10-05-2011, 07:34 AM
I've never built any Heathkits as in their day, good as they were, and enjoyable to build, they were very expensive indeed and well out of reach of my pocket. But I've owned several Heathkit items, and still have a few. I'd particulaly hankered after a GR78 general coverage receiver kit, and bought the manual, but the kit was just too expensive for me to afford. I do now have a ready built one that I bought secondhand some years ago. They have an odd power supply - a bank of nicads cells permanenlty on charge from the mains, and when the nicads expeire due to age, the set stops working. I managed to find a source of circular tagged nicade cells which just fitted in the same plastic tube which the originals were in. Another shortcoming of this set is that like a lot of Heathkit stuff, built for the American market, and less lethal 110 volt mains supply, this set isn't earthed - it has a single insulated flimsy mains lead terminated in a non-standard figure of 8 plug/socket. At asome point I may fit a permanent lead.
I once had a Mohican - a poor performer.
I had a Valve Voltmeter, and even had a brand new meter movement spare, but sold it in a clearout.
Presently, I have an HW8 low power amateur radio CW transceiver comlete with the matching PSU, which I bught about five years ago as I thought might rekindle my interest in amateur radio, but it hasn't. Too much to do! I guess it's going to have to go at some point, as it's a delightful little thing that deserves to be used. I also have a pristine RF1U signal generator, which had languished all day ignored on a Bring & Buy stall at a radio rally some years ago for an asking price of just £7.00. It works well and is accurate when checked on my frequency counter. If anyone needs the circuit, it's attached.
I don't know if forum members are aware, but an American person has bought the copyright to Heathkit Manuals to sell copies as a business venture. He's pressured the BAMA website to remove Heahtkit manuals from it's free downloads. However, you can still find some Heahtkit circuits and manuals at the link below:
http://www.vintage-radio.info/heathkit/
If anyone needs the circuit of the RF1U Sig Genny, I've attached it here.
Hope that's of interest.
David
I once had a Mohican - a poor performer.
I had a Valve Voltmeter, and even had a brand new meter movement spare, but sold it in a clearout.
Presently, I have an HW8 low power amateur radio CW transceiver comlete with the matching PSU, which I bught about five years ago as I thought might rekindle my interest in amateur radio, but it hasn't. Too much to do! I guess it's going to have to go at some point, as it's a delightful little thing that deserves to be used. I also have a pristine RF1U signal generator, which had languished all day ignored on a Bring & Buy stall at a radio rally some years ago for an asking price of just £7.00. It works well and is accurate when checked on my frequency counter. If anyone needs the circuit, it's attached.
I don't know if forum members are aware, but an American person has bought the copyright to Heathkit Manuals to sell copies as a business venture. He's pressured the BAMA website to remove Heahtkit manuals from it's free downloads. However, you can still find some Heahtkit circuits and manuals at the link below:
http://www.vintage-radio.info/heathkit/
If anyone needs the circuit of the RF1U Sig Genny, I've attached it here.
Hope that's of interest.
David
