Assembly Required: Heathkit Fans Recall Era of Do-It-Yourself Tech

Benton-C Bainbridge knows he is something of a misfit in the Heathkit community. He's almost certainly the only one who uses vintage kit-built Heath electronics to illuminate concerts by a hip hop group, The Beastie Boys. And in all probability he's the only one who can claim to be named for the city where Heathkits were manufactured for nearly half a century.

Fifteen years ago, the last kit left the Heath factory in Benton Harbor, Mich. Heath had held on longer than its competitors, but after a decade or more of declining sales, the company announced in March of 1992 that it was quitting the electronic kit business. Left behind was a generation of fans, many of whom remain loyal to the products and to the Heath name.

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