GR-2000 Color Television · Volume 6
Reference
Everything in this volume is a record rather than an argument: the specification as Heath published it, the semiconductor and module complement as the reviewers counted it, the catalogue appearances and prices year by year, the manual editions with what could and could not be verified about each, the related accessories and instruments, and where to read further. Figures given without a source are from the catalogue specification blocks reproduced below.
6.1 Full specification
Table 1 — Full specification
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Picture tube | 25-inch diagonal, black (negative) matrix, fully illuminated dots, etched faceplate; 315 square inches viewing area; two-year warranty. Type given by Radiomuseum as 25VEDP22 (secondary source; not named in the catalogue) |
| Deflection | Magnetic, 90 degrees |
| Focus | Electrostatic |
| Convergence | Magnetic |
| Aerial input impedance | VHF 300 Ω balanced or 75 Ω unbalanced; UHF 300 Ω balanced |
| Tuning range | VHF channels 2 through 13; UHF channels 14 through 83; any 16 preset |
| Picture i.f. carrier | 45.75 MHz |
| Sound i.f. carrier | 41.25 MHz |
| Colour i.f. subcarrier | 42.17 MHz |
| Sound i.f. frequency | 4.5 MHz |
| Video i.f. bandwidth | 4.08 MHz at 6 dB down |
| Hi-fi output | Output impedance 2200 Ω; frequency response ±1 dB, 50 Hz to 15 kHz; harmonic distortion less than 1% at 1 kHz; output voltage greater than 1.0 V rms |
| Audio output | Output impedance 4 Ω or 8 Ω; output power 2 watts |
| Power requirements | 110 to 130 volts a.c., 60 Hz, 200 watts |
| Net weight | 112 lb |
| Shipping weight | 147 lb (motor freight) |
| High voltage | 26,000 volts (figure from the manual for the GR-2001; not stated in the GR-2000 catalogue specification) |
6.2 Semiconductor and module complement
Table 2 — Semiconductor and module complement
| Item | Count | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated circuits, receiver | 19, including custom MOS devices | Radio-Electronics, Feb. 1974; Popular Electronics, Apr. 1974 |
| Integrated circuits, with remote control and clock | 33 (19 + 13 + 1) | Both reviews |
| Transistors, receiver | 71, each in its own socket | Popular Electronics, Apr. 1974 |
| Plug-in circuit boards | 20, glass-epoxy | Both reviews |
| Factory-fabricated cables | 12 | Popular Electronics, Apr. 1974 |
| Remote control receiver | 28 transistors, 12 integrated circuits, 8 diodes | Popular Electronics, Apr. 1974 |
| Remote control transmitter | 1 transistor, 9-volt battery, 8 ultrasonic commands, range about 20 feet | Popular Electronics, Apr. 1974 |
| Clock module | 1 monolithic MOS integrated circuit (Heath part 443-617) on board 85-1305-1 | GRA-2000-1 manual |
| Tubes | Picture tube and high-voltage rectifier only | Radio-Electronics, Feb. 1974 |
Named devices in the published circuits: IC201 (latching gates), IC202 (four-bit up/down counter), IC203 (four-to-sixteen line decoder), Q201-Q216 (channel switching transistors) with D249-D264, R276-R293 (preset tuning controls) and R294 (calibration), Q217/Q218 (2 Hz clock), IC301 (character generator), Q221 (display driver), Q426/Q427 (luminance and display insertion), R445 (display brightness), Q325 (i.f. input stage), with MC1349 and MC1330 integrated circuits in the i.f. strip and Q326 (4.5 MHz emitter follower).
Board numbers legible in photographs of a built set include 85-1302-1 (channel selection), 85-1303-2 (readout), 85-1306-2, 85-1329-2, 85-1334-3, 85-1435-1 and 85-1612-3; the clock module is 85-1305-1. Heath boards carry date codes, which are the most reliable evidence of when a particular kit was packed.
6.3 Catalogue appearances and prices
Table 3 — Catalogue appearances and prices
| Catalogue | GR-2000 | Remote | Clock | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 800/95, March 1974 | $649.95 | $79.95 (GRA-2000-6) | $29.95 (GRA-2000-1) | Cover and pp. 2-5 given over to the set; cabinets $139.95-$179.95; second speaker GRA-2000-7 $6.50 |
| Christmas 1975 | $689.95 | $89.95 | $29.95 | ”Our famous GR-2000”; GR-2050 introduced at $599.95 |
| Spring 1976 | listed | $89.95 | $29.95 | Sold alongside GR-2050 and GR-900 |
| Fall 1977, No. 817 | $599.95 | $89.95 | $29.95 (GRA-601) | GR-2001 at $699.95; GR-2050 at $549.95 |
| Winter 1978 | listed | — | — | |
| Fall 1979 | $659.95 | $99.95 | $35.95 (GRA-601) | GR-2001 the lead model |
| No. 848, 1980 | listed | — | — | |
| Winter 1981 | $599.95, reduced from $669.95 | $99.95 | $29.95 | Last appearance found |
| Christmas 1981 | not listed | GR-2001, GR-2050, GR-2500 | ||
| Christmas 1982 | not listed | Notice of the final order for the GRA-602-25 cabinet for GR-2000 and GR-2001 owners, 1 December 1982 |
6.4 Accessories and related models
Table 4 — Accessories and related models
| Model | Description |
|---|---|
| GRA-2000-1 (later GRA-601) | On-screen digital clock module; 12- or 24-hour, 4- or 6-digit; 60 Hz time base |
| GRA-2000-6 | Ultrasonic remote control: on/off, volume up/down, channel up/down, colour and tint |
| GRA-2000-7 | Second speaker for the cabinets |
| GRA-2000-2 / -3 / -4 / -5 | Contemporary, Early American, Mediterranean and Mediterranean hideaway cabinets |
| GRA-602-25 | Later contemporary cabinet for the GR-2000 and GR-2001; final order taken December 1982 |
| GD-1999 | Universal colour TV game, worked with any television |
| GD-1185 | Programmer for the GR-2001 (up to 32 channel changes over two 12/24-hour periods) |
| GD-1184 | Automatic antenna rotor control for the GR-2001 |
| GRA-2001-B | Eight-channel accessory for the GR-2001, taking it to 24 channels |
| IG-28 / IG-5240 | Heathkit colour bar and dot generators — the bench instruments whose function the GR-2000 has built in |
| IG-57A / IG-5257 | Heathkit TV post-marker/sweep generators — the instruments the fixed i.f. filter made unnecessary |
6.5 Manuals and documents
Heath’s manuals for the GR-2000 itself have not been found as a free scan. What follows records each edition traced, the year, whether a copyright notice was actually seen on a scan examined for this dive, and whether a copyright renewal search was carried out. No renewal search has been done for any title listed here, so every entry below is “renewal search: not done”, and none of these titles should be treated as cleared for hosting until that work is carried out. The project’s hosting rule is set out in the Heathkit project notes.
GR-2000 assembly manual set — Books One to Five, plus GR-2000 Subchassis and Picture Tube assembly manual. Year: dated 1973 in dealer and collector listings. Part numbers: not seen. Copyright notice: not examined — no scan of any volume was located; the description of the five-book division comes from sale listings, not from a copy inspected. Renewal search: not done. Free scan: none found. Paper copies circulate second-hand, and reprints of Heath manuals are sold commercially by Data Professionals, a Heath business, which states that it offers paper only and no electronic copies.
GR-2001 Color Television, Book Three: Adjustment and Operation. Part number 595-1865-06. Year: 1976. Copyright notice: seen — the title page of the scan carries “Copyright © 1976 / Heath Company / All Rights Reserved / Printed in the United States of America”, read from the page image at 200 dpi rather than from the OCR text. Renewal search: not done. Free scan: archive.org/details/manualsplus_11898. This is the most useful single document for a GR-2000 owner after the set’s own books, because the adjustment procedures are substantially the same.
GRA-2000-1 TV Clock Accessory, Assembly and Operation. Year: the Internet Archive item is dated 1974. Part number: not seen — the parts list refers the reader to “the front cover for part number”, and the cover of this scan does not show one. Copyright notice: not seen on the pages examined (cover and contents, parts list, specifications, circuit comments and schematic pages were inspected as page images; no notice appears on them). Renewal search: not done. Free scan: archive.org/details/gra-2000-1.
GRA-900-6 Remote Control assembly manual (the ultrasonic remote for the preceding GR-900). Part number: 595-1365-03, read from the OCR text of the scan and not verified as a page image. Year: not stated in the text examined. Copyright notice: not seen. Renewal search: not done. Free scan: archive.org/details/manualsplus_11893.
GR-295 Color Television Set, Assembly and Operation. Part number 595-838, printed price $2.00. Year: 1966. Copyright notice: seen — “Copyright © 1966 / Heath Company / All rights reserved”, read from the page image of the title page at 300 dpi. Renewal search: not done. Free scan: World Radio History, 196 pages — the fullest surviving Heathkit colour-television manual available free, and the best guide to how the earlier tube sets were built and converged.
Other Heath colour-television manuals traced online (all free, none examined for copyright notices beyond the list above; renewal searches not done):
Table 5 — Other Heath colour-television manuals traced online (all free, none examined for copyright notices beyond the list above; renewal searches not done)
| Title | Where |
|---|---|
| GR-1902 19-inch Color TV with Remote Control | archive.org/details/manualsplus_11736 |
| GR-2502 25-inch Color TV with Remote Control, service manual | archive.org/details/manualsplus_11906 |
| GR-4500 45-inch Super-Screen TV with Remote Control | archive.org/details/manualsplus_11895 |
| GR-2701 27-inch Digital TV Set | archive.org/details/Heathkit27InchDigitalTVSetGR2701OCR |
| GR-25 and GR-53A schematics (schematic only) | vintage-radio.info/heathkit |
Catalogues used in this dive (all free at World Radio History, which is also the best single source for Heathkit advertising copy): March 1974, No. 800/95; Christmas 1975; Spring 1976; Fall 1977, No. 817; Winter 1978; Fall 1979; No. 848, 1980; Winter 1981; Christmas 1981; Christmas 1982; and for the earlier sets March 1965, No. 800/53, the late-1965 flyer 80-33, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, Winter 1970, 1971 and 810/72, 1972.
Note on the 1965 flyer. World Radio History files the flyer that introduces the GR-25 as “Heathkit-1963-Supplement-80-33”. Its contents date it to late 1965: it advertises the forthcoming 1966 catalogue and prices the GR-53A below its March 1965 figure. It is cited here as a late-1965 flyer.
6.6 Contemporary press
Table 6 — Contemporary press
| Publication | Date | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Television Digest | 7 January 1974 | First notice: “most technologically-advanced TV on consumer market”, 33 ICs, on-screen channel number, optional digital clock display, 16-channel all-electronic varactor tuner, fixed-filter i.f., built-in service instruments |
| Radio-Electronics | February 1974, pp. 33-37, 78-80 | Larry Steckler’s engineering review, with block diagrams and circuits; the six “unique” features; the i.f. response curves |
| Radio-TV Repair | March 1974 | Trade review: modularisation, owner servicing, “the way all TV sets will have to be made in the future” |
| Popular Electronics | April 1974, pp. 77-80 | Product test report built from the kit: circuit description, remote control, 52-hour assembly time, picture assessment |
| Elementary Electronics | November-December 1974, p. 72 | Heath advertisement collecting the reviews; mail-order price $669.95 |
The Radio-TV Repair and Television Digest items are known only through the passages Heath quoted in its own catalogue; neither magazine has been read at source for this dive.
6.7 A note on the “first anywhere” claim
The single most useful piece of contemporary evidence on this point sits in the Radio-Electronics review of February 1974, and it cuts both ways. Listing the on-screen channel readout among the features “not to be found in any other production color TV being sold in the U.S.”, the magazine added that other makers had advertised the feature, naming a Sharp set that offered it, Hitachi talking about it, and a Blaupunkt sold in Europe. The defensible statement is therefore the narrow one — that the GR-2000 was the first production colour set sold in the United States with an on-screen digital channel readout — and the wider claim, that it was the first anywhere, is contradicted by the same review that establishes the narrow one. The sales and patent claims that circulate with it are examined in the company history dive.
Further reading
- Larry Steckler, “Heathkit’s new digital color TV”, Radio-Electronics, February 1974 — the fullest technical account published.
- “Heathkit Model GR-2000 Digital Color TV Receiver”, Popular Electronics, April 1974 — the only independent build report traced.
- Heath Company deep dive, volumes 4 (the golden age and the television line), 8 (how a Heathkit manual works) and 9 (the field guide to model numbers).
- Ernst Brueschke and Richard Mack, “The History of the Heath Companies”, AWA Review vol. 32 (2019).
- Schlumberger Limited annual reports, 1963-1976 — the only run of documents that dates Heath’s television models from the inside.
- Steven Leibson’s EEJournal series, “The Rise and Fall of Heathkit” — the source of the three circulating claims, and of Chas Gilmore’s recollections of the television programme.
- VideoKarma and Antique Radio Forums — where surviving sets are discussed and restored.
Sources
All sources are linked inline above. The specification tables are from the catalogue specification blocks of March 1974 and Christmas 1975; the semiconductor and module counts are from Radio-Electronics, February 1974 and Popular Electronics, April 1974; the manual data is from the scans named, examined as page images; and the catalogue price history is from the individual catalogues listed.
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