{"id":15088,"date":"2015-10-08T07:34:58","date_gmt":"2015-10-08T11:34:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=15088"},"modified":"2015-10-08T07:54:42","modified_gmt":"2015-10-08T11:54:42","slug":"new-from-heathkit-the-explorer-jr-trf-am-radio-receiver-kit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/10\/new-from-heathkit-the-explorer-jr-trf-am-radio-receiver-kit\/","title":{"rendered":"New from Heathkit: the Explorer Jr TRF AM radio receiver kit"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"HeathkitExplorerJr\"<\/a>

The Heathkit Explorer Jr. (Image Source: Heathkit)<\/p><\/div>\n

Yes, the legendary\u00a0Heathkit company is back<\/a>\u00a0and their first kit is a simple\u00a0Tuned Radio Frequency (TRF) AM\/mediumwave analog receiver: the Explorer Jr.<\/p>\n

I knew\u00a0Heathkit was back in business and under new management, but hadn’t heard any updates as of late. Their president, Andy, just sent a message to the “Heathkit Insiders” group explaining what the team has been up to:<\/p>\n

“We\u2019ve designed and developed a wide range of entirely new kit products. We authored the manuals for these kits, complete with the beautiful line art you rely on, preserving and respecting our iconic historic Heathkit style. We developed many new inventions and filed patents on them. We relocated Heathkit, and set up a factory, and a warehouse, and offices, in Santa Cruz, California, near Silicon Valley. We built the back office infrastructure, vendor and supply chain relationships, systems, procedures, operations methods, and well-thought-out corporate structure that a manufacturing company needs to support its customers, to allow us to scale instantly the day we resume major kit sales. All this effort enables us to introduce a fleet of new kits and helps ensure Heathkit can grow, prosper, and continue to bring you great new products for a very long time.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Insiders’ message goes into much<\/em> more detail–I would encourage you to contact Heathkit<\/a> about joining this group.<\/p>\n

The big news in this message was the launch announcement of the Explorer Jr. kit<\/a>\u00a0which can\u00a0be ordered from their website now. The price is $149.95 plus shipping. Heathkit\u00a0anticipates a 30-day shipping time for\u00a0the first set of orders.<\/p>\n

Here’s a description of the kit from their website:<\/p>\n

\n
\n

A Radio Kit Whose Time Has Come.<\/h2>\n

Again.<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n
\n

When Heath started designing & selling do-it-yourself airplane kits shortly after the Great War, the state-of-the-art in radio was the Tuned Radio Frequency (TRF) design.<\/p>\n

A TRF radio was a great deal. If you had a great deal of money.<\/b> A TRF receiver became a fixture in the homes of families around the world, receiving the news and music AM broadcasts of the day. A family AM radio was a big investment \u2014 $100 to $625 in 1929 dollars. (With inflation, that’s $1,400 to $8,700 in today’s dollars.)\u00a0 Of course, at that price radios also were beautiful. They were made of fine wood, and designed to last. Radios were a visible and attractive furnishing you could be proud to have in your living room or parlor.<\/p>\n

Heathkit’s TRF radio is a great deal. And a great deal of radio.<\/b> This Explorer Jr TM<\/sup> radio is modeled on the original TRF designs, but better. You get to build it yourself. It’s safe and simple enough for beginners to assemble and understand. But it receives AM broadcast stations with performance superior to the vintage radios of 1930.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With the number of Heathkit enthusiasts out there, I suspect this first run of kits won’t last long. The kit trim is available in six colors: Silver,\u00a0Cranberry,\u00a0Cucumber Green,\u00a0Plum Pie,\u00a0Sapphire Blue, and\u00a0Tangerine.<\/p>\n

Click here to view and order the Explorer Jr on Heathkit’s webstore<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yes, the legendary\u00a0Heathkit company is back\u00a0and their first kit is a simple\u00a0Tuned Radio Frequency (TRF) AM\/mediumwave analog receiver: the Explorer Jr. I knew\u00a0Heathkit was back in business and under new management, but hadn’t heard any updates as of late. Their president, Andy, just sent a message to the “Heathkit Insiders” group explaining what the team […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[373,344,433,836,3,26],"tags":[4097,4294,586,4296,4293,4295,4095,4209,4099],"class_list":["post-15088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-am","category-kits","category-mediumwave","category-new-products","category-news","category-radios","tag-am","tag-explorer-jr-trf-am-radio-receiver-kit","tag-heathkit","tag-heathkit-am-radio-kit","tag-heathkit-explorer-jr","tag-heathkit-explorer-jr-trf-am-radio-receiver-kit","tag-kits","tag-make","tag-mediumwave"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-3Vm","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17463,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/james-adds-an-lm386-amplifier-kit-to-his-heathkit-gr-150\/","url_meta":{"origin":15088,"position":0},"title":"James adds an LM386 amplifier kit to his Heathkit GR-150","author":"Thomas","date":"March 9, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, James Surprenant (AB1DQ), who shares this update to his review of\u00a0the\u00a0Heathkit Explorer Jr. TRF AM radio receiver kit: With regard\u00a0to the Heathkit TRF AM receiver kit,\u00a0I did indeed build my LM386 amplifier. I was planning on home-brewing it from scratch as the chip is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Accessories"","block_context":{"text":"Accessories","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/accessories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Heathkit Explorer Jr. Completed w. screwdriver","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Heathkit-Explorer-Jr.-Completed-w.-screwdriver.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16720,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/01\/james-reviews-the-heathkit-explorer-jr-gr-150-trf-am-radio-receiver-kit\/","url_meta":{"origin":15088,"position":1},"title":"James reviews the Heathkit Explorer Jr. GR-150 TRF AM radio receiver kit","author":"Thomas","date":"January 12, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, James Surprenant (AB1DQ), who shares this review and photos of the new Heathkit Explorer Jr. TRF AM radio receiver kit: \u00a0Heathkit Explorer Jr. Review I received this Heathkit kit for Xmas from dear old Dad. The Explorer Jr. manual is very nicely done, spiral-bound,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"HeathkitExplorerJr","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/HeathkitExplorerJr.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1802,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2011\/09\/heathkit-is-back-in-business\/","url_meta":{"origin":15088,"position":2},"title":"Heathkit is back in business","author":"Thomas","date":"September 9, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Great news for kit builders! Legendary company Heathkit has started manufacturing kits again. Though their first line-up of products do not include radios, they are planning to cater to the amateur radio community as soon as next year. I would like to believe that the popularity of the Maker community\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/heathkit-logo-300x63.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":26879,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/a-new-heathkit-precision-rf-meter-hm-1002\/","url_meta":{"origin":15088,"position":3},"title":"A new Heathkit: The Precision RF Meter – HM-1002","author":"Thomas","date":"July 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Heathkit recently sent the following link to their \"Insiders\" email list: Dear Heathkit Insider We have opened advance orders for our newest product, the HM-1002 Heathkit\u00ae Precision RF Meter\u2122, for our most loyal customers and fans. This is the first amateur radio accessory and the first test equipment kit Heathkit\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Accessories"","block_context":{"text":"Accessories","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/accessories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Heathkit-Precision-Meter-1024x768.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Heathkit-Precision-Meter-1024x768.jpeg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Heathkit-Precision-Meter-1024x768.jpeg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17771,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/stuart-sizer-heathkit-designer-dad-and-bon-vivant\/","url_meta":{"origin":15088,"position":4},"title":"Stuart Sizer: Heathkit designer, dad, and “bon vivant”","author":"Thomas","date":"March 13, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Two weeks ago,\u00a0through a radio preservation group,\u00a0I met the son of Heathkit product designer of the 1950s-70s, Stu Sizer\u2013\u2013\"stylist, artist, maker of models, bon vivant.\"\u00a0His son\u00a0described the\u00a0discovery of\u00a0a few vintage Heathkit brochures, photos, and illustrations his father kept in his family's basement shop, many of which had been scanned at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Heathkit-Drawings-2","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Heathkit-Drawings-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Heathkit-Drawings-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Heathkit-Drawings-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17552,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/the-heathkit-gr-78-eds-basket-case-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":15088,"position":5},"title":"The Heathkit GR-78: Ed’s “basket case” radio","author":"Thomas","date":"March 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Edward\u00a0Ganshirt, who writes: I picked up this Heathkit GR-78 at a estate\/moving sale. It was in a pile of \"e-waste\" (you know, old vcr's broken TVs, remote controllers, dead cell phones, etc.). I found a container and sorted through the stuff to retrieve all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Basketcase","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Basketcase-1024x681.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Basketcase-1024x681.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Basketcase-1024x681.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15088"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15088\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}