What ever happened to Heathkit? This famous name has been out of the kit business for over ten years now, but they still sell parts on a 'as available' basis. Heath, had to get out of the kit business not because of lack of interest, but lack of enough people who could assemble their products. There were, in fact, a variety of factors that pushed Heath out of the kit business. They include, but are not limited to:
* The pace of technological change versus the time required to
design a product, write a manual and bring that product to the
marketplace.
* The economics of automated assembly.
* The pressure of competition.
* The changing nature of "leisure time" and interests.
* The concept of "instant gratification".
* Zenith's acquisition of Heath.
The increasingly complex nature of kits, the size and density of parts, and the close soldering required, began to challenge even the most experienced builders but the primary factor that forced Heath to give up on kits was economics. Heath went to great lengths to make their manuals as clear as possible. That was one of the primary reasons why they ended up being the only serious player in the kit market. Sure, thousands of people screwed them up, but hundreds of thousands more put them together properly and had them work the first time.
Heath quality control was about as good as any manufacturer in the electronics business. Initially, Heath purchased many surplus components for their kits but this practice essentially stopped by 1955. Heath had to be better than average or they couldn't have survived very long. From their point of view, it was essential that the kit builder have a good experience.
The above story was provided courtesy of Chuck Penson, a Heath Company historian.