Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!teddy!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!brl-tgr!wmartin
From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin )
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: What's Heathkit coming to? Heathassembled?
Message-ID: <7180@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 10-Jan-85 14:21:52 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.7180
Posted: Thu Jan 10 14:21:52 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 13-Jan-85 07:40:17 EST
References: <637@hou5a.UUCP> <196@hjuxa.UUCP> <458@hlwpc.UUCP> <502@mako.UUCP>
Organization: USAMC ALMSA
Lines: 58

> Hmmm...  Let's thumb through the latest Heath catalog...  A robot for under
> $600... A National Bureau of Standards linked digital clock for $250...  

I cannot address the value of the other items listed, but these are both
overpriced worthless junk. The craze for "robots" has created a market
for essentially worthless devices that perform no useful function. A
"robot", to have any value, must perform a useful function as an independent
mobile unit. Anything the current batch of "robots" can do can be done
better and cheaper by existing devices (burglar alarms, etc.). We'll have
a useful robot when it can do dishes or use household appliances (vacuums,
toasters, etc.) made for human use.

The "NBS-linked" clock is a piece of trash. We have discussed this rather
thoroughly on net.ham-radio some months ago and I won't repeat all that
here again. Suffice it to say that the radio receiver circuits built into
this clock fail to perform adequately to keep it slaved to the NBS time
signals, and, when it runs independently, it is simply inaccurate! See
Larry Magne's review of this that was aired on Radio Canada International
and might be reprinted in Radio Database Int'l or the World Radio TV Handbook.

Also, Heath just came out with a new shortwave receiver. Though a kit, it is 
priced higher than factory assembled radios like the Kenwood R-600, and
has much poorer performance. Again, this was reviewed by Magne on RCI, and
was termed a major disappointment. 

Heath could redeem itself -- it isn't too late. They should:

a) get out of computers entirely. Return to their traditional lines and base.
b) cut costs by eliminating all these silly retail outlets. Return to pure
	mail order operation out of the home site.
c) develop and market a line of test equipment that clearly offers the
	performance of factory-built gear at a lower LIST price than the
	DISCOUNT price of the Japanese assembled stuff. It needn't be 
	innovative or spectacular; they can copy existing circuits and
	equipment designs and use different cosmetics. (For example, they
	should sell an RF signal generator with a built-in line power supply
	and a simple dial readout for $79.95 -- you'd use your frequency
	meter instead of having to have a high-accuracy readout on the
	generator box itself. A decent 3-inch 'scope kit for $150 or so, etc.)
d) produce a good shortwave receiver kit, digital readout, with few frills
	but decent filters for selectivity, for $200 tops.
e) sell a line of audio gear based on REAL audiophile interests, such as the
	stuff described in The Audio Amateur and Speaker Builder.
and so on...

I'm sure others have their own particular desires and suggestions. The point
is that Heath locked up a segment of the market and then shafted it by poor
performance and bad behavior. This wouldn't matter if there were three other
electronic-kit vendors out there competing equally; Heath would then simply
get killed off by natural selection. It IS a problem because Heath is the
ONLY firm in the business (there are a few other companies selling a 
couple kits each, but nothing really equivalent). When they die off, there
will be no replacement, and everyone interested in kit-built electronics
will have nowhere to turn.

Will Martin

USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin     or   ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA