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Radio Shack Electronic Kits

T

Too_Many_Tools

Jan 1, 1970
0
I like many of you had my first experience with electronics through the
electronic kits that Radio Shack has had over the years. The versions
that spanned the 50, 100, 200 electronic experiments all come to mind.

My question is...how many versions and types of these kits have they
had over the years?

I would be interested in hearing which ones you recall.

Thanks

TMT
 
M

Michael Ware

Jan 1, 1970
0
I think they had a 250, it had a neat plastic case with a hinged lid, and
controls, displays, meter and speaker on the front of it.
I still have a 150 that I have had for 25 years.
The good ol' days of Radio Shack, when they were actually a good source for
hobbyists. Now they are not much more than Best Buy wannabees.
 
J

Joerg

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hello Michael,

The good ol' days of Radio Shack, when they were actually a good source for
hobbyists. Now they are not much more than Best Buy wannabees.

But why is that? Many kids aren't creative these days. They hang out in
front of the TV or some video game but don't actually build stuff.
Places like Radio Shack as we knew it from the old days can only survive
when people built stuff.

The Radio Shack here in town has closed. It become a cell phone store. Sigh.

Regards, Joerg
 
K

Ken Weitzel

Jan 1, 1970
0
Too_Many_Tools said:
I like many of you had my first experience with electronics through the
electronic kits that Radio Shack has had over the years. The versions
that spanned the 50, 100, 200 electronic experiments all come to mind.

My question is...how many versions and types of these kits have they
had over the years?

I would be interested in hearing which ones you recall.

Thanks

TMT

Hi...

Wow, memories again! :)

Bought one for my daughter about 25 years ago. Though she's been
grown and gone for a good while, it's still intact and sitting on
the top shelf of her closet (her closet here). Just looked at
it - it's a 150 in 1. Radio shack part number is 28-248.

Anyone's interested I'd be happy to scan some or all of the experiment
pages and make them available.

And about 5 years ago bought one (used) off ebay for the young
fellow a couple of doors over birthday. I think he's still
enjoying it. One of his favorites was a rain detector project.
Figured out that if he wanted to know if it was raining, all he had to
do was put it together, carry it outside, hold it up for a while,
and bingo! Knew whether it was raining or not :)

Just for curiousity looked on ebay, searched electronic kit,
and the first thing that came up was one :)

Take care.

Ken
 
C

CLFE

Jan 1, 1970
0
Ken Weitzel said:
Hi...

Wow, memories again! :)

Bought one for my daughter about 25 years ago. Though she's been
grown and gone for a good while, it's still intact and sitting on
the top shelf of her closet (her closet here). Just looked at
it - it's a 150 in 1. Radio shack part number is 28-248.

Anyone's interested I'd be happy to scan some or all of the experiment
pages and make them available.

And about 5 years ago bought one (used) off ebay for the young
fellow a couple of doors over birthday. I think he's still
enjoying it. One of his favorites was a rain detector project.
Figured out that if he wanted to know if it was raining, all he had to
do was put it together, carry it outside, hold it up for a while,
and bingo! Knew whether it was raining or not :)

Just for curiousity looked on ebay, searched electronic kit,
and the first thing that came up was one :)

Take care.

Ken

I'm not going to try to address any or all of the issues as to market needs,
pay scales, bla bla blah - but I will say - I suppose these kids today -
think those video games and so on - appear out of no where. Yes, maybe they
can program something on a computer to do that - but they should try
tackling the "component" level stuff. Actually learn what it takes to do all
that. There are probably a host of reasons we could bring up as to "why"
they don't - but it doesn't necessarily have to be that way. Even
miniaturization goes so far...... if the demand for the larger parts such as
we're used to working with would increase - maybe the action would pick back
up.

As to the kits and Radio Shack, I learned from their books. My father bought
me like a 50 in 1 kit from Lafayette Radio - I think! Back then, Radio Shack
hadn't gotten in our area yet. BUT then when they did, I bought every book
they had. I've had technical training since then and went beyond that. I
build items from junk parts just to have something to do when not repairing.
It is a very enjoyable hobby. I went to a Hamfest this past summer and
someone gave me a 150 in 1 kit with a book. I have other items here which
have power strips and so on - but you have to supply the parts yourself. But
still - makes for a lot of designing fun.

CLF
 
M

Michael Ware

Jan 1, 1970
0
That's true, I guess the electronics hobby just isn't as big as it was in
the late 70's-early 80's. You would think kids would at least have some
curiosity about how the game controllers work, or how to build a power
supply to run their GameBoy to save the batteries. Of course, you can buy a
power supply for a fraction of what it costs to build one from scratch.
 
J

JR North

Jan 1, 1970
0
The really sad thing about the RS kits is they failed to explain to the
novice user how the components acted together to make the circuit
function. Instructions to insert the + lead of C4 into hole 4-12 did
nothing to educate the user about electronics. Once the novelty and
interest in the buzzer and LEDs flashing waned, the user departed, non
the wiser and no more knowledgeable about electronics than when they
started.
JR
 
C

CLFE

Jan 1, 1970
0
JR North said:
The really sad thing about the RS kits is they failed to explain to the
novice user how the components acted together to make the circuit
function. Instructions to insert the + lead of C4 into hole 4-12 did
nothing to educate the user about electronics. Once the novelty and
interest in the buzzer and LEDs flashing waned, the user departed, non the
wiser and no more knowledgeable about electronics than when they started.
JR

Good point! Maybe they thought that the kit builder would "become"
interested in why - and reach further......... Who knows.......?

CLF
 
I

Ignoramus22325

Jan 1, 1970
0
A related question... Does anyone know of a "science project kit" that
is actually nicely made with a child in mind (not with just looking
flashy to sell at a store display). We bought one recently and I was
very disappointed. Thanks

i
 
E

- exray -

Jan 1, 1970
0
CLFE wrote:

Good point! Maybe they thought that the kit builder would "become"
interested in why - and reach further......... Who knows.......?

CLF
Hi Lou, long time no see.
I don't think they "thought" anything. Just filling a niche marketing
wise. Lots of kids have an interest in something new - not necessarily
something specific - and the only way for a parent to capitalise on what
might be a budding ambition would be exposure to something like this kit
rather than just disassembling the family's clock radio.
Anybody who has raised a kid who wanted to be a "musician" in the school
band at about 7th-8th Grade knows what I'm talking about :)
Hehe...I remember my "chemistry set". It actually had instructions
about how to make a stink bomb. That didn't turn me towards being a
chemist but the exposure to all that stuff at least gave me some
cognizance of what it was all about at an age when I knew absolutely zip
about chemicals. Not that that has changed any in the past 40 years !

-Bill
 
C

CLFE

Jan 1, 1970
0
- exray - said:
CLFE wrote:


Hi Lou, long time no see.
I don't think they "thought" anything. Just filling a niche marketing
wise. Lots of kids have an interest in something new - not necessarily
something specific - and the only way for a parent to capitalise on what
might be a budding ambition would be exposure to something like this kit
rather than just disassembling the family's clock radio.
Anybody who has raised a kid who wanted to be a "musician" in the school
band at about 7th-8th Grade knows what I'm talking about :)
Hehe...I remember my "chemistry set". It actually had instructions about
how to make a stink bomb. That didn't turn me towards being a chemist but
the exposure to all that stuff at least gave me some cognizance of what it
was all about at an age when I knew absolutely zip about chemicals. Not
that that has changed any in the past 40 years !

-Bill

Yeah Bill, long time no see - "trying" to stay out of trouble! :) Anyway,
you are probably correct. I was "trying" to give them the benefit of doubt.
Chemistry sets - eh? Man, my bedroom was a mini lab. If I had now - what I
had then - they'd arrest me on suspicion of a Meth Lab or something. Man, I
had a telescope, microscope, geology set, chemistry set, jars of
formaldehyde (sp?) with specimens in it, and so on. Not to mention the
electronics crap I had a ton of. I barely had room for my clothes, bed and
other eh - more important stuff. Ya know - looking back - I miss all
that........ That was FUN...... Half the so called Chemistry sets and so on
now - don't have half the goodies the sets did back then. These new sets are
garbage compared to what we used to get. Same with the new project kits.
JUNK....... Knowing what we had, maybe there is a reason these kids would
be bored. Somewhere, I think I have a couple pictures of my Lab - er - I
mean Bedroom.

CLF
 
E

- exray -

Jan 1, 1970
0
CLFE wrote:

now - don't have half the goodies the sets did back then. These new sets are
garbage compared to what we used to get. Same with the new project kits.
JUNK....... Knowing what we had, maybe there is a reason these kids would
be bored. Somewhere, I think I have a couple pictures of my Lab - er - I
mean Bedroom.

CLF

yabbut...remember how cool it was to imagine a little thing that
actually worked that you could stick in your pocket and if you punched
in about 10 switches you could talk to ANYBODY IN THE WORLD?...and have
them deliver a pizza?

Hey, how do you keep 'em on the farm once they've see the city?

I imagine back in the 50s-60s the old farts were grumbling like we are
now about having those spoon-fed kits for those (us) unimaginative kids.
It all works out in the long run. There's 14-year-old kids with rooms
stacked full of old curbside PCs and video cams that would scoff
(technologically speaking) at us old guys who were limited to stink
bombs and dead salamanders in jars.

They'll be ok...at least some of them will...and thats the way it has
always been.

-ex
 
M

Mark Fergerson

Jan 1, 1970
0
- exray - said:
CLFE wrote:

Pardon me for barging in- another Old Fart who had a lab/bedroom like
that.
yabbut...remember how cool it was to imagine a little thing that
actually worked that you could stick in your pocket and if you punched
in about 10 switches you could talk to ANYBODY IN THE WORLD?...and have
them deliver a pizza?

Hey, how do you keep 'em on the farm once they've see the city?

The "imagination barrier" blurs when TV shows like the old Star Trek
"predict" Motorola flip-phones.
I imagine back in the 50s-60s the old farts were grumbling like we are
now about having those spoon-fed kits for those (us) unimaginative kids.

I had it both ways- I was given everything from Erector sets through
chem to electronic sets, AND had an Elmer down the street who showed me
how to make working stuff out of "junk".

OTOH my mother just couldn't understand why I thought it necessary to
disassemble my "perfectly good" microscope...
It all works out in the long run. There's 14-year-old kids with rooms
stacked full of old curbside PCs and video cams that would scoff
(technologically speaking) at us old guys who were limited to stink
bombs and dead salamanders in jars.

They'll be ok...at least some of them will...and thats the way it has
always been.

Yep. The true hope for the future is the kid who can't help taking
things apart to find out how they work...


Mark L. Fergerson
 
Too_Many_Tools said:
I like many of you had my first experience with electronics through the
electronic kits that Radio Shack has had over the years. The versions
that spanned the 50, 100, 200 electronic experiments all come to mind.

My question is...how many versions and types of these kits have they
had over the years?

I would be interested in hearing which ones you recall.

Thanks

TMT

What I remember most about them is the wide variety of different types
of kit, and the garbage quality of the circuits in the books. ISTR the
components strung between springs type were popular and cheap, I also
saw one with square plastic cubes that each contained a part, and they
all slotted in next to each other to make circuits. And the Philips
ones that were a PCB with components mounted on bolts which screwed to
the pcb.

Best thing to do with the spring ones was to rip out the parts, then
you got twice as many connection points to use, just string parts
between the springs instead of wires. Add some more springs, which is
easy enough, and you could start building more serious projects with
them, eg radios that worked properly, burger alarms, etc.


NT
 
F

Fred Bloggs

Jan 1, 1970
0
I like many of you had my first experience with electronics through the
electronic kits that Radio Shack has had over the years. The versions
that spanned the 50, 100, 200 electronic experiments all come to mind.

My question is...how many versions and types of these kits have they
had over the years?

I would be interested in hearing which ones you recall.


Those kits were for sissies. Real children start out immediately playing
with the mains wiring and electric train sets, lighting, motors
etc...the school of hard knocks and shocks.
 
J

Jim Thompson

Jan 1, 1970
0
Those kits were for sissies. Real children start out immediately playing
with the mains wiring and electric train sets, lighting, motors
etc...the school of hard knocks and shocks.

Absolutely! Learning does not occur unless there's a failure that you
must analyse and understand. Flame makes it sink in even more ;-)

I estimate that I have torn up at least 20X as many sheets of paper as
I have kept.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice:(480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax:(480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

Anyone can be rude, but it takes a Democrat to be a real dirtbag.
 
M

Mark Fergerson

Jan 1, 1970
0
Those kits were for sissies. Real children start out immediately playing
with the mains wiring and electric train sets, lighting, motors
etc...the school of hard knocks and shocks.

They were good for getting down to the fiddly bits (for those of us
who survived the mains wiring etc with breath and fingers intact).

Besides, I believe I recounted some of my "teleportation experiences"
with mains voltage in my youth. That sort of thing can be misconstrued
as a religious experience, but I was lucky, I guess...


Mark L. Fergerson
 
F

Fred Bloggs

Jan 1, 1970
0
Mark said:
They were good for getting down to the fiddly bits (for those of us
who survived the mains wiring etc with breath and fingers intact).

Besides, I believe I recounted some of my "teleportation experiences"
with mains voltage in my youth. That sort of thing can be misconstrued
as a religious experience, but I was lucky, I guess...


Mark L. Fergerson

If a child walks into school with a 2nd - 3rd degree electrical burn
these days, it is probable the police will soon be around to arrest the
parents:)
 
R

Richard Henry

Jan 1, 1970
0
Fred Bloggs said:
Those kits were for sissies. Real children start out immediately playing
with the mains wiring and electric train sets, lighting, motors
etc...the school of hard knocks and shocks.

When I got my electric train set, I quickly found that the spring from a
ball-point pen would glow red hot when placed across the track wire
terminals of the control box.
 
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