Hi Folks!

Found this post on Heathkit -- I built several of their kits.

https://www.electronicdesign.com/communiqu/article/21148923/electronic-d esign-heathkit-an-employees-look-back



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Re: Heathkit article
By: Barry Martin to All on Tue Dec 08 2020 07:51 am

Found this post on Heathkit -- I built several of their kits. https://www.electronicdesign.com/communiqu/article/21148923/electronic-d esign-heathkit-an-employees-look-back

I used to build these with my dad when I was a kid. Taught us both how to soder. I think we bought them at the radioshack which had a little area with Heathkits, and you could also special order them.

Morgan

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Found this post on Heathkit -- I built several of their kits. https://www.electronicdesign.com/communiqu/article/21148923/electronic-d esign-heathkit-an-employees-look-back

I used to build these with my dad when I was a kid. Taught us both how to sod
. I think we bought them at the radioshack which had a little area with Heath
ts, and you could also special order them.

I believe you are right about them being at Radio Shack.

I don't remember ever using one with sodering (too bad I didn't), but I remember a couple of kits (maybe not Heath's) where you could wire up
different circuits and get it to do different things. You made the
connections by putting the ends of the wires into spring-like coils rather
than making a permanent connection. Mine two favorites curcuits were the
radio receiver and the morse code transmitter.

Sometimes I think having something like that to play with again would be
fun. :)


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Re: Heathkit article
By: Mike Powell to MORGAN COLLINS on Tue Jan 12 2021 05:11 pm

I don't remember ever using one with sodering (too bad I didn't), but I remember a couple of kits (maybe not Heath's) where you could wire up different circuits and get it to do different things. You made the connections by putting the ends of the wires into spring-like coils rather than making a permanent connection. Mine two favorites curcuits were the radio receiver and the morse code transmitter.

Yes! I had one of those as well. I'm not sure it was Heath or not, I think it was a different brand. It was cardboard, with those springs for the wires which came in different colors and lengths. There were different modules on the board you could wire up. Capacitors, Resistors, switches, dials, lights, an LED number display thing, a speaker, buzzer etc.

There was a book and you would follow the instructions to build different things. I do remember the radio, and there was one that would turn the light on and off based on a sensor.

Wow. I totally forgot about that thing until now.

Morgan

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Hi Morgan!

Found this post on Heathkit -- I built several of their kits. https://www.electronicdesign.com/communiqu/article/21148923/electronic-d esign-heathkit-an-employees-look-back

I used to build these with my dad when I was a kid. Taught us
both how to soder. I think we bought them at the radioshack
which had a little area with Heathkits, and you could also
special order them.

Dad taught me electricity and later some of his friends who were
Electronic Engineers started teaching me electronics. Was sort of funny
as I started off as Dad's apprentice and a few years later he became
mine!

I don't recall if the local Radio Shacks sold any Heathkits; what I
bought was through the catalog and delivered.



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Yes! I had one of those as well. I'm not sure it was Heath or not, I think it
was a different brand. It was cardboard, with those springs for the wires whic
came in different colors and lengths. There were different modules on the boar
d you could wire up. Capacitors, Resistors, switches, dials, lights, an LED nu
ber display thing, a speaker, buzzer etc.

Yep, that is it! I think I still have the morse code key somewhere but I
think the rest of the kit is long gone. :( It was fun for a pre-teen kid
to play with.

Mike


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Hi Mike!

MIKE POWELL wrote to MORGAN COLLINS <=-

Found this post on Heathkit -- I built several of their kits.

https://www.electronicdesign.com/communiqu/article/21148923/electr
onic-d> BM>
esign-heathkit-an-employees-look-back

I used to build these with my dad when I was a kid. Taught us both how to

. I think we bought them at the radioshack which had a little area with

Heath> ts, and you could also special order them.

I believe you are right about them being at Radio Shack.

I don't remember ever using one with sodering (too bad I didn't),
but I remember a couple of kits (maybe not Heath's) where you
could wire up different circuits and get it to do different
things. You made the connections by putting the ends of the
wires into spring-like coils rather than making a permanent
connection. Mine two favorites curcuits were the radio receiver
and the morse code transmitter.

Sometimes I think having something like that to play with again
would be fun. :)

Yup: I received something like that as a Christmas present, probably
middle 60's. IIRC it was a '50-in-1 Electronics Kit' from Radio Shack.

...When I Googled "electronics kits" I got the suggestions "...for
adults" and "for kids". Enter "DIY electronic kits" on Amazon and
3,000+ hits. ...And reminded me there are Arduino and Raspberry Pi
add-on kits. Amazon has a "Elegoo Mega 2560" for $59.99 which looks interesting and includes an Arduino.

And I'll admit to sometimes buying kits even though I don't need half of
the components: sometimes cheaper to buy the kit to get the parts I do
need (and can use in the future).


Oh, while I think of it: soldering irons. Besides wattage and
comfortable, check the cord! I have one soldering iron which for some
reason has a cord on it almost as thick as my pinkie finger -- Good
Grief! Were they thinking it was being attached to a soldering gun??
Doesn't flex all that well and I have to be careful when setting it down
it doesn't move on it's own (cord retracts) and touch something on the
bench. ...Found if stick the cord in the drawer under the bench helps.


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Re: Heathkit article
By: Barry Martin to Mike Powell on Wed Jan 13 2021 07:54 am

...When I Googled "electronics kits" I got the suggestions "...for
adults" and "for kids". Enter "DIY electronic kits" on Amazon and
3,000+ hits. ...And reminded me there are Arduino and Raspberry Pi
add-on kits. Amazon has a "Elegoo Mega 2560" for $59.99 which looks interesting and includes an Arduino.

Back when they had Maker Faires I picked up a few electronic kits that were small circuit boards and the various chips, resistors and other components. One needed to solder them together by following the instructions, and once complete it would be a little board full of blinking LEDs. Not too difficult but teaches the basic skills for anyone so inclined to learn how to solder.

I think Arduinos and Pi's are great ways to get kids exicited about development because they can show a physical result. Not everyone gets exicited about building a website or database, but building a physical gizmo that does something could get a kid interested in development and electronics.

Morgan

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...When I Googled "electronics kits" I got the suggestions "...for
adults" and "for kids". Enter "DIY electronic kits" on Amazon and
3,000+ hits. ...And reminded me there are Arduino and Raspberry Pi
add-on kits. Amazon has a "Elegoo Mega 2560" for $59.99 which looks interesting and includes an Arduino.

As Morgan and I were discussing that kit, I remembered all of the wires and
led lights my raspberry pi breadboard came with. There is a lot of
simularity, minus the fact that the old kits didn't have an ARM processor
(or any processors!). Still plenty of opportunity for people to have fun
with kits like those.

Mike


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