Will wonders never cease...PAT COFFEY
Heathkit home appliances???????
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Whirlpool in kit form.
Both companies were based in Benton Harbor, Michigan at the time. I believe the price of the microwave oven kit included return shipping to Heathkit for FCC and DHHS emissions certification.
Both companies were based in Benton Harbor, Michigan at the time. I believe the price of the microwave oven kit included return shipping to Heathkit for FCC and DHHS emissions certification.
I Have Seen These Before
Only the Trash-Masher Compactor was built by Whirlpool.
John L.
Only the Trash-Masher Compactor was built by Whirlpool.
John L.
IowaBear. I was one of those kids too. I actually started building them in my early teen years. My dad would take me to Radioshack once a month. Memories...
And I thought my HK SW radio was the nuts!
I built the Heathkit 25" color TV when I was 15 or 16, used it for many many years. It was an experience, later built a cabinet to house it.
I recall the microwave oven (and TV) from Heathkit catalogs but not so much the compactor. I did a couple clock kits and an indoor/outdoor thermometer. I still use one of the clocks, the other needs repair on the battery holder which I haven't made an effort to do it. The thermometer is unfortunately long-gone.
Heath was kitting other manufacturers products like this towards the end. They even sold some fully assembled products under their name also, I have a "Heathkit" digital multimeter I bought in 1981 which is actually a Fluke 77 with the Heath name on it.
Heathkit's first product was actually an airplane!
They really got a start when they bought a bunch of military surplus CRT's and they designed a simple oscilloscope kit around them. From there on they got into test gear then amateur radio products. Audio and various other home products came later.
My brother that lives here in Minneapolis built the 25" color console TV in ~1982 and he STILL uses it to this day. It was a kitted Zenith TV where it was only mechanical assembly of the original Zenith parts. The only soldering in his kit was an alignment generator board that installed inside that allowed one to align the set without special equipment. A decade or so back he took the set to a local TV shop and they installed a new picture tube in it and it works like new still.
Heathkit helped spur a lot of people into technical fields. They came into an age where Sputnik has scared the collective wits out of Americans and for a generation it was actually 'cool' to be smart. Clearly things seem to have changed, we could use another scare soon...
Heathkit's first product was actually an airplane!
They really got a start when they bought a bunch of military surplus CRT's and they designed a simple oscilloscope kit around them. From there on they got into test gear then amateur radio products. Audio and various other home products came later.
My brother that lives here in Minneapolis built the 25" color console TV in ~1982 and he STILL uses it to this day. It was a kitted Zenith TV where it was only mechanical assembly of the original Zenith parts. The only soldering in his kit was an alignment generator board that installed inside that allowed one to align the set without special equipment. A decade or so back he took the set to a local TV shop and they installed a new picture tube in it and it works like new still.
Heathkit helped spur a lot of people into technical fields. They came into an age where Sputnik has scared the collective wits out of Americans and for a generation it was actually 'cool' to be smart. Clearly things seem to have changed, we could use another scare soon...
Don't forget Dynaco "DynaKits" that got folks into Hi-fi at a REASONABLE price!!!Now the Dynaco St70 is back-assembled only and costs over 2 grand.Remember building St 70's for radio stations and others.Very easy to build-and they worked so well.also built St 120,St80,St400.Also Scott,Fisher had kits-mainly Amps.Same with Eico-amps,test gear.So mis kits-they were fun and saved a few dollars.
Stereo 70's
I don't think they have shipped one of those new "Dynaco" (in name only) Stereo 70's yet. I have a hunch they will remain vaporware, that price is just out of line.
There are several companies that are selling reproduction kits of the Stereo-70 today that are quite true to the original. They all sell for $1000 or less which is fairly reasonable for all new parts.
http://www.tubes4hifi.com/bob.htm
http://triodeelectronics.com/st70buildkit.html
One can find used ones but really nice condition units for restoration are rare now. And all of them seem to go for $350-500 even in poor shape. By the time you buy all the restoration parts you are looking at almost new kit price. I have bought a total of 10 Stereo-70's in my life, never paid more then $125 for one yet. In 1985 I bought six of them for $60 each
Those days are long gone... I still use the first one I restored that was pulled out of a Washington DC thrift store for $15. It was an early factory wired model from about 1960.
I don't think they have shipped one of those new "Dynaco" (in name only) Stereo 70's yet. I have a hunch they will remain vaporware, that price is just out of line.
There are several companies that are selling reproduction kits of the Stereo-70 today that are quite true to the original. They all sell for $1000 or less which is fairly reasonable for all new parts.
http://www.tubes4hifi.com/bob.htm
http://triodeelectronics.com/st70buildkit.html
One can find used ones but really nice condition units for restoration are rare now. And all of them seem to go for $350-500 even in poor shape. By the time you buy all the restoration parts you are looking at almost new kit price. I have bought a total of 10 Stereo-70's in my life, never paid more then $125 for one yet. In 1985 I bought six of them for $60 each
Those days are long gone... I still use the first one I restored that was pulled out of a Washington DC thrift store for $15. It was an early factory wired model from about 1960.I vaguely remember something about my neighbor's son Kennen building a Heathkit organ sometime in the early 60's. According to my research, this would likely have been a Thomas organ. He later went on to become a top executive at the Baldwin Piano and Organ Co.
The "new" Dynacos come from Canada.They are advertised in the Hi End Hi-Fi magazines.For the time being have given up on most Hi-Fi-just use an Onkyo receiver I bought at Best Buy and My Klipsch speakers-does just fine!!!Tubed Hi-Fi has just gotten too expensive to bother with now.
