Heathkit
The Heath company, originally based in Benton Harbor, Michigan, grew from its humble beginnings in 1935 to become the largest manufacturer of kit-form electronic equipment in the world.
Originally a manufacturer of light aircraft and aircraft parts and accessories, the company entered the electronic kits market in 1947 with the introduction of a simple oscilloscope based largely on war surplus parts. Heath rapidly expanded over the next few years, adding hi-fi equipment, and amateur radio products—all of it in kit form.
The idea to offer electronic products as kits was based on the fact that until around 1970 about half the cost of any given piece of electronic equipment was the labor of assembling it. If the assembly could be provided by the customer, the cost of the product would be greatly reduced.
Heath thrived until the early 1970s, when advancements in solid-state technology, automated assembly, and foreign competition began to work against the company’s business model. By the mid 1980s, Heath’s spectacular run was pretty much over.
It is fair to say that Heath may have been the most influential electronics company of the 20th century. Its legacy can be summed up in one word—access. Heath did not invent the oscilloscope, it invented a way for people to get one. What Heath made possible was access to affordable, quality electronic equipment, which in turn launched countless thousands of careers in electronics. Maybe yours.
Many of Heath’s products are now collectable artifacts, and many are highly sought after by audiophiles and ham radio operators. The Heathkit trilogy of books celebrates three of the company’s best known product lines: test equipment, hi-fi and stereo equipment, and amateur radio gear. The books are written for buyers, sellers, collectors, audiophiles, ham radio operators, and anyone who loved Heathkits.
About the author
Chuck Penson, WA7ZZE, is an industrial archeologist, now retired from his position as archivist and historian for the Titan Missile Museum, located south of Tucson, Arizona. Penson’s interest in the Heath Company began as a child with the gift of a Heathkit crystal radio. He has been collecting Heathkits and studying the Heath Company since about 1980. His other interests include astronomy, geology (with a special interest in radioactive minerals), hiking, Cold War history, the history of nuclear weapons, and pizza. Penson lives on a small ranch in the desert west of Tucson, Arizona.
Copyright © 2024 Chuck Penson - All rights reserved
This website uses cookies.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.