Heathkit of the Month #92:
by Bob Eckweiler, AF6C
AMATEUR RADIO - SWL
Heathkit SW-717
General Coverage Communications Receiver.
Introduction:
Over its lifetime Heathkit Company manu-
factured 17 general coverage (GC) communi-
cations receivers. To be considered in this
arbitrary category the receiver must cover
the AM broadcast (BC) band and a signifi-
cant portion of the frequencies above it in the
HF range that ends at 30 MHz. The coverage
should be mostly continuous, though gaps for
technical reasons are acceptable
1
. Additional
coverage, such as the LW band below the BC
band or frequencies above 30 MHz, is al-
lowed. Some of the included Heathkit GC re-
ceivers only cover to 10 MHz and others only
to 20 MHz. Superheterodyne receivers make
up 14 of the 17, the other three being super-
regenerative receivers. Ham-band only and
even band-oriented SWL receivers are not
considered general coverage, so you won’t see
the SB receivers on the list.
Evidently, general coverage kit receivers
were a profitable product; they seemed to be
a popular beginner’s kit as well as a moder-
ate kit for the more experienced kit builder.
Heath focused on having one or two receivers
on the market for the beginner, usually at
very reasonable prices for modest perfor-
mance. They also manufactured some higher
performance receivers as well as portable re-
ceivers that could run off batteries. Features
varied with cost; crystal filters, dual conver-
sion, S-meter, an RF amplifier stage and a
tracking bandspread control are often miss-
ing on the low-end radios.
The first receivers were the super-regenera-
tive K-1 and K-2 (HotM #s 80 & 81). They were
followed by the superheterodyne AR-1
through AR-3. In 1960 Heath released their
first transistorized GC receiver, the Mohican
GC-1, later updated to the GC-1A (HotM #34).
As part of Heathkit’s early educational series
they produced the EK-2A and EK-2B “Basic
Radio Educational Series” in two parts. In
part one the student builds various circuits
including a crystal receiver and later a re-
generative receiver. However, in part two the
receiver is modified and expanded into a six-
tube general coverage superheterodyne re-
ceiver that covers the broadcast band and 3
to 10 MHz; passing the GC requirements.
Around 1961 Heath started the GR receiver
line which includes general coverage short-
wave radios along with many other general
radios including clock radios and AM/FM
portables. Qualifying GC receivers from this
group are (in chronological order) the GR-81,
GR-91, GR-64, GR-54, GR-43[A] and GR-78
(HotM #62). The solid-state GR-43 and its ‘A’
update are clones of the Zenith Transoceanic
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