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Heathkit back in business!!!
- Thread starter VintageComputerman
- Start date
Chuck(G)
25k Member
I was a little suspicious as I've been an IEEE member since forever and have never heard of "IEEE Times". However, I have heard of "EE Times" and That's where the article comes from.
It looks like they're going heavy into educational stuff. I wish them success.
As far as the Garage Parking Attendant, I've accomplished the same thing with a couple of screw eyelets, a length of string and a red rubber ball. When the garage door is open, the ball is lowered from the ceiling such that it touches the windshield when the car has gone exactly the right distance into the garage. No batteries, LEDs or anything to lose. Works perfectly every time.
It looks like they're going heavy into educational stuff. I wish them success.
As far as the Garage Parking Attendant, I've accomplished the same thing with a couple of screw eyelets, a length of string and a red rubber ball. When the garage door is open, the ball is lowered from the ceiling such that it touches the windshield when the car has gone exactly the right distance into the garage. No batteries, LEDs or anything to lose. Works perfectly every time.
Tor
Veteran Member
I don't know, I just drive into the garage until I'm close to the wall (and its selection of bicycles, wooden beams and whatnot), then I stop the car. 
-Tor
-Tor
I park out in the driveway, too much junk in the garage these days. But when I did park it was easy enough to eyeball the distance and we had plenty of room between the car and the back wall anyway (old seperate from the house garage, 2 seperate full size doors, tons of space).
Anyway I recall the old Heathkit computer advertisements in the magazines, the machines looked cool. What did they run DOS or CP/M, I forget.
Anyway I recall the old Heathkit computer advertisements in the magazines, the machines looked cool. What did they run DOS or CP/M, I forget.
Ole Juul
Veteran Member
I hope they think about bring back some of the classics like their digital clocks.
As for parking, certainly Chuck's setup is very sensible and can make life easy. But sheesh, generally speaking if you can't judge the location of your car in relation to other objects, then perhaps driving is just not for you or it's time to lay off the sauce. Especially in your own garage - it's not like you haven't been there before. vbg
As for parking, certainly Chuck's setup is very sensible and can make life easy. But sheesh, generally speaking if you can't judge the location of your car in relation to other objects, then perhaps driving is just not for you or it's time to lay off the sauce. Especially in your own garage - it's not like you haven't been there before. vbg
DOS lives on!!
Veteran Member
First Commodore enters the market, and now Heathkit? Awesome!
It seems that they're goibg to make a new logo, which looks awful.
I'd like it if they brought back one of the older ones.
It seems that they're goibg to make a new logo, which looks awful.
I'd like it if they brought back one of the older ones.
Tor
Veteran Member
Radio Shack is getting back into DIY as welll.. it's all happening at the same time.
-Tor
Chuck(G)
25k Member
The answer to the last is they sold Z80 8-bit stuff (e.g. H8 ) that could run CP/M as well as HDOS (their own). They also offered their own version of the DEC LSI-11 (H11) and later PC semi-compatibles and fully compatibles.
I was always a bit conflicted over the purchase from Schlumberger by Zenith of Heath. On one hand, it allowed Heath to get into the relatively expensive business of computers; but it did change their focus somewhat.
What made Heath's bottom line was the GI Bill, however. They took their color TV kit and packaged it up as a part of an educational course and sold a bunch of them, thanks to Uncle Sam. After the knuckleheads in Foggy Bottom began to care less about what happened to returning vets, that all dried up. But I suspect that Heath was responsible for the launching of more than a few careers in electronics.
I hope the "new" Heath can do as well.
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The ball thing cost less than a dollar and took minutes to put up. On a dark and rainy night, it's worth it. The cool thing is the motion--it comes down from the ceiling, drops to about the level of the headlights and then rises to eye level.
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Ole Juul
Veteran Member
That's a very good point about the social value of kits.
As for the ball thing, I see your point about being good on a dark and rainy night. I actually think it's brilliant.
VintageComputerman
Veteran Member
Sort of like this article...
Why your teenager can’t use a hammer...
http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/08/25/why-your-teenager-cant-use-a-hammer/
As a kid, I knew tools early on and fixed my own bike as well as my friends at maybe ten years of age. I remember tearing a player piano gear box apart and putting it back together and showing my dad. He was amazed. I was 7 or 8 at the time. Have to have hands on experience as early as possible and I don't mean using your thumbs text messaging.
Heathkits were amazing. I never had one until i started collecting. I could have gone into electronics in 1976 but decided to go into electrical trades so i could wire my house as my dad had died in 72. I was just 12. Wish i had gone into electronics and had the experience of computers at the very beginning.
Why your teenager can’t use a hammer...
http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/08/25/why-your-teenager-cant-use-a-hammer/
As a kid, I knew tools early on and fixed my own bike as well as my friends at maybe ten years of age. I remember tearing a player piano gear box apart and putting it back together and showing my dad. He was amazed. I was 7 or 8 at the time. Have to have hands on experience as early as possible and I don't mean using your thumbs text messaging.
Heathkits were amazing. I never had one until i started collecting. I could have gone into electronics in 1976 but decided to go into electrical trades so i could wire my house as my dad had died in 72. I was just 12. Wish i had gone into electronics and had the experience of computers at the very beginning.
The very beginning of computing was long before 1972. When I went to college in the late 80's I could have gone into computing or Engineering and I chose Engineering. These days I wonder what would have happened if I chose computing.
Chuck(G)
25k Member
Indeed; long before 1972. I remember programming the bouncing-ball program on the Heathkit EC-1.