History-of article on Heathkit, must-read
https://www.electronicdesign.com/communiqu/article/21148923/electronic-desig... A senior executive of Heathkit, Chas Gilmore, is interviewed by Lou Frenzel of Electronics Design (a trade magazine). Lou himself is a former Heathkit executive. They both came up through engineering so this article is about technology development and sales. The article describes now-vintage computing history at Heath. This is familiar to those of us over 60; thus it's a must-read for our younger colleagues. For those who question why those "ugly boxes full of cards" were every popular, or why people built ever computers instead of just buying them, here's the answers. It also underscores the impact of the MITS Altair article and product in Jan 1975 - that broke the ice-jam at every company that previously said "nobody will buy a personal computer; there's no software; there's no use for it". It follows the history of why companies like Heath declined as computing became an industrial product and then a consumer product. And, it describes the process for the famous Heathkit manuals. A "manual" is a like a papery-bloggy kind of thing, that described how to build a kit and how it worked, before the Internet and email. People of the era, actually wanted to learn all that stuff. They had plenty of time to read manuals, because they didn't have smartphones or NetFlix. Components back then were large, simpler, and designed for hand-assembly, because robots hadn't taken over yet. And as electronics then were expensive, they were designed for long-life and human repair (and not just discarded when boring). So the manuals helped with diagnostics, the art of figuring out WHY something didn't work. Repair was a real industry and career, in that era. Many tech schools and universities used Heath products for both value and cost, and as part of their curriculum. In short, it's a window back in time, to answer those puzzling questions 21st century people have, about the era of now-vintage computers through one major company. It concurs with my experiences around Heath products in the 1980's. regards, Herb Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT comcast DOT net
Thank you Herb! On that note. Maybe VCF and InfoAge could come up with some sort of plan to have a Workshop that shows the average person what we do, as technicians and how we go about repairing computers, TVs, radios and such. I know right now it would have to be all virtual, but I don’t think it would be much different then what VCF has done recently. Ultimately this could be done live and a setting like VCF East. And commenting on what Herb has said that this would help show people, “why we do what we do.” Mike Rosen Sent from: My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device.
On Dec 7, 2020, at 11:55 AM, Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
https://www.electronicdesign.com/communiqu/article/21148923/electronic-desig...
A senior executive of Heathkit, Chas Gilmore, is interviewed by Lou Frenzel of Electronics Design (a trade magazine). Lou himself is a former Heathkit executive. They both came up through engineering so this article is about technology development and sales.
The article describes now-vintage computing history at Heath. This is familiar to those of us over 60; thus it's a must-read for our younger colleagues. For those who question why those "ugly boxes full of cards" were every popular, or why people built ever computers instead of just buying them, here's the answers.
It also underscores the impact of the MITS Altair article and product in Jan 1975 - that broke the ice-jam at every company that previously said "nobody will buy a personal computer; there's no software; there's no use for it". It follows the history of why companies like Heath declined as computing became an industrial product and then a consumer product.
And, it describes the process for the famous Heathkit manuals. A "manual" is a like a papery-bloggy kind of thing, that described how to build a kit and how it worked, before the Internet and email. People of the era, actually wanted to learn all that stuff. They had plenty of time to read manuals, because they didn't have smartphones or NetFlix.
Components back then were large, simpler, and designed for hand-assembly, because robots hadn't taken over yet. And as electronics then were expensive, they were designed for long-life and human repair (and not just discarded when boring). So the manuals helped with diagnostics, the art of figuring out WHY something didn't work. Repair was a real industry and career, in that era. Many tech schools and universities used Heath products for both value and cost, and as part of their curriculum.
In short, it's a window back in time, to answer those puzzling questions 21st century people have, about the era of now-vintage computers through one major company. It concurs with my experiences around Heath products in the 1980's.
regards, Herb Johnson
-- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT comcast DOT net
Dwane Craps writes:
Back when I got out of the Army, color televisions were pretty much a luxury item. I took a correspondence course on television servicing that included building a Heathkit 25 inch color television. Paid for by the GI Bill.
It's not well remembered these days, but a lot of TV and radio and computer kits were marketed as educational items, qualifying for government funding for veterans. But if you read the ads in Popular Science and Popular Electronics and other hobby magazines of the era, you'll see ads that market in just that way. And, one could make a living as a TV/Radio service-person in the era, even set up their own business. So it all worked. Regards, Herb Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT comcast DOT net
Thanks Herb, a nice read. BIll On Mon, Dec 7, 2020 at 11:55 AM Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
https://www.electronicdesign.com/communiqu/article/21148923/electronic-desig...
A senior executive of Heathkit, Chas Gilmore, is interviewed by Lou Frenzel of Electronics Design (a trade magazine). Lou himself is a former Heathkit executive. They both came up through engineering so this article is about technology development and sales.
The article describes now-vintage computing history at Heath. This is familiar to those of us over 60; thus it's a must-read for our younger colleagues. For those who question why those "ugly boxes full of cards" were every popular, or why people built ever computers instead of just buying them, here's the answers.
It also underscores the impact of the MITS Altair article and product in Jan 1975 - that broke the ice-jam at every company that previously said "nobody will buy a personal computer; there's no software; there's no use for it". It follows the history of why companies like Heath declined as computing became an industrial product and then a consumer product.
And, it describes the process for the famous Heathkit manuals. A "manual" is a like a papery-bloggy kind of thing, that described how to build a kit and how it worked, before the Internet and email. People of the era, actually wanted to learn all that stuff. They had plenty of time to read manuals, because they didn't have smartphones or NetFlix.
Components back then were large, simpler, and designed for hand-assembly, because robots hadn't taken over yet. And as electronics then were expensive, they were designed for long-life and human repair (and not just discarded when boring). So the manuals helped with diagnostics, the art of figuring out WHY something didn't work. Repair was a real industry and career, in that era. Many tech schools and universities used Heath products for both value and cost, and as part of their curriculum.
In short, it's a window back in time, to answer those puzzling questions 21st century people have, about the era of now-vintage computers through one major company. It concurs with my experiences around Heath products in the 1980's.
regards, Herb Johnson
-- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT comcast DOT net
On Mon, 7 Dec 2020, Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
https://www.electronicdesign.com/communiqu/article/21148923/electronic-desig...
Thanks, Herb. In my younger days, I used to drool over the Heathkit catalog and later was able to build some kits in the '70s. IP-2718 triple output power supply (which I still use), IT-3120 FET/Transistor tester, IG-5218 Sine/Square wave generator, and a GDA-405-D 8-channel R/C transmitter for my father. The first kit I built though, was a Knight-Kit Star Roamer short wave receiver (tubes). The Heathkit manuals were outstanding. I wasn't able to afford any of the Heath computer gear back then, but I now have H8 and Z90 computers, and a H19 terminal. Mike Loewen mloewen@cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/
On 12/7/20 17:24, Mike Loewen via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
On Mon, 7 Dec 2020, Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
https://www.electronicdesign.com/communiqu/article/21148923/electronic-desig...
Thanks, Herb. In my younger days, I used to drool over the Heathkit catalog and later was able to build some kits in the '70s. IP-2718 triple output power supply (which I still use), IT-3120 FET/Transistor tester, IG-5218 Sine/Square wave generator, and a GDA-405-D 8-channel R/C transmitter for my father. The first kit I built though, was a Knight-Kit Star Roamer short wave receiver (tubes). The Heathkit manuals were outstanding.
I wasn't able to afford any of the Heath computer gear back then, but I now have H8 and Z90 computers, and a H19 terminal.
I'll have to pull my H150 out of the basement and see if it still boots. I used to love reading through the Heath magazines to see what amazing kits they had. I had built a few simple kits so thought I could tackle a computer kit and save some money. When I opened the box for the H150 and saw spools of resisters, sticks of chips and naked boards I almost had a stroke, but with Heath store's help I got it running and it was my computer for several years and got me a job supporting a hospital groups PC rollout because I was the only one in the IT department that had my own computer. Mark
I still use my Heathkit hand held frequency counter I assembled 30 years ago! Mike Sent from: My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device.
On Dec 7, 2020, at 9:45 PM, madodel <madodel@mac.com> wrote:
On 12/7/20 17:24, Mike Loewen via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
On Mon, 7 Dec 2020, Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
https://www.electronicdesign.com/communiqu/article/21148923/electronic-desig...
Thanks, Herb. In my younger days, I used to drool over the Heathkit catalog and later was able to build some kits in the '70s. IP-2718 triple output power supply (which I still use), IT-3120 FET/Transistor tester, IG-5218 Sine/Square wave generator, and a GDA-405-D 8-channel R/C transmitter for my father. The first kit I built though, was a Knight-Kit Star Roamer short wave receiver (tubes). The Heathkit manuals were outstanding.
I wasn't able to afford any of the Heath computer gear back then, but I now have H8 and Z90 computers, and a H19 terminal.
I'll have to pull my H150 out of the basement and see if it still boots. I used to love reading through the Heath magazines to see what amazing kits they had. I had built a few simple kits so thought I could tackle a computer kit and save some money. When I opened the box for the H150 and saw spools of resisters, sticks of chips and naked boards I almost had a stroke, but with Heath store's help I got it running and it was my computer for several years and got me a job supporting a hospital groups PC rollout because I was the only one in the IT department that had my own computer.
Mark
Herb, Back when I got out of the Army, color televisions were pretty much a luxury item. I took a correspondence course on television servicing that included building a Heathkit 25 inch color television. Paid for by the GI Bill. As you completed each lesson they sent out the next assignment and the next kit of parts. We watched it for some time in its naked chassis before I ordered a nice console cabinet. There was a Heathkit store in Norfolk where I could get parts and they could test modules. The printed circuit modules all plugged in to chassis mounted molex connectors. Duane On 12/7/2020 11:53 AM, Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
https://www.electronicdesign.com/communiqu/article/21148923/electronic-desig...
A senior executive of Heathkit, Chas Gilmore, is interviewed by Lou Frenzel of Electronics Design (a trade magazine). Lou himself is a former Heathkit executive. They both came up through engineering so this article is about technology development and sales.
The article describes now-vintage computing history at Heath. This is familiar to those of us over 60; thus it's a must-read for our younger colleagues. For those who question why those "ugly boxes full of cards" were every popular, or why people built ever computers instead of just buying them, here's the answers.
It also underscores the impact of the MITS Altair article and product in Jan 1975 - that broke the ice-jam at every company that previously said "nobody will buy a personal computer; there's no software; there's no use for it". It follows the history of why companies like Heath declined as computing became an industrial product and then a consumer product.
And, it describes the process for the famous Heathkit manuals. A "manual" is a like a papery-bloggy kind of thing, that described how to build a kit and how it worked, before the Internet and email. People of the era, actually wanted to learn all that stuff. They had plenty of time to read manuals, because they didn't have smartphones or NetFlix.
Components back then were large, simpler, and designed for hand-assembly, because robots hadn't taken over yet. And as electronics then were expensive, they were designed for long-life and human repair (and not just discarded when boring). So the manuals helped with diagnostics, the art of figuring out WHY something didn't work. Repair was a real industry and career, in that era. Many tech schools and universities used Heath products for both value and cost, and as part of their curriculum.
In short, it's a window back in time, to answer those puzzling questions 21st century people have, about the era of now-vintage computers through one major company. It concurs with my experiences around Heath products in the 1980's.
regards, Herb Johnson
-- DuaneCraps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp
participants (6)
-
Bill Degnan -
Duane Craps -
Herb Johnson -
madodel -
Mike Loewen -
Sentrytv