electronics kit birthday present for 11 yo boy.. suggestions

[chopstuck]

I had the Rat shack kit with an 8 segment LED ! 150 in one...
Kept me busy for months esp oscillators. R2D2 has just come out ('76) and I could do some of his noises.

That set ( I still have it ) seems kind of dated.
What would keep a new electronics newbie interested ?



Help !

[Bob S]

Great kit for an 11 year old.
I may be completely wrong about this, but...
Understanding resistance, capacitance & inductance etc. hasn't changed.
Hands on training can't be achieved with a mouse & keyboard.
I'm sure there are more modern versions of this kit.
I'm not sure they'll be any better.
Good Luck.

[xtian]

Awesome Make Electronics book for beginners.

They also have cool kits.

[Firestorm]

Awesome Make Electronics book for beginners.

They also have cool kits.

Those look pretty cool. I worry that too many "science" kits today teach you how to build something that works; not WHY it works. Same is true of the Boy Scout Electronics merit badge book. I'm a curmudgeon I guess, but I learned an awful lot from thing's I screwed up.

[xtian]

The Make book starts from the electron, man. Good read.

[Firestorm]

The Make book starts from the electron, man. Good read.

Cool. So our friend just has to find an appropriate kit. I wish somebody got me stuff like that at eleven!

[chopstuck]

Sounds like the book is a good read. The kits seem spendy.
I think I have most of that stuff or could piece it together for less.

Mouser, PE or Tube Depot or Just Radios or ???

[LeftyStrat]

I've been a subscriber to Make Magazine since its beginning. It's definitely inspired my kids to get into DIY stuff.