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- ARRL Technical Information Service
- Kit Manufacturers List
- Rev.: July 16, 1993 File: KITS
-
- This information package was prepared as a membership service by
- the American Radio Relay League, Inc., Technical Information
- Service, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111 (203) 666-1541.
- Email: tis@arrl.org (Internet).
-
- >From the files of the ARRL Automated Electronic Mail Server,
- (info@arrl.org):
-
- Reprinted from: August 1993 QST, Lab Notes column
- Copyright 1993 American Radio Relay League, Inc.
- All rights reserved.
-
- Thank you for requesting the following information from the ARRL
- Technical Information Service or the ARRL Automated Mail Server
- (info@arrl.org). ARRL HQ is glad to provide this information free
- of charge as a service to League members and affiliated clubs.
-
- For your convenience, you may reproduce this information,
- electronically or on paper, and distribute it to anyone who needs
- it, provided that you reproduce it in its entirety and do so free
- of charge.
-
- If you have any questions concerning the reproduction or
- distribution of this material, please contact Michael Tracy,
- KC1SX, Technical Information Service Coordinator, American Radio
- Relay League, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111
- (email: mtracy@arrl.org).
-
-
-
-
- Lab Notes: Kits Galore!
-
-
- Summertime, and the living is easy. It's the perfect time to
- build a kit! You can do it all at once in a mad frenzy, or work
- on it piecemeal. Either way, you're guaranteed fun, education and
- true pride of ownership. Mike Gruber, WA1SVF, ARRL Laboratory
- Engineer, briefly discusses kit-building and provides a valuable
- list of kit suppliers.--WB8IMY
-
-
- Q: I'd sure like to try an electronics project, but I'm not
- quite sure where to begin. I'm considering kits, but is kit
- building really worth the trouble?
-
- A: Well, when I was a youngster I would watch with fascination
- as my Dad assembled his latest Heathkit project in our basement.
- Smoke would often curl up from his soldering iron late into the
- night. Friends and family would gather for the grand unveiling of
- his latest triumph. A drawer full of those red plastic nut
- starters that came with each and every kit (remember those?) is
- still in our basement somewhere! I received quite an education
- when I was finally old enough to follow in Dad's kit-building
- footsteps. This early exposure to electronics inspired me to
- obtain an Amateur Radio license and even pursue a career in
- electronics.
-
-
- Q: Are kits difficult to build? What ever happened to all those
- classic kit manufacturers, anyway? What about Heath? I've heard
- that they're out of the kit business. Does this mean that kit
- building is a thing of the past?
-
- A: Whoa! Easy, big fella. Let me answer your questions one at a
- time.
- First, the level of difficulty varies with the individual
- kit. A very simple kit can require only minimal time, skill and
- experience to put together. Complex kits can, of course, be
- considerably more difficult. It is important to determine which
- kits match your abilities. When selecting a kit, be sure to
- consider any additional purchases that may be required, such as
- knobs and cabinets. You may also need test equipment to complete
- the project.
- Second, it's true that many of the old kit manufacturers,
- such as Eico and Knight-Kit, are no longer in the kit business.
- Back in the days of point-to-point wiring and vacuum tubes, a kit
- manufacturer stood a decent chance of succeeding in the consumer
- electronics market. They offered better products at lower prices-
- -including products not normally available. Today, the
- miniaturization of electronics, modern assembly techniques, and
- cheap overseas labor have taken away much of the competitive edge
- that kit makers enjoyed. Heath, however, is still making kits,
- mostly of the educational variety. These may be excellent starter
- kits to get your feet wet.
- Finally, it's not true that kit building is a thing of the
- past. True pride of ownership and the thrill of doing it yourself
- are things that mass-produced products don't always offer. Many
- companies still make kits to fill this niche. Just about any
- skill level can be accommodated if you know where to look.
-
-
- Q: Okay, you've sold me. I want to run home right now, warm up
- my soldering iron! I'll bet you've even compiled a list of kit
- manufacturers for me. How about it?
-
- A: Yep, here's the list. Happy kit-building!
-
-
- A & A Engineering
- 2521 W LaPalma, Unit #K
- Anaheim, CA 92801
- tel: 714-952-2114
- fax: 714-952-3280
-
- A & A offers a wide range of amateur related kits from QRP
- transceivers to a digital frequency synthesizer and a 450-MHz
- spectrum analyzer. Electronic components, enclosures, ICs and
- ham-related publications are also available. Catalog available.
-
-
- Antique Electronic Supply
- 6221 S Maple Ave
- Tempe, AZ 85283
- tel: 602-820-5411
- fax: 602-820-4643
-
- Numerous kits for reproducing antique and vacuum tube radios are
- available. Antique Electronic Supply is also an excellent source
- for parts, components and documentation for antique radios.
- Catalog available.
-
-
- C & A Electronic
- PO Box 25070
- Athens, 10026 Greece
- tel: 52.42.867
- tel: 52.42.537
-
- Established in Athens in 1977, C & A Electronic has now grown to
- 15 employees. Their current 53-page catalog includes over 150
- kits with, according to Simeon Krizias, SV1AYI, of C & A, more on
- the way. The projects range from the relatively simple to the
- complex. Kits include Amateur Radio, high-fidelity stereo, power
- supplies and instrumentation projects. Ready-made versions are
- available for novice kit-builders who prefer advanced or
- intermediate kits. A special US price list is available.
-
-
- CCI (Communications Concepts, Inc)
- 508 Millstone Drive
- Beavercreek, OH 45434
- tel: 513-426-8600
- fax: 513-429-3811
-
- CCI's catalog features many linear amplifiers and projects from
- Motorola Applications Notes. Amplifier boards and various
- components are offered separately as sets. Other kit projects
- include an ATV receive converter and an audio squelch control.
- Semiconductors and other components can also be purchased
- separately. VISA and MasterCard accepted.
-
-
- Cirkit Distribution Ltd.
- Park Lane
- Broxbourne
- Herts EN10 7NQ
- tel: 44-992-444111
- fax: 44-992-464457
-
- More than 100 kits for the radio amateur, including preamps,
- power amps, converters, speech processors and a dip meter.
- Catalog available. Cirkit does not have a price list in US
- dollars, but does accept Master Card, VISA and American Express.
-
-
- Curry Communications
- 852 North Lima St
- Burbank, CA 91505
- tel: 818-846-0617
-
- Two kits currently available:
-
- The 80-AU converts the entire LF/VLF band to the 80-meter
- amateur band. Cost is $59.95.
-
- The SAM-1 is a transverter that enables operation on the
- license-free 1750 meter band with an 80-meter amateur transceiver.
- Cost is $89.95.
-
-
- Down East Microwave
- RR 1, Box 2310
- Troy, ME 04987
- tel: 207-948-3741
- fax: 207-948-5157
-
- Down East Microwave (DEM) is owned and operated by Bill Olson,
- W3HQT. Numerous kits are offered for VHF, UHF and microwave
- projects. Down East Microwave also carries an extensive line of
- antennas. Office hours are 9 am to 4:30 pm Eastern Time, Monday
- through Friday. Call anytime; Bill says to be sure to leave a
- message on the machine if no one is available. Business and
- personal checks as well as VISA and MasterCard are accepted. COD
- orders carry a $4 service charge. Catalog available.
-
-
- FAR Circuits
- 18N640 Field Court
- Dundee, IL 60118
-
- FAR Circuits provides PC boards for a number of QST projects.
-
-
- Hamtronics, Inc
- 65 Moul Rd
- Hilton, NY 14468-9535
- tel: 716-392-9430
- fax: 716-392-9420
-
- A wide variety of amateur related kits are available. Kits
- include VHF and UHF exciters, linear amplifiers, receivers,
- repeaters, repeater accessories, preamps and receive converters.
- Some kits are FCC type accepted for commercial service. A 40-page
- catalog is available.
-
-
- Heath Company
- PO Box 1288
- Benton Harbor, MI 49023-1288
- tel: 800-253-0570
-
- Although Heath's kit line is no longer as extensive as many old-
- timers may recall, they still carry a number of "build your own"
- electronic projects. Their current kit line includes two weather
- computers and numerous educational kits, such as a portable
- radio, an electronic cricket and a power supply. VISA, MasterCard
- and American Express accepted.
-
-
- John Langner, WB2OSZ
- 115 Stedman St
- Chelmsford, MA 01824-1823
-
- John provides the Pasokon SSTV project kit featured in January
- 1993 QST. One empty expansion slot in a 286 or faster computer,
- 640K of memory, a color monitor and a VGA display adapter are all
- you need to send and receive all popular modes of SSTV. The
- complete kit is $199.95, or $229.95 for an assembled and tested
- unit.
-
-
- Kanga US
- Bill Kelsey, N8ET
- 3521 Spring Lake Dr
- Findlay, OH 45840
- tel: 419-423-5643 (7 pm to 11 pm Eastern Time only)
-
- Bill, N8ET, operates Kanga US as an importer of QRP kits
- manufactured by Kanga Products in England:
-
- Kanga Products
- Dick Pascoe, G0BPS
- Seaview
- Crete Road East
- Folkstone CT18 7EG
- England
-
- Dick is currently the only person at Kanga in England. Kanga
- offers over 25 Amateur Radio kits with emphasis on QRP. Kanga's
- philosophy is to keep prices low by not supplying parts typically
- found in most junkboxes, such as the cabinet and knobs. Send one
- unit of First Class postage when requesting a catalog from Kanga
- US. VISA and MasterCard accepted.
-
-
- Lake Electronics
- 7 Middleton Close, Nuthall
- Nottingham, NG16 1BX
- England
- tel: 0602 382509
-
- Every Lake kit is complete, down to the last component, including
- knobs and screws. The catalog features QRP transceivers, a
- receiver, an SWR meter, a power meter/dummy load, an antenna
- tuning unit, an audio filter and a power supply. A special price
- list is included for overseas customers. VISA, MasterCard and
- Eurocard accepted.
-
-
- Mark V Electronics, Inc
- 8019 E Slauson Ave
- Montebello, CA 90640
- tel: 213-888-8988 (Catalog and information)
- 800-423-FIVE orders only (outside California)
- 800-521-MARK orders only (California residents)
- fax: 213-888-6868
-
- More than 70 kits available including high-fidelity audio
- products, laboratory equipment, power supplies, light
- controllers, games and numerous miscellaneous projects. Audio
- amplifiers range from 6 to 300 watts. Kit difficulty levels are
- individually specified as beginner, intermediate or advanced.
- VISA, MasterCard and American Express accepted.
-
-
- M.A.S. Enterprises
- UHF Technik
- 104 King St South
- St. Jacobs ON N0B 2N0
- Canada
- tel: 519-664-1273
- fax: 519-664-3082
-
- Four kits currently available: a 6-meter SSB transverter, 2-meter
- foxhunting receiver, 24 cm FM TV transmitter, and a baseband
- processor for the TV transmitter. These kits are not intended for
- beginners. A catalog is forthcoming. Prices range from $69 to
- $198. Owner: Manfred H. Zielinsky, VE3ZIE.
-
-
- Oak Hills Research
- 20879 Madison St
- Big Rapids, MI 49307
- tel: 616-796-0920
- 800-842-3748
- fax: 616-796-6633
-
- Founded by Doug DeMaw, W1FB, and sold three years ago to Dick
- Witzke, KE8KL. Oak Hills Research has long been a source of QRP
- kits and components. Several new products are now being added to
- the company's line. Hours are weekdays from 8 am to 6 pm. VISA
- and MasterCard accepted.
-
-
- Ocean State Electronics
- PO Box 1458
- 6 Industrial Dr
- Westerly, RI 02891
- tel: 401-596-3080
- 800-866-6626 (orders only)
- fax: 401-596-3590
-
- Kits appear on pages 56-61, 64 and 85 of Ocean State's 1993 catalog.
- Included are a QRP transceiver, several receiver and robot kits,
- a keyer and code practice oscillator, educational and training
- kits and electronic test instruments. VISA, MasterCard and COD
- accepted; $10 minimum order. Open weekdays 8 am to 5 pm EST,
- Saturday 10 am to noon. Frank Pellicano, WB1GTK, President.
-
-
- Ramsey Electronics Inc.
- 793 Canning Parkway
- Victor, NY 14564
- tel: 716-924-4560
- fax: 716-924-4555
-
- A variety of kits ranging from complete amateur transceivers to
- mini-kit type projects for under $10. Products include VHF/UHF FM
- transceivers, HF receivers, QRP transmitters, an active antenna,
- a CW keyer, 20 watt amplifier for a QRP transmitter, shortwave
- receiver, RDF kits and other projects. Ramsey charges a flat rate
- of $3.95 for shipping, insurance and handling. Call or write for
- a free catalog.
-
-
- $equence Electronics
- John Beech, G8SEQ
- 124 Belgrave Road
- Coventry CV2 5BH
- England
-
- Monoband direct-conversion receiver and transmitter kits
- available from 80 through 6 meters. All parts, including a
- diecast box and printed circuit board, are included. A three-band
- version is also available. Other kits include a receive and
- transmit converter from 10 to 6 meters and an FM transceiver for
- 50, 70 or 144 MHz. All $equence kits are specified as
- intermediate-level projects.
-
-
- Townsend Electronics
- PO 415
- Pierceton, IN 46562
- tel: 800-944-3661 (US Only)
- 219-594-3661
- fax: 219-594-5580
-
- Townsend Electronics carries kits by one of the largest kit
- manufacturers in England:
-
- C. M. Howes Communications
- Eydon, Davantry,
- Northants NN11 6PT,
- England
- tel: 0327 60178
-
- Townsend's 26-page catalog features receivers, transmitters and
- transceivers. Also included are such projects as a speech
- processor, a VHF converter, a code-practice oscillator and a
- digital frequency display. All kits are engineered by Dave Howes,
- G4KQH, a former BBC engineer, who founded C. M. Howes in 1983.
- Townsend Electronics accepts VISA and Mastercard. Amateurs
- outside the United States may order kits from directly from C. M.
- Howes (Dave requests a couple of IRCs for overseas catalog
- requests.)
-
-
- Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR)
- PO Box 12925
- Tucson, AZ 85732
- tel: 602-749-9479
- fax: 602-749-5636
-
- TAPR is a nonprofit research and development corporation with
- more than 1000 members wordwide. It was founded in an attempt to
- develop a low-cost Terminal Node Controller (TNC) kit. This
- effort resulted in the now famous TNC-1. TAPR's second
- development, the basis for most TNC's currently in use, is known
- as the TAPR TNC- 2. TAPR no longer provides complete TNC kits.
- Instead, they have licensed several commercial manufacturers to
- produce the TNC-2 design. They still provide the TNC-2 circuit
- board and associated EPROMs, EPROM codes, schematics and manuals.
- Modems and related hardware are still available in kit form. TAPR
- also offers an extensive selection of associated software.
- Catalog is available.
-
-
- Truscott's Electronic World
- Division of Shredall Pty. Ltd
- 30 Lacey Street
- Croydon, Victoria, 3136
- Australia
- tel: (03) 723 3344
- fax: (03) 725 9443
-
- Resells products and kits from Dick Smith, Altronics and Arista.
- Several other kits also available. Most kits are not for the
- beginner and were featured projects in Amateur Radio Magazine,
- the monthly publication of the Wireless Institute of Australia.
- A catalog is now in the works and new kits are being added.
-
-
- 624 Kits
- 171 Springlake Dr
- Spartanburg, SC 29302
- tel: 803-579-6262 (days)
- 803-583-1304 (after 6 pm)
-
- 624 Kits was founded several years ago by Pat Bunn, N4LTA. The
- name 624 was originally chosen because the company made kits for
- the 6-, 2- and 420-MHz bands. Even though they no longer make
- VHF/UHF kits, the name remains. Most of the products offered by
- 624 are QRP in nature and many appeared in QST. Included are
- numerous transmitters, receivers, W1FB projects, the Modified
- Cubic Incher, the Neophyte Receiver and the Gary Breed, K9AY,
- receiver kit. Any kit can be returned for a full refund before
- assembly. All parts are 100% guaranteed and repair service is
- also available. Please include two units of First Class postage
- when requesting a catalog.
-
-
-
- Other sources of kits:
-
-
- All Electronic Components
- 118-122 Lonsdale Street
- Melbourne, VIC 3000
- Australia
- NOTE: SWL, Amateur, Test Equipment
-
-
- Altronics
- P.O. Box 8350
- Perth Mail Exchange
- WA 6000
- Australia
- NOTE: Test Equipment, Power Supplies
-
-
- Auskits
- Amblecote Crescent
- Mulgrave, VIC 3170
- Australia
- NOTE: Amateur, QRP
-
-
- Dan's Small Parts and Kits
- 1935 South 3RD West #1
- Missoula, MT 59801
- Tel: 1-406-543-2872
- Note: Neophyte Rx, 40M Cub in., 20M Superhet, others.
-
-
- Dick Smith Electronics
- P.O. Box 468
- Greenwood, IN 46142
- 1-317-888-7265
- Note: General kits
-
-
- Digitrex Electronics
- 1005 Bloomer Road
- Rochester, MI 48063
- NOTE: VHF, QRP, Amateur
-
-
- Eico Electronic Instruments Co., Inc.
- 363 Merrick Rd
- Lynbrook NY 11563
- Note: No current kits, EICO manuals and schematics only
-
-
- Harlech Electronics
- Noddfa, Lower Road
- Harlech, Gwynedd LL46 2UB
- England
- NOTE: QRP, SWL
-
-
- Hosfelt Electronics Inc.
- 2700 Sunset Boulevard
- Steubenville, OH 43952
- 1-800-524-6464
- Note: General interest kits
-
-
- IDIOM Press
- P.O. Box 583
- Deerfield, IL 60015
- Note: CMOS Super-keyer II
-
-
- John Beech
- 124 Belgrave Road
- Wyken, Coventry CV2 5BH
- England
- NOTE: Amateur Transceiver
-
-
- Maplin Electronic Supplies
- PO Box 3
- Rayleigh, Essex SS6 8LR
- England
-
-
- Mercury Systems
- 15 Lakeside Dr.
- Marlton, NJ 08053
- 1-609-596-3304
-
-
- MFJ
- Box 494
- Mississippi State MS 39762
- 601-323-5869
- Note: SW receiver kit, QRP kits
-
-
- NCG
- 1275 North Grove Street
- Anaheim, CA 92806
- NOTE: 15 m Mobile XCVR
-
-
- Penntek Electronics
- 14 Peace Dr.
- Lewistown, PA 17044
- 1-717-248-2507
- Note: The Neophyte Receiver, QST
-
-
- Q-Sat
- P.O. Box 110
- Boalsburg, PA 16827
- NOTE: SWL Receiver
-
-
- R & R Associates
- 3106 Glendon Avenue
- Los Angeles, CA 90034
- NOTE: Amateur, QRP
-
-
- S & S Engineering
- 14102 Brown Road
- Smithsburg, MD 21783
- Tel: 1-301-416-0661
- Note: ARK-40 QRP CW kit
-
-
- Smith Enterprises
- 408 East Mauna Loa
- Glendora, CA 91740
- NOTE: QRP
-
-
- Steward Electronics Components Pty
- P.O. Box 281
- Oakleigh, VIC 3166
- Australia
- NOTE: Amateur
-
-
- Tejas RF Technology
- P.O. Box 720331
- Houston, TX 77272-0331
- NOTE: Backpacker II, other Amateur kits
-
-
- NOTE: The ARRL does not warrant any of the manufacturers listed above,
- or their products. Addresses subject to change without notice.
-
-
-
-
-