. HE-80 uses regular wire.
> 
>    8: Shape of the chassis hole for the IFT mounting different;
>       HA-225 has less opening, possibly to increase shielding
>       effect.
> 
>    It seems that the HA-225 has a lot of small improvements
>    over the HE-80. If HA-225 came first then HE-80, I would
>    say the HE-80 got a lot of cost reduction....! :-)
> 
>    HE-80 is completely (but cosmetically) identical to the
>    Trio (now Kenwood) JR-60. It appeared to the JA market
>    in 1963.
> 
>     My guess : HA-225 was newer than HE-80 in its design.
>     but radios without BC coverage did not sell well in the
>     U.S., so the older JR-60 was called and remodelled as
>     HE-80..... just a guess.
> 
> 73;
> 
> dan  JE1IIA
> 
> owSystems Lab. Tomioka, Japan
> 
> http://www.noobowsystems.com/
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------
> 
> peter markavage wrote:
> 
> > The HE-80 was the replacement for  the HA-225. HA-225 came out and 
> then
> > was abruptly dropped from the product  line before the ink was 
> even dry in
> > the catalog. Never found out why the  model was dropped so 
> quickly. Minor
> > differences between the units but pretty  much the same receiver.
> > 
> 
> 
> > Probably a good reason if that was the reason. It might have also 
> been
> > that the HE-80 was not ready for market and the HA-225 was used to 
> fill
> > that hole for a short time. The HA-225 did continue to be offered 
> in
> > other parts of the world after the HE-80 was introduced.
> > Pete
> > 
> 
> > HA-225 did not cover the North American BC band. It covers .15 to 
> 500 kHz  
> > instead. Not much call for an American radio that can't recieve 
> the BC  band.
> > Other than that, yes, they are identical. I have one.
> >  
> > ron
> >  
> > N4UE