From QRZ…

Heathkit Returns

Heathkit Returns to the Kit Business

08/17/2011

A notice on the Heathkit website announces that the venerable kit manufacturer, well-known to all Amateur Radio operators of a certain age, will be reentering the kit business in late August. The notice states, in part: &# 8220;Heathkit will debut their new line of Do-it-Yourself kits for common around-the-house items. The first kit will be a Garage Parking Assistant (GPA). The Garage Parking Assistant kit lets you build your own system that uses ultrasonic sound waves to locate your car as it enters the garage. The system signals to the driver using LED lights mounted on the wall when the car is detected and in the perfect spot for parking.

“The GPA-100 kit consists of two primary assemblies -- the LED Display in kit form and the pre-assembled ultrasonic range module. The kit will include everything you need to complete the project except a soldering iron and hand tools.

“Next on the market will be a Wireless Swimming Pool Monitor kit followed by many more. Heathkit wants to continue to bring to its customers interesting, unique Heathkit products. Heathkit is interested in learning what types of products kit builders would like to build. Kit builders can submit their suggestions through this website using the Contact Us email.”

Although there’s no indication that Heathkit Educational Systems is planning to reenter the Amateur Radio market, the St Joseph, Michigan-based company is actively looking for kit suggestions.

After several decades of successful kit manufacturing, Heathkit left the kit business in 1992. Heath sold Amateur Radio equipment, at first only kits and later its own line of non-kit products, from 1954 to 1992. The company has been sold a number of times since its founding back in 1912 as an aircraft company.