DIY

1) Product name
Discover Electronics Kit

2) Background Research
Not only do I tinker with a lot of electronic hardware as a hobby, but also in my day job. I’m always confused about the finer details of how that doohickey connects to that thingamabob, so what better way to help me better understand than an electronics kit! This kit looked like it would suite my purposes as far as materials and research is concerned, and on the plus side its travel sized so I can take it on the go.

3) Hypothesis
With this kit I can teach myself how circuits works and hopefully create some cool gizmos and contraptions.

4) Experiment
I’m dedicating an hour or more every day following the instructions, building little gizmos (love that word), and hopefully having a little fun along the way.

5) Results

The instructional booklet was very detailed in how one can create something from nothing in a matter of minutes, before I knew it had created a series of LED lights in which blinked accordingly to serious of signals in which I set up, I was amazed. The walk-through in the booklet displays all of the pieces so that they are easily identified; this also helps with my memory retention since I could easily associate a picture to a piece and piece to a picture.

There is a section in the booklet where a formula must be learned so you don’t blow up your LED lights. (Nobody wants that!) But the formula was easy to follow and really helped in the more advanced sections of the kit. I was hardly ever satisfied with my decision of my final build, I either wanted to remove something or add more (more LEDS!)

The original breadboard was malfunctioning, but this was a probably due to the fact that I was building some rather unorthodox contraptions, so I had to get a new one. Regardless of the few speed bumps, it is an awesome kit!

After a few hours and days playing around with the kit, I didn’t need the booklet for reference any more. I felt like a pro, confident enough to speed through a build without fear of a though of “Will it work?” I have created tone-activated LEDs and LEDs that dim on and off almost like a Christmas light decoration. Overall it was an awesome and fun experience in a short amount of time.

6) Conclusion

Not only does this kit include the materials needed to get a understanding of electronics and circuitry, but it also comes with, in my eyes, the most down-to-earth, easily readable instruction booklet in the universe (well, maybe not the universe). I am waiting for the opportunity for anyone to ask me what Diodes do, what Ceramic Capacitors are used for, how to use Regulators, how timers work and where to put those darn Electrolytic capacitors so I can blurt out all the knowledge this kit has given me. I would definitely recommend this to a person of any age who is interested in making their own basic electronics, or someone who simply wants to have fun and learn at the same time.