This is the only radio in this gallery that I don't actually own -- which is too bad, because I see it as Heathkit's most memorable set, infused with a cabinet design provoking an instant nostalgia -- those chrome-plated knobs sure did shine! And maybe it wasn't the best performer, though apparently it did perform pretty well, but it was a truly unique and gorgeous radio all the same.
The Mohican was Heathkit's first all-transistor SW receiver. It was also a "portable" radio, weighing 18 pounds without batteries: it had a battery supply and a handle on top and a built-in 50" telescopic antenna. The GC-1A model was made and distributed between 1960 and 1968, with the earlier GC-1 model having been produced up until 1960. Along with its five reception bands (550-1600 kHz MW and four SW bands: 1.6-4 MHz, 4-9 MHz, 9-20 MHz, 20-32 MHz), it also covered the amateur radio bands in four band scales: 80M, 40M, 20/15M, and 10M (plus the 11M Citizen Band).
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This is a set I've had at least two shots at getting but never did get. The first time was around ten years ago, when I won a great example on eBay from a seller in California. As I still am now, I was living in Slovakia at the time. When the Mohican arrived at the customs office, I was in bed with a horrific flu, and by the time I was able to get out of bed two weeks later, the package had been returned to its sender. The seller was really pissed off, and in the end I told him just to keep the radio and forget about it, and he did.
The second time was at a vintage radio flea market in Vienna a few years ago -- I found a Mohican in great condition with an asking price of 150 Euros, but its band switch knob was not original, so eventually I walked away. I do still hope to get one of these someday!
Thanks to KB8TAD for the pics here.
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