The remarkable legacy of the Heath Company and its famous Heathkit DIY electronics ‘kits’ revolutionized how people learned about electronics by offering clear instructions and hands-on projects that made it fun, accessible, and educational.
As a surprise to many Heathkit-loving Ham Radio builders, the first kits were for building Airplanes! And yes, I mean full-size flying machines, at least until a Heath Company founder (literally) crashed on a new plane’s test run in 1931.
But, thanks to surplus WWII electronics the company bought up, and a scramble over the railroad boxcars overflowing with parts, the company pivoted into “make-your-own” kits, sparking a long-lasting love of DIY electronics, Ham Radio, and geek inventions of all kinds!
The nostalgia and love of Heathkits are apparent in the multiple and extensive stories and heartfelt memories of learning and building these kits at school, with a dad, grandad, or uncle, the Boy Scouts, or for a family’s first TV in the home. And it expands into igniting electrical engineering careers, sparking new inventions, and leading to future innovation.
Heath’s apparent love for the “gadget” over money was reflected in a company culture where engineers were more important than “bean counters,” and education was at the forefront. Touted for the precision and instructional care of their kit-building directions, their reputation for educating their customers is still well-respected today.
Not only did you build something that works (many still in operation), but you also learned something along the way. Opening your kit was a moment of excitement! But the sheer genius of the instructional manuals, with perfect illustrations and explanations for each step, fondly remains a core element of Heathkit’s perpetual customer affinity.
Hands-on Education as a Differentiator
For a company selling products— namely, parts kits to build electronic devices— their legendary instruction manuals turned every kit into a mini electronics course. The manuals’ influence on education for learn-by-doing set an admirable educational standard and became a demonstrable differentiator for the business.
This kind of impact makes the fond and nostalgic memories of Heathkits a universal shared language for many folks in Ham Radio, along with scores of others. Curiosity, learning, and adventure were all found inside your Heathkit on its arrival.
The Power of the Heathkit Community
A community powered by curiosity and inventiveness, even as the market shifted and technology advanced, captured the spirit and pride in saying, “I did it myself,” and inspires craftsmanship and innovations to this day.
The Heath Company’s long run and engaged community of builders in schools, groups, basements, and garages every which where, is part of a shared cultural experience and a roaring and growing time in our history. A fun time. A creative and imaginative time.
Young people today building projects with Arduino Boards or Raspberry Pi computers share the same spirit, as the “makers market” continues to shine in Heathkit fashion.
Heath’s remarkable company journey shows us that innovation is born when we:
embrace chaos,
educate our audience, and
invite people to be part of the creation.
And sometimes, the best innovations come from unexpected setbacks.
“I built many Heathkits as a kid. When I built my first one, I was ten. It was a digital clock kit my dad had bought to build himself, and I talked him into letting me build it. He taught me how to solder (much to my mom’s chagrin), and we were both shocked when it worked the first time we plugged it in. Thanks, Dad. I miss you.”
“Heath was great. I drooled over the catalogs many days. I was a poor Jr high student with no income, so all I could do was wish. Today, after two degrees in electronics and 30+ years as a ham, I now own some of those Heathkits I wanted so bad. Long live HEATHKIT!!!!!!!”
“Hello, I’m Rip Jones, and I’m a Heathkit Nerd. Not only did I build, but I still have every Heathkit, save one, that I built. I also built many of the demo units that were inside the Heathkit Electronics store in Atlanta, GA. I do still own my personal GR-2001 25” Color TV. Now that I am retired, I am once again completing the Heathkit Education courses, and reminding this old dog, the electronics he long had to forget. I picked up a vintage AR-15 Stereo Receiver a while back, and I am going to restore it. Outside of the Store Units I built, the only kit I ever sold was an HR-10B Ham Radio Receiver that I sold back to one of the guys who used to work at the store. Sadly, there will never be another company like Heathkit. R.I.P.”
“I am listening to this video via my 1976 Heathkit AA-1506 stereo audio amplifier, and it still looks almost brand new. That in combination with my home-made 1976 speakers that each contains one 15″ woofer, 2 mid-range dome drivers, and 4 dome tweeters. My 1986 Heathkit Hero 2000 is also still working.”
“Upon hearing Heathkit, I immediately flashed back to 1964, watching dad assemble a Heathkit Engine Tach/Dwell and Volt/Ohm meter kit. I learned new secret words that day. It was the best day with my dad.” 💛
“I was fascinated by the HeathKits and built a microwave oven, colour TV, a two-way radio transmitter receiver, and they all worked perfectly for years. Great fun and educational.” 🇨🇦Alberta
NOTE: As you can see from the last comment, there was, indeed, a Heathkit to build a microwave… something we got wrong in the quiz, so please accept our apologies and thanks to so many for the catch!
