[This is the first video in a series by Bob, W9RAS, a former Heathkit technician]

Designed in the late 1970's this was the first synthesized HF tranceiver KIT made by Heathkit ... Design was completed and three were assembled in the Heathkit factory in 1979 . The world amateur radio conference in 1979 added the 30 ,17,and 12 meter bands for use by amateurs so the SS8000 was obsolete before it was to be released for sale by Heathkit . It was also decided it was to complex for the average amateur operator to assemble and so the project was cancelled . Only three were built in the Heathkit plant and this is one of them . It is not known if any of the others survived I suspect this may be the only one .

See more info on the SS-8000 and SS-9000 by Bob, W9RAS here.