I'm looking for electronic kits

[ranger]

Does anyone know some good quality kits and where I can order/get them. You know, the type of kit that has like over 75 projects. My budget it around $200, but that could change.

--thank you.

 

[berkeman]

You probably already checked out Radio Shack. Here's a good kit place, but they seem to be individual kits, rather than a combo kit like it sounds like you're looking for:

http://www.transeltech.com/kits/kits1.html

 

[ranger]

Yea, I checked the shack. The guy there told me that they don't make those anymore.

 

[berkeman]

BTW, you might also consider getting some basic microcontroller starter kits. You can combine the simple electroncis kits with a real uC, and really start learning a lot about practical real-world applications...

http://www.hobbyengineering.com/SectionBS.html

 

[ranger]

I just found this:

http://www.quasarelectronics.com/epl500.htm

But those micro kits seem better.

 

[berkeman]

I just found this:

http://www.quasarelectronics.com/epl500.htm

But those micro kits seem better.

Wow, that's really something! The disadvantage of a kit like that is that you can't keep all the little things that you build. You have to keep taking them apart to build new stuff. Part of the fun of building kits or building projects from scratch to learn stuff, is that you get to keep and use the widgets afterwards. I built a digital clock from just a control module back early in college for fun, including a custom smoked-plastic case that I designed, and I used that clock for probably 10 years as my main bedside alarm clock. Build stuff that helps you learn, and that you want to keep around and use for a while...that helps you to stay motivated to build more and more complex stuff as you go along...

 

[DaveC426913]

http://kitsrus.com/

I mean, the website kinda blows, but they have a lot of kits. Contact them about your need, they should be able to point you in the right direction if you can't find what you're looking for.

 

[dlgoff]

Well, you could alway just come up with some idea or need and come up with a schematic on your own. Most basic components are cheep. Make a bread-board that you can test and change to get your final design.

I once made a polyphonic music systhizer this way.

Regards
Don

 

[Math Is Hard]

I found a bunch of them on e-bay:
http://search.ebay.com/electronics-kits_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8

I am surprised Radio Shack doesn't still have them. I think I probably got one of the last ones they sold - I got it half-price at one of their clearance sales about 3 years ago.

 

[ranger]

Wow, that's really something! The disadvantage of a kit like that is that you can't keep all the little things that you build. You have to keep taking them apart to build new stuff. Part of the fun of building kits or building projects from scratch to learn stuff, is that you get to keep and use the widgets afterwards. I built a digital clock from just a control module back early in college for fun, including a custom smoked-plastic case that I designed, and I used that clock for probably 10 years as my main bedside alarm clock. Build stuff that helps you learn, and that you want to keep around and use for a while...that helps you to stay motivated to build more and more complex stuff as you go along...

Yea it does have a lot of stuff. But now that you mention it, it would be better for me to keep what I design for those reasons that you mentioned. I think I'll build a digital clock now. But unfortunatelyI only have experience with building on bread-board. I'll have to go to radio shack and get one of those "circuit boards" to practice on.

Well, you could alway just come up with some idea or need and come up with a schematic on your own. Most basic components are cheep. Make a bread-board that you can test and change to get your final design.

Most of the stuff I come up with now such as counters use those basic ICs such as flip flops that I can find at a local electronic store that cost under a dollar. But I am sure as I get more advanced that will change. I even built a special "testing box" as a college project on which I build circuits to simulate there operations. Total cost for parts of the box was like around $120 USD.