Giveaway! Win This Heathkit AA-1219 Amplifier • P2: Let’s Build This Thing

I've got too much stuff and it’s time to start giving some away. Subscribe to my KZbin channel and leave a comment in any of my videos for a chance to win this 1980s Heathkit AA-1219 amplifier. I'll pick a random winner after the kit is built. That's right, it's an unbuilt kit. And in this series I'll unbox it, build it, test it and give it away.
Here are the topics covered in this video and time stamps:
0:00 Introduction
0:32 Photocopying The Manual
0:49 Building The Tone Control PC Board
1:18 Building The Amplifier PC Board
2:35 Building The Chassis
2:48 Power Transformer
3:00 Headphone Jack Wiring
3:05 Output Transistors Installation
3:11 Rear Panel Jacks
3:15 AC Jacks & Fuse Holder
3:18 Wiring Harness & Misc. Wiring
3:40 Tone Board Installation
3:47 Final Assembly
4:15 A Look At The Completed Amp
To see all the videos in this series, please click:
• Heathkit AA-1219
To visit my Amazon Shop, please click:
www.amazon.com/shop/fluxconde...
#giveaway #stereorepair #stereoamplifier

[@dzigo26831]

Heathkit was a great educational tool. A bunch of us, for sure, got interested in electronics, just from the fun and enjoyment of putting a kit together. Miss those kits!

[@FluxCondenser]

Couldn't agree more!

[@stevesweb]

Sure makes building kits better having the correct tools. Very nice.

[@jameskroeger3730]

I wish Heathkit still had kits like this. I would definitely consider buying one.

[@paulbennell3313]

Nice looking little amp! I wish we could still buy stuff like this new.

[@FluxCondenser]

I agree. I had so much fun building this and have been thoroughly enjoying listening to it the past week while I edited this video. Such a wonderful hobby.

[@phonatic]

Really fun watching your videos. I always have to remind myself how many countless hours you must have put into all this until I can sit here and watch it. From what I have seen in your other videos so far, your build quality is really outstanding. Looking forward to episode 3.

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks, Phonatic. Very much appreciate your kind words and I’m glad you appreciate and are enjoying the videos. I’ve been so busy lately with other projects that I haven’t had as much time as I’d like to devote to my channel. Hopefully, things will settle down after the holidays, though. I do think I should be able to have the next video up within a week or so as well as the selection of the winner. Take care.

[@jked7463]

Really nice looking amp. Heath kit was the way to get affordable audio when I was a kid. Would love to hear this one.

[@celiottjohnston]

Love the look of this build! Reminds me of the beautiful Luxman CL series preamps.

[@wesleymatthews137]

Yup. Just the way I remember mine. Thanks for bringing back the memories.

[@FluxCondenser]

My pleasure!

[@mworke]

Brings back memories of that time in my early days. I love the brushed aluminum face with walnut end panels. Great video!

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks for watching!

[@freedy1001]

A classic kit, nicely completed. Thanks for sharing this with us

[@FluxCondenser]

My pleasure!

[@marks1994]

Very cool amp! I have not built a Heathkit since assembling one of their 5 band graphic equalizers many, many years ago. Worked great the first time I plugged it in. ;-)

[@pcxfkxc]

Heathkit was a great way to get into electronics. After I completed military service, I used the GI benefits to take the course building a color TV, oscilloscope, multimeter and several other circuits/kits. You did a great job on the amplifier. Thanks for all your videos.

[@FluxCondenser]

Thank you, Val. And thanks for sharing your Heathkit memories.

[@marka1986]

I have seen Bell and Howell test instruments that were heathkit for the radio and TV courses.

[@BobbyS1981]

That’s a handsome little amplifier. I love the wood side panels. They look like walnut. 🤔Would be great if those made a comeback on modern hifi gear. Looking forward to part 3!

[@FluxCondenser]

Yes, I believe those are walnut. Solid, too. No veneer.

[@leahboone5776]

That actually looks like a lot of fun. Those boards look satisfying to complete.

[@FluxCondenser]

It was a lot of fun, Leah. And yes, the boards were fantastic to work on. Good quality.

[@ralphmans]

I love building these projects from scratch, I still have a Heathkit Spectre GT 40 style car. Great project, lots of fun.

[@FluxCondenser]

Very cool! I forgot they made RC cars.

[@jimnunn9232]

I really miss heathkit. The kits were fun to build and were always a good value. I still use some of the heathkit test equipment I built on my work bench today. I built a AR1219 for my workbench in the early 80's kept it for 20 years used it mostly to dive my headphones. Now I use a Marantz 2010 as my headphone amp. But I wish I had not sold the AR1219.

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks for sharing those memories, Jim. I hear all the time about people’s regrets of selling their old gear.

[@marcparsons1726]

Brings back memories of 1991

[@danedewaard8215]

Wow, you're a fast worker! That would have taken me at least 3 days to complete!!! Ah, the magic of KZbin Video!!! Thanks for the video!

[@FluxCondenser]

Ha! I know, it’s insane that all that work can be distilled into a few minutes.

[@Bairleafarm]

Pretty cool. It would neat to build something like this. I have a bunch of heathkit test equipment from the 50s

[@WessieNC]

Awesome build. Would love to build one like this myself. Great classic amp!

[@1941lynnslb]

Lynn Blakely Nice build. I have built over 60 kits mosly Heathkit, I ran an AR1500 receiver through a McIntosh clinic and it tested as good as the McIntosh amps. I have built HH Scott, Dyanaco, Eico, Anatek Blue ringer and Anatek Blue ESR & low ohms tester. I wished that I had a Soundtechnology FM stereo generator to align FM tuner kits. Some people might not know the first phase lockloop tuner was the Marantz One, and it was tube, when they made a chip to do the processing things got a lot better for FM tuners. I like a many of the comments, about building kits, those were the good old days, there's no feeling like building something and see it work, I have a 50yrs old Heathkit ET-31 experimenter trainer that is working fine, it has a tone generator with variable frequency for either sine or square waves in the audio spectrum.

[@FluxCondenser]

60 kits? Wow, thanks for sharing!

[@KeritechElectronics]

Lovely build :) The way Heathkit supplied their kits - all, together with an enclosure, knobs etc. - will never cease to amaze me. They had it perfected to the smallest detail. Of course the quality of the final projects were up to the builders themselves, as they varied in skill and experience... plus the assembly instructions surely required you to think, because they didn't lead you by hand that much.

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks, Keri. Yeah, these kits still amaze me as well. And I agree that while these are kits, they still require a lot of attention to detail and a decent level of skill to realize their potential. In the end, they’re only as good as the quality of the build, and I’ve seen some questionable or even horribly built kits over the years.

[@jimdavis6833]

Actually, the assembly instructions are very detailed but they aren't designed for idiots. Heath had a lot of "beginners" kits also. It's like rebuilding a lawn mower engine first, then slowly moving up to a V8.

[@TeslaTales59]

I have built many Heathkits over the years. My last two before Heath went away were the "Pro Series" AD-1701 and 1706. Great stuff! Nice assembly! Tell us about the cool board vice your are using. Looks like it's a good idea vs. just using the bench! Great series- keep up the good work.

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks for sharing your memories, Martin. The PC board holder is a standard holder you can find on Amazon and other places. As it comes, though, it’s limited in how wide of a board you can use. So I added the wood base to give me the ability to expand it as needed.

[@MrLynnbob]

Looks like fun, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to solder that fast!

[@FluxCondenser]

It takes a lot of coffee ;-)

[@hifihappiness6387]

Great idea photocopying the original manual!

[@FluxCondenser]

Yup, I hate seeing those old manuals all marked up.

[@alanvandusen76]

Nice build, can’t wait to see how it performs.

[@barrydraeger1892]

Thanks for showing the build process for this NOS Heathkit amp. I have a lot of Heathkit test and audio gear, and would enjoy the experience of building an NOS kit.

[@FluxCondenser]

My pleasure, Barry. When and what was the last Heathkit you built?

[@barrydraeger1892]

@@FluxCondenser The last new kit I built was a Heathkit ID-4001 weather station in the 80's. These days I like repairing old Heathkit oscilloscopes, power supplies, VTVMs, etc.

[@FluxCondenser]

That’s fantastic, Barry. Have you considered documenting your work and making videos of your Heathkit repairs? I, for one, would find it fascinating and I know many others would as well.

[@tequilamockingbird9345]

Built this same amp as a 15 year-old in 1980. Unlike my mom's Dynaco SCA-80, you got to stuff the PCBs yourself. Really liked that. Had a hard time getting it to work, though. I recall the directions could lead you to have an open circuit in something, but the schematic was correct. Wondering if you found this. My recollection is hazy on what it was. Spot welded it to my (metal) desk while testing it at one point. Seeing the manual took me back. This was back when Schlumberger owned Heathkit. Heath was on their way out then, too. Took it into the local Heathkit repair shop in Rockville, MD and they got it running, but it had some annoying 60hz hum that I was never able to fix and I didn't end up using it much. I recall it didn't have much punch even when hooked up to my AR-4x bookshelf speakers. I inherited mom's Dynaco and that's been my main amp ever since. I love your video production skills, BTW.

[@FluxCondenser]

An SCA-80, eh? Nice. I’ve got a video series on that kit build as well you may want to check out if you haven’t seen it. I don’t recall anything particularly misleading with the manual for this build, but I will say that the instructions must be read very carefully. I’ve learned that making an assumption with a Heathkit can get you into trouble with these things. I did successfully build electronic kits at the age of 15, but I also recall having similar issues as you did. Kits that flat-out never worked, or never worked correctly. These days I can diagnose a problem like that, but back then I lacked the skills. And while my eyes are certainly not as good as they were at 15, I’ve got far more patience, experience and reading comprehension at 55 which goes a long way to ensuring a successful build.

[@masakikun]

Old day kits, very nostalgic

[@brianjuffs4662]

Love to how it compares to the dynaco

[@chucklang968]

Wish I still had the ability to build, now that I have time. Forgot how much fun it was.

[@scrunts666]

I always wanted to build one of the world audio kits back in the 90's but lacked the skills. You make it look ever so easy :D

[@FluxCondenser]

You can do it!

[@JoseVargas-xd6me]

Very nice and clean work. Love the size of the amp.

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks, Jose. Yeah, it is a nice size for a small system. Super impressed with it so far.

[@dolby409]

Super cool kit! Those old heathkit sets are getting harder to come by, especially unbuilt.

[@FluxCondenser]

Yes they are!

[@BillboardPenguin]

My dad built a Heathkit AA-1214 back around 1974. He loved Heathkits.

[@FluxCondenser]

Do you know where that Heathkit AA-1214 ended up BillboardPenguin?

[@BillboardPenguin]

@@FluxCondenser I have it.

[@chomk]

That's impressive! I'd love to get my hands on that.

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks, good luck!

[@parikhit47]

Its nice to see the whole process

[@Cubik303]

That’s a very nice looking amp. Great job on the build, as usual! Definitely looking forward to the power up and testing and your thoughts on sound quality.

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks! Stay tuned.

[@qa2002]

Kit looks good... wishing I could build it!

[@ODIS-bp1ks]

Another interesting video. Thanks for providing inspiration to all of us "would-be" builders of some really nice equipment!

[@FluxCondenser]

Hey, better a “would-be” than a “has-been” ;-)

[@jaut-76]

Nice work always enjoy watching you build these kits.

[@FluxCondenser]

Glad you like them!

[@theoloutlaw]

It's a pity they don't make kits like this today. Just look at the quality of it! It's sad in a way to me to see how electronics have progressed, because I still find the magic in the 'older' stuff, and going back further, into 'tube' amplifiers. Hundred year old technology and it still blows me away just how it was designed and how great it performed. No wonder these Heathkit's are still desired though, fairly easy to put together, easy to repair when the time comes, and you have a somewhat semi-pro operating unit. I just rebuilt a Pioneer SA-5300 that had one channel that didn't work, and I had a terribly good time stripping it down, cleaning, replacing new capacitors and it was such an easy project to get back up and running. Someone had put in some wrong fuses as some point, and the voltage selector was on the wrong setting! I assumed and ordered new power transistors without testing first, but in the end, I didn't need them. Once the caps were replaced, she was good to go. Just shows, don't assume 'transistors' are bad without checking first! As always, look forward to your follow up videos. :) Rick

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Pioneer. Good info and advice.

[@GG-Wolfhound]

I love the vintage!

[@FAKECARL]

Great job, very clean

[@angrytim]

I would love a Heathkit Kit in 2021 ... Its a shame that no one really puts together affordable amp kits. There are a few Dyna copy kits out there but nothing super available and affordable like heathkit was.

[@artmusselman4875]

Wow! Faster than a speeding robot. Able to leap tall projects in a single bound. LOL. Seriously, this is a good intro to kit building that will hopefully inspire others to give it a try.

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks Art. I do hope my videos inspire others to seek out old kits and build them. Such a rewarding hobby.

[@robertharland9854]

Great work and looks very sharp.

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks, Robert.

[@lschiz-photography1765]

Love the classic look of this. The real walnut wood grain sides and the push buttons: very cool.

[@ttownscott]

I saw a stereo shop in Portland OR has an original Dynaco ST-70 kit in box unassembled for sale.

[@gp4533]

I really like the smoothness of this video.... charming voiceover, pleasing music and just the right timelapse to follow your steps without playing to long. Could you add some sort of timestamp, that we can see if you are doing this in hours or days?

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks, gp. The steps in this video took place over about a week time period. That’s a good idea to add some sort of time stamp in my future videos.

[@jamescoulter7052]

That is a good looking little amp, I wonder if it sounds as good as it looks.

[@FluxCondenser]

James, I haven’t bench tested it yet, but based on hours and hours of listening, it’s a solid performer and the phono stage sounds just great.

[@rexhorrell]

Enjoyed the video. Nicely done.

[@kevinanderson7613]

Nice video, I would not have minded if it was longer and followed step by step though ;)

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks, Kevin. Yes, I didn’t get into a lot of details on this one. For that, please check out some of my other videos which can get ridiculously detailed.

[@VanOrsdal]

Absolutely beautiful

[@FluxCondenser]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@VanOrsdal]

@@FluxCondenser cheers !

[@6StringPassion.]

I was hoping you would turn it on in this episode, but totally enjoyed the build and really like the idea of photocopying the manual. It looks like you used all of the original capacitors, so I can't help but wonder if that will be a topic in the upcoming video...🤔🙂

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks, 6string, glad you enjoyed it. Actually, no I didn’t use all the original capacitors. Note on the PC boards, for example, a few spots where the layout was designed for axial-style caps, and I replaced them with radials. Yes, that’ll definitely be a subject for the next video.

[@elifaudio1472]

Great video. I also have the Ohm Walsh 2 that I didn't decide to "upgrade" because I watched your videos on the Walsh's.

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks, I think you made the right decision with your Ohms.

[@greggsvintageworkshop8974]

Great video, you make it look so easy!

[@6StringPassion.]

Been waiting for this! Cool.

[@bradfordaudio]

Super video. I have to get a board holder.

[@FluxCondenser]

Yeah, those things are great. I think I list some on my Amazon shop. The one I show in the video is the customized version I made which lets me work on larger boards.

[@ibjb]

Just found your channel this is awesome! I want to win the Amp!

[@davidmahanna94]

That was amazing. Thanks for that video.

[@FluxCondenser]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@davidmahanna94]

@@FluxCondenser Always thought i would like to do one of these but I don't think I have the skills needed. I was dumbfounded at the process. Looking back I wished I would have studied what you do to see a finished product. In my profession really don't have that. Thanks again.

[@CrazyHorse74]

It looks really good turned out nice 👍

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks, Neil. Trust me, it sounds pretty good, too ;-)

[@ghankstef]

Really fun vid and super fun looking amp. Looks like it might need a recap already but love it

[@FluxCondenser]

Glad you enjoyed the video! All components were tested and replaced as needed during the build. More on that in the next video. Stay tuned.

[@reneneron2971]

I appreciate all the hard work and diligence you are putting into my future amplifier. Pick me!

[@FluxCondenser]

Ha! Stay tuned!

[@lvcid_]

This would go great with my set up 🔥

[@FluxCondenser]

Well, good luck!

[@williamsiu6291]

Great vid!! Is a shame that some of the original components had to be replaced with modern counterparts, personally I’d just leave the electrolytics in unless they’re like 3-50% off, at least keep them in and see how they fair before replacing them. I wonder if is comes with a built-in phono stage.

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks, William. The replacement, testing and rationale for replacing certain components will be discussed in the next video. Stay tuned. Yes, it has a nice sounding phono stage.

[@junmabanta7177]

Nice kit

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks, Jun.

[@brianst.pierre6566]

Nice job. I like it

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks!

[@scuff433]

Cool amplifier!

[@Elektronenregen]

Nice Video as always! I really should build something in the next few month..

[@FluxCondenser]

Go for it!

[@Elektronenregen]

@@FluxCondenser Yeah.. procrastination.. 😄

[@greggromero8205]

Built a Heath & Dynaco back in my teen years, still have the Dynaco, which I still had the Heath....

[@FluxCondenser]

Which Dynaco, Gregg?

[@greggromero8205]

@@FluxCondenser ST-70, my father purchased it around 1961-62 and never did anything with it. Gave it to me about 20 years later. Built it at that time and still sounds great. Ive had various pre-amps & tuners in front of it, right now it is a PAT-4 pre & old Pilot AF-723 tube tuner.

[@williamweare4965]

The quality of the Kit looks amazing and the the construction looks very professional, well done on that one. a couple of questions on the kit, if i may. is the wires between the input and selector switches screened wires? what output transistors does this amp use? But as I said overall that amp looks amazing. Cant wait to see how it performs.

[@KG-pt4gb]

I would love to hear this in my system!

[@billsutherland9193]

awesome

[@FluxCondenser]

Thanks, Bill.

[@squarrl]

I wish the video was longer, they are usually more in depth which i prefer.

[@FluxCondenser]

Stay tuned, the next video will have all the details you crave! Promise.

[@benjoe999]

It would be really cool for my boston acoustics t930

[@FluxCondenser]

Yes, those would pair nicely. Maybe add a fine Chablis ;-)

[@HAUNTED-HAM]

I look forward to winning this amp! 😜 please put me in the drawing?

[@FluxCondenser]

If you’re subscribed, you’re in!

[@6StringPassion.]

Would rewiring the tape out jacks with a tap coming off of the volume pot let this work as a phono preamp for a modern receiver that lacks a phono input? Then again, could probably just use the tape out for that.

[@FluxCondenser]

Yes, this has a decent phono stage and sounds quite good in my tests. Yes, no rewiring required. Just use the existing tape outputs.

[@zorst99]

My friend built a Dynaco amp many years ago, I was very proud of him for doing it. I love the look of this amp. Looks great I wonder how it sounds. I wonder if considered replacing the capacitors with fresh ones?

[@FluxCondenser]

Mark, I’ve been listening to the amp for long listening sessions during the last week while editing this video. It sounds just great. I haven’t bench tested it yet, but I’m sure it’ll do quite well. All electrolytic capacitors (except the tantalums) were replaced. More on that, sound demos and bench tests coming up in the next video. Stay tuned.

[@ttownscott]

@@FluxCondenser Good answer. Looking forward to your discussion of capacitor replacement.

[@6StringPassion.]

Slowing it down to .25 speed is the way to go to fully enjoy the build.😂

[@FluxCondenser]

Hey, there’s an idea. Yeah, it’s always a choice I have to make when editing these things. I wanna go fast enough to keep it interesting, but slow enough so the viewer can actually digest what they’re seeing. Using KZbin’s speed controls and the pause button is a good idea.

[@jaypetes4842]

Any ideas on where to buy new old stock kits? Miss building them.

[@FluxCondenser]

Jay, I buy all my kits off eBay.

[@ianbutler1983]

I can't believe people bought kits and never assembled them. I was on it in Christmas Day.....

[@FluxCondenser]

I hear ya! Too tempting to leave unassembled.

[@marka1986]

Wonder if some these were gifts to someone who wasn't that interested or in some cases someone got it and their health declined and couldn't do it. Who knows.

[@hyamcek]

How many hours did it take to build ? And who manufactured your Variac with built in isolation transformer. Seems redundant having two separate transformers, and pricy as well. Thanks Harry

[@FluxCondenser]

I’m not sure exactly how many hours this one took. I believe I had over 15 hours of raw footage to edit. I do have a variac that manages to provide isolation and variable voltage using one autotransformer, but those are hard to come by. The Sencore unit I also use does use two separate transformers. One for isolation and and autoformer for variable voltage.

[@eriktexter3294]

When you could goto radio shack to get any missing or damaged parts and tools instead of online.

[@FluxCondenser]

Yeah, miss those stores, too!

[@tkss6654]

Nice work! This thing is clean and elegant. What would you replace (if anything), if you were going to keep it?

[@FluxCondenser]

Well, I built it as if it were going to be my own. Believe me, I spared no expense in money or time to get it done right. Certain components were replaced for reliability and safety, but that’s it. Stay tuned for the next video and I’ll go into more details then.

[@tkss6654]

@@FluxCondenser Right on. Keep up the great work. Cheers.

[@darthbubba866]

Ah yes, walnut end panels - a lost standard of 70s HiFi.

[@mworke]

I love the look of brushed aluminum and walnut end panels.

[@Mrsteve4761]

Simplistic in features but very handsome nonetheless with the wood side panels you no longer see in modern equipment which, to me, lack the soul and character of pieces of this era.

[@FluxCondenser]

Yeah, it really is a classic looking piece.

[@KevinTernes]

Does anyone have experience with building a new kit, like the ones from Akitika? I would like to build an amplifier but since this would be my first outing, I would prefer to avoid any of the problems with an old kit so I can focus on the build itself.

[@FluxCondenser]

Kevin, I’ve never built an Aktika, so you’ll have to rely on others for feedback on that. I have build a modern tube phono preamp kit from ANK, though, and the build process was straight-forward and the quality very good. The only issue I had was they didn’t send me properly matched tubes which caused a channel imbalance. Once the issue was identified, though, they quickly replaced the tubes and all was well. In general, I would say a kit from ANK or Akitka would be a good choice for a high-intermediate or advanced kit-builder. I don’t think it’s an appropriate choice for a novice. If you have good soldering skills, are mechanically inclined and understand the basics of electronics, though, such a kit should be quite doable.

[@ludmilascoles1195]

Do nor enter me in the draw. I would rather put the shipping costs to a new Ociliscope. Nice build by the way.

[@FluxCondenser]

I’m covering all shopping costs on this contest, Ludmila. No costs whatsoever for the winner.

[@marka1986]

Would have been nice back when if they would have put the component values on the board. Seems that's a more recent thing.

[@FluxCondenser]

Actually, most of the values are listed on the component side of the boards.

[@editorjuno]

Circa1980 Heathkit somewhat successfully copying the look of a circa 1970 Kenwood -- those wood-veneered end panels are totally '70s!

[@jimdavis6833]

It makes me sad that you had to speed through the most interesting part of assembly because of time constraints.

[@FluxCondenser]

Jim, please see some of my other videos. I did a more extensive series on a superb Heathkit Pro series preamplifier, for example where I go into far greater detail about the build process. There’s a good one too, on a Dynaco SCA-80Q amp that really gets into the weeds. Those go more in-depth with the bench testing procedures I do as well.

[@jimdavis6833]

@@FluxCondenser I will certainly be doing that in the near future.

[@tassostsoutis601]

Hi! I am a subscriber. To I have to set my subscription list in my profile to public??

[@FluxCondenser]

Hi, Tassos. Yes, otherwise I can’t confirm that the random comment I choose is from a subscriber.

[@tassostsoutis601]

@@FluxCondenser ok. Thank you