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. Microcraft Corporation P. O. Box 513 Thiensville, WI 53092 Tel: 414-241-8144 Currently available kits: Morse-A-Word CW reader, RTTY Reader, Morse-A-Keyer (CW keyboard keyer), Videoscan 1000 SSTV decoder, Code*Star reader for CW, RTTY and ASCII. Kit prices range from $140 to $595. 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. Ten-Tec, Inc., T-Kit division 1185 Dolly Parton Parkway Seiverville, TN 37862-3710 Tel: 1-615-453-7172 Orders: 1-800-833-7373 Fax: 1-615-428-4483 Available kits include 9-Band Shortwave Receiver, 2 Meter Power Amp (for HTs), 6 Meter Transverter, SWR Bridge/Wattmeter, RF Ground Counterpoise, Dummy Load, Air-core Variable Capacitor, and many more items. A 2 Meter FM Transceiver is under development. Write for catalog. Minimum order $15. 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) 8987-309 East Tanque Verde Rd, No. 337 Tucson, AZ 85749 (817) 383-0000 (voice mail) (817) 566-2544 (FAX) 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 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.