The HW-100: The Heathkit HW-100 was an attempt, and a very good one, to reduce the
cost of the SB series transceivers. The circuitry and specifications were very similar, but
some shortcuts were taken to reduce the cost. These were mainly in the cabinet, the
VFO, and the lack of a CW filter. It was produced concurrently with some of the more
expensive SB series equipment, being introduced in the late 60's. It was very
successful, due in large part to it's low price and great operating capabilities.
The HW-101: Our hero, the HW-101, came along around the early 70's and stayed in
production for 12 or 13 years! While production numbers are vague, it is estimated that
35,000 to 40,000 were produced by Heathkit during those years. It is still regarded as a
very capable rig and has earned it's place in Heathkit and amateur radio history as the
most popular radio by numbers sold, at least for tube radios. It was an improvement
over the HW-100 by offering a CW filter as an option, and by using a better VFO and
main tuning drive design. It also had better receive sensitivity than the HW-100. The
HW-101 was so good that it was produced and sold for almost 13 years with very few
changes or improvements. It sold, in kit form, for $399.95 in the fall 1980 Heathkit
catalog, with the optional CW filter adding another $44.95. Heathkit ran specials over it's
production life and, consequently, the HW-101 could be purchased at times for less. It
has gone down in amateur radio history as one of the most beloved, respected, and
successful transceivers in history.
a.1. The SB-series and HW-series (Wikipedia)
By the early 1960s, a large majority of amateurs had adopted SSB as their primary
mode of voice communication on the HF bands. This led to the development of
equipment that was specifically designed for transceiver operation on SSB, and also
much smaller and lighter than the previous generation of ham gear.
As with other manufacturers, such as Drake and Collins, Heathkit began in 1964 by
introducing a transceiver. It covered only one band and came in three models: The HW-
12, -22, and -32, covering the 20m (14 MHz), 40m (7 MHz) and 75m (3.8 MHz) bands,
respectively.
Influenced heavily by the S/Line from Collins,
Heathkit designed the SB-series to become their
top-line set of amateur radio equipment. Like the
S/Line, these new products were designed to
operate together in various combinations as a
system. The first models appeared in the 1965
catalog, displacing the large, heavy units of the
tribes generation (except for the Marauder and
Warrior, and the 6 meter units which remained for one year).
HW & SB History revised 12/17/2021 Page 15
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