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Reviews For: Heathkit HX-1681

Category: Transceivers: HF Amateur HF+6M+VHF+UHF models - non QRP <5W

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Review Summary For : Heathkit HX-1681
Reviews: 6MSRP:
Description:
http://www.nostalgickitscentral.com/heath/products/ham/hx1681.t
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.nostalgickitscentral.com/heath/products/heathkit_ham
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0064.5
AG4B Rating: 2017-11-05
TX switching problem Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I love all my Heathkit equipment. I have a1680 and 1681. I need someone to repair the TX/RX circuit in the 1680 TX. The transmit circuit tries to go to transmit and overheats to the point of smoke. I'm using a HP-23B PS and voltages seem to be as desired. Any suggestions? I sure would like to get this pair in service TKS Tom
WD9F Rating: 2013-06-23
Well worth the restoration journey Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had a working HR-1680 (already configured for QSK with the HX-1681) and decided to try to find a working HX-1681. After weeks of fruitless searching, I settled for one that had been non operational for years but was nearly perfect in appearance and very well built. Well, with lots of help from others, The HX-1681 came back to life last winter and it was well worth the trouble. QSK is perfect, it cranks out 100 Watts, gets great signal reports and other Hams are surprised when I tell them what I'm running. Crystal clear tone and no drift (if I let it warm up for ten minutes). Wonderful CW twins and really fun to operate.
N6KYS Rating: 2007-09-11
I liked it a lot! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This was a cool transmitter....I wish I still had mine. Full break in CW was very easy to do, and the 6146's loaded up like a muscle car. Simple, but had an elegance to it. I just wish it had some kind of phone...AM probably wouldn't have been too hard to include in the design. Great rig, though.
WB8ICU Rating: 2006-01-12
best cw rig around Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had the cw twins, the hx1681 xmtr and the hr1680 receiver for years. I built the transmitter when it first came out, heath never brought out the promised receiver so I sold it. Then they finally came out with the receiver a year later. I bought one, assembled it and then found a transmitter at a swap. I had to completely redo the one I bought. I swear a blind man tried to put it together. Fixed it up in a couple of weeks, and been using it ever since. You can run a little swr without worry due to the tube finals. I can separate my tx and rx by as much as I please. Heck, I can put one on another band! rit is for wimps. This is a great combo if you operate on nets, where people are all over the place. I also have an omni d and a scout but they just dont compare. I did add a pico keyer to the xmtr. excellent!!!!
NB7I Rating: 2004-07-05
A little known Jewel Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Picked up HX-1681 and the companion HR-1680 about 5 years ago, and restored it to peak performance. The QSK on this set up has to be heard to be appreciated, completely silent relayless switching and smooooth. You can work on it, and fiddle with the innards. The 3 tubes are still easy to find.
It is a real ham radio. It looks good sitting there, red dials and all.
KI0KM Rating: 2003-10-11
great cw transmitter Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned this transmitter for 18 years along with it's companion receiver, the HR-1680.
It is cw only, 80-10, and has an out-put of 80-110 watts depending on the band. It is solid state except for the driver and finals (2x6146B).
It has an electronic antenna relay that gives it full break-in when used with the HR-1680. This combination is the best cw rig I have operated. They seem to be very rare, as I have never heard another on the air.
This is one rig I will never sell!