The History of the Heath Companies and Heathkits: 1909 to 2019
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The History of the Heath Companies and Heathkits: 1909 to 2019 © 2019 Erich E. Brueschke, KC9ACE and Michael Mack The genesis of the Heath companies can be traced to ideas preceding the founding of the E. B. Heath Aerial Vehicle Company in 1909 by Edward Bayard Heath. Although Edward Heath was primarily a figure in the very early days of aviation, he recognized that meeting people’s needs and giving them a sense of participation greatly enhanced outcomes. He was widely known as a pilot, instructor, barnstormer, and manufacturer in his day, and as the progenitor of the kit concept for airplanes, his influence on the later Heath Company that sold Heathkits extended well beyond his death in 1931. This paper covers the history of the Heath companies from inception in 1909 to the present day. Built on the tenets of “hands-on learning,” a “build-it-yourself” approach, “cost savings,” and “customer ser- vice,” Heath Company became the largest manufacturer of electronic kits in the world. Photographs and information on a select number of individual early kits are included to assist in understanding the post-WWII days of rapid changes and the growing pains the company experienced at the start. From 1947 to 1992, the Heath Company sold millions of electronic kits. The factors responsible for this success and its decline are discussed. Some of the key factors that led to its decline were beyond its control—for example, the company was sold many times to owners with varying degrees of interest in support- ing the company. As of December 2018, the Heath Company was located in Santa Cruz, California, for design and manufacturing, and Ottsville, Pennsylvania, for operations. Introduction of electronic kits under the Heathkit Edward Heath founded the E. B. Heath trade name, and it became the world’s Aerial Vehicle Company in Chicago, largest provider of electronic products in Illinois, in 1909. Then in 1931, it was kit form. The Heath Company’s success moved to Niles, Michigan, and renamed stems from a rich history of kit build- International Aircraft Corporation. In ing extending back to before WWI. The 1935, Howard Anthony purchased Inter- name, location changes, and other key national Aircraft Corporation assets, events in the life of the Heath companies changed the name to Heath Aircraft are summarized in Table 1. Company, and moved the operation The story of the Heath Company to Benton Harbor, Michigan. By 1947, has been noted before both in print Howard Anthony had changed the name and online, but none has focused on to Heath Company. From 1947 to 1992, the larger picture of the forces at work the Heath Company sold many millions that resulted in such a long period of Volume 32, 2019 125 The History of the Heath Companies and Heathkits: 1909 to 2019 successes, the multiple reasons for these Penson describe the individual charac- successes, and the reasons for its decline. teristics of hundreds of specific models.1 Several excellent sources have empha- The intent of this treatise is to review sized specific Heathkit product lines the history of the Heath companies such as test equipment, amateur radio and examine the factors that led to the products, and hi-fi and stereo products. success and eventual decline of Heath Three excellent documents by Chuck Company. Table 1. Key events in the in the history of the Heath companies. 126 The AWA Review Brueschke and Mack To properly understand the history ranch in South Dakota where I grew up. of the Heath companies, one must con- I blamed myself, thinking I had made an sider the forces acting upon the origin error in the order, but I now believe that and organization of the company: the the company never actually sold a battery early products that presaged the future, powered All-Wave radio. The reasons for the personalities of the decision makers, this conclusion will become evident later. and the key decisions that influenced This unfortunate experience was quite the direction of the companies. The singular, and was probably caused by too environmental and technological influ- many demands on too few employees at ences that made Heath Company and that time. Over time I have been quite Heathkits successful, and much later led happy with virtually all my Heathkits. to its decline, must also be considered. Undaunted, the first Heathkit I actu- Certainly, all these factors are interre- ally assembled was an M-1 Handitester lated and came to play important roles in the fall of 1949 while a junior in high over time. A recent presentation on this school (see Fig. 1). I still recall the thrill topic was given by the authors at the of opening the box, unpacking the parts, 2018 Antique Radio Club of Illinois assembling the tester, and finding that “Radiofest” event.2 the finished M-1 multimeter actually An important part of the “Heathkit worked! Without electricity, I heated a experience” was assembling a quality small soldering iron with a blowtorch. I kit and a useful product with one’s own have since collected and assembled scores hands—and saving money, getting sat- of Heathkits over the years, as has my isfaction, and learning something useful coauthor, Michael Mack. in the process. Many Heath custom- ers went on to pursue a career in elec- tronics that can be traced to an interest sparked by building a Heathkit. Many were radio amateurs who loved their test instruments, receivers, and trans- mitters. For example, Steve Jobs, who co-founded Apple Inc. in 1976 recalled, “When I was a kid, both my dad and the Heathkits made me believe I could build anything.”3 Personal Experiences with Heathkit The first Heathkit I ordered was a Heath- kit All-Wave, battery powered radio in 1948. Heath Company sent an AC ver- Fig. 1. Erich Brueschke, currently KC9ACE, as he sion instead, which I had to return since appeared in 1949 holding his first Heathkit, an we had no electricity at the time on the M-1 Handitester. (Author’s photo) Volume 32, 2019 127 The History of the Heath Companies and Heathkits: 1909 to 2019 Heathkits and the technical skills I and a TS-3 TV Alignment Generator. learned helped me earn my first amateur It is likely that I would have also built a radio license with the call sign WØBPS. Heathkit tube tester, such as the Heath- I received help and encouragement from kit TC-2, but the radio store already had the local light plant owner, Jerome Payne, a commercial Hickok tube tester. WØLMC. In 1940s South Dakota, each So, Heathkits also helped me to earn town large and small had its own electri- the funds toward my degree, which I cal generating plant, but no electricity received in May 1956. While I was a was available to farmers and ranchers senior in the electrical engineering cur- in the surrounding area. We never felt riculum, a senior project using magnetic disadvantaged, since almost everyone amplifiers helped me obtain my first else in rural farms in America was in full-time job as an engineer at Hughes the same predicament. Later my dad Aircraft Company in Culver City, Cali- installed a 32-volt battery system, which fornia. I believe that many others had the was a blessing. As an aside, the 32-volt same experience as I had with Heathkits, battery system was charged using a small which influenced them directly or indi- gasoline engine, which was needed only rectly to pursue technical career paths. one or two times each week. I used an inverter to provide 110 volts AC for my Edward Bayard Heath and the rig, a Hallicrafters S-38 communica- First Heath Kit tions receiver, and for my home-brew When we think of the term “Heathkit” transmitter. as it relates to the myriad of kits that Without doubt, Heathkits were a Heath Company produced, which were major factor in my decision to leave the virtually all electronic in nature until the family ranch and pursue engineering 1990s, the role of someone named Heath as a career. With the encouragement of rarely arises. In fact, the namesake of Jerome Payne and my Heathkit experi- Heath Company and the term Heathkit ence, I went on to pursue a degree in elec- are derived from a real person named trical engineering in 1951 at the South Edward Bayard Heath (see Fig. 2).4 How- Dakota School of Mines and Technology ever, while Heath sold airplanes in kit in Rapid City, South Dakota. My parents form, they were characterized in their did what they could to help me with col- ads as “Heath construction kits,” not as lege expenses, but it was the hands-on Heathkits. The name Heathkit was not technical experience from Heathkits that used in trade until three months after prepared me for my dream, part-time, Heath Company filed a registration for college job of repairing radios at a local the trade name “Heathkit” on April 18, radio and records store. I built several 19 47. 5 Heathkits for the store to round out its Edward Heath was born to Clark service capabilities—a C-3 Condenser and Ada Heath on November 17, 1888, Checker, an SG-7 Signal Generator, a in Brooklyn, New York. Edward’s father, V-6 Vacuum Tube Voltmeter (VTVM), who was employed as a machinist, died 128 The AWA Review Brueschke and Mack especially in rural areas. His enthusiasm was such that he established his own flying school and built airplanes. Chet Peek recounts Heath’s extreme flying experience in his book.9 Edward B.