Electronic hackers and ham radio operators of a certain age have a soft spot for the Heathkit brand. Maybe that’s why we had a rush of nostalgia when we saw the Heathkit site had a new product. You ...

Most modern ham rigs have a voice activated transmission (VOX) mode, although we don’t know many people who use it often. When a transmitter is in VOX mode, it starts transmitting when you talk, and ...

One of our favorite electronic suppliers is gone and the other may be on their way out of business. I wonder why? Given the continued growth and popularity of electronic equipment and the emergence of ...

My father put together a Heathkit shortwave radio in his youth. The radio is still there in my childhood home. He’s still alive so this isn’t saccharine reminisces of a man who passed. Dad still sits ...

Radio Shack and Heathkit are long gone but these companies had a major impact on young engineers. These articles touch on the companies, their impact, and what happened along the way.

While working in the Amateur Radio department at Heathkit, I was given the task of seeing a new two-meter ham transceiver through the system. The kit design had already been finalized, but the project ...

Ah, it was a simpler time. You’d get home from school and dash to the mailbox looking for the latest Heathkit catalog. For many, Heathkits sparked young creative energies that evolved into engineering ...