Editing Heathkit (section)

== Diversification ==
{{anchor|OC-1401}}
[[File:Heathkit OCW-1401 01A.jpg|thumb|upright|Heathkit Aircraft Navigation Computer OC-1401/OCW-1401 (1978)]]
After the death of Howard Anthony in a 1954 airplane crash, his widow sold the company to Daystrom Company, a management holding company that also owned several other electronics companies.<ref name="BrueschkeMack"/>{{rp|147}} Daystrom was absorbed by oilfield service company [[Schlumberger Limited]] in 1962, and the Daystrom/Schlumberger days were to be among Heathkit's most successful.<ref name="BrueschkeMack">{{cite web |last1=Brueschke |first1=Erich E. |last2=Mack |first2=Michael |title=The History of the Heath Companies and Heathkits: 1909 to 2019 |url=http://www.ontheshortwaves.com/Ads/The_History_of_the_Heath_Companies_and_Heathkits-1909-2019.pdf |website=On the Shortwaves |access-date=2022-02-25 |date=2019}}</ref>{{rp|148}}

Those years saw some "firsts" in the general consumer market. The early 1960s saw the introduction of the [[AA-100]] integrated amplifier. The early 1970s saw Heath introduce the [[AJ-1510]], an FM tuner using digital synthesis, the [[GC-1005]] digital clock, and the GR-2000 [[color television]] set. In 1974, Heathkit started "Heathkit Educational Systems", which expanded their manuals into general electronics and computer training materials. Heathkit also expanded their expertise into [[Digital data|digital]] and, eventually, computerized equipment, producing among other things [[digital clock]]s and [[weather station]]s with the new technology.<ref name="columbiaara.org"/>

Kits were compiled in small batches mostly by hand, using [[roller conveyor]] lines. These lines were put up and taken down as needed. Some kits were sold completely "assembled and tested" in the factory. These models were differentiated with a "W" suffix after the model number, indicating that they were factory-wired.

For much of Heathkit's history, there were competitors. In electronic kits: [[Allied Electronics|Allied Radio]], an electronic parts supply house, had its KnightKits, [[Lafayette Radio]] offered some kits, [[Radio Shack]] made a few forays into this market with its Archerkit line, [[Dynaco]] made its audio products available in kit form (Dynakits), as did [[H. H. Scott, Inc.]], [[The Fisher (electronics manufacturer)|Fisher]], and [[Eico]]; and later such companies as [[SWTPC|Southwest Technical Products]] and the [[David Hafler|David Hafler Company]].