Heathkit TVs.

[N2IXK]

There were also a few kits that were made by Heath, and provided through places like NRI and DeVry for home study programs.

They need to concentrate their efforts into niche markets like tube audio or ham radio where there is some chance to compete. I doubt were going to see a Heathkit LCD TV kit any time soon. Or a heathkit digital storage scope kit. But an updated version of their AA-121 or even W-6 would be fun kits, and can still compete economically against $$$ "high end" stuff. I would love to build up a modern equivalent of an SB-104 HF rig. Their only competition in this market is the Elecraft stuff, AFAIK.

The big problem is that LSI and then SMT removed a LOT of assembly labor from the cost of consumer electronics. There was no longer a substantial savings between the mass market products and a kit. Kits take a lot of work to "do properly". You need to carefully package the parts in small lots (heath's old Pack #1, Pack #2, etc.). And most important of all, write a manual. Good technical writers are expensive. Heath's old manuals were great.