Electronics construction kits for kids

Are they still made ? Just been sorting an old junk pile and there was a faded paper bag with a couple of Germanium AC126 trannies with highly distinctive red slide-on boots. These were part of a Philips construction kit I got as a crissy pres a long long time ago. The board, I remember, was covered in springs to tie components together rather than soldering.

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Reply to
N Cook
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Check out Maplin, etc. The answer is yes.

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*I'm planning to be spontaneous tomorrow *

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
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Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Hi N...

Sometimes there are advantages to getting on in years; remember getting those for the kids many many years ago...

And about 10 years ago getting one for one of the grand kids... Fond memories of the day we built it into a rain detector - so that if we needed to know if it was raining all we needed to do was take it outside and within a few minutes it would tell us whether or not it was raining :) I think he's still pondering the wisdom of that one :)

Anyway, they were made by (or at least labelled) Radio Shack, and available in several different sizes (50 in one,

60, 75,150, 160, etc)

There are still some around, here's a link to two of them at ebay...

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And if that's too long, search for radio shack kit If you're lucky enough to have a youngster to share it with, grab one, you'll both enjoy it :)

Take care.

Ken

Reply to
Ken Weitzel

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If I'm not mistaken I could swear I seen a couple at the local Radio Shack recently. Not sure what if any differences as opposed to those from the past, but there "were" a couple there.

clf

Reply to
clfe

Sure. Radio Shack, other retailers, and eBay for used ones.

N
Reply to
NSM

Oh, most definitely. You just need to dig around a bit.

More specifically, check with your local electronics places (and/or Google) for Velleman kits. They're good for educational purposes, because assembling them requires soldering and basic electronic assembly skills (lead forming, cutting, etc).

Be sure to invest in a good soldering station as well. Weller or Edsyn come immediately to mind.

Happy hunting.

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Dr. Anton T. Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute.
(Known to some as Bruce Lane, ARS KC7GR, 
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Reply to
Dr. Anton T. Squeegee

I'd say they're a bit expensive until it's certain it's going to be a hobby. A cheap non temperature mains one will be fine for a start. It was many years before I could afford one, but can't remember ruining even red spots with the old one. ;-)

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*A backward poet writes inverse.*

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
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Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Hi

Here downunder we have

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+ others. These supply kits etc of varying degrees of complexity. We also have a great magazine 'Siliconchip'
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We are well served in this department

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Regards

Chopper
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Reply to
Chopper

Dollar store one is fine. Better to teach them to use a hot iron quickly than a cool iron slowly. I had a teacher at college who tried to explain grad, div and curl to me (with no success) but admitted he'd burnt the circuit foil off a car battery charger kit trying to solder it together!

However most of the kits referred to use spring connectors.

N
Reply to
NSM

kits

But so sad to see the demise of Electronics Australia while I was there, a magazine we devoured (under its' various names) for many years.

N
Reply to
NSM

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