First project in Radio Shack Electronics Lab

[jonjb2a]

Sure wish there were easier ways to install (insert) the components. But once everything is in working order, it is truly awesome to have a project work. "Electronic fish caller?" That sounds really neat. Glad to know that project worked for you, Mosfet510.

[Mosfet510]

Omg does this bring back memories!! I remember having one in the early 80's, had so much fun with it and I did learn a lot from it. I built many things but one was an "Electronic fish caller" or something like that which would emit ticking sounds w/ a variable rate fed to a speaker in a plastic bag under water and no joke it worked!! These are things that make learning electronics fun, it did for me.

[KingofReverie]

Can't get the resistors to go where I want :(

[hammettfire]

I COULDNT EVEN GET THE FLASHING LED PART TO WORK

AT ALL

[hammettfire]

OMFG

I CCOULDNT EVEN GET THE FLASHING LED PART TO WORK

AT ALL

[theelectronicsbook]

want to learn the electronics hobby

[jonjb2a]

INdeed, those kits were often a lot of fun and still are. I like this and other radio shack kits for the sound-related experiments, myself. The kits where all you needed to do was connect wires were my favorites. Attaching components and springs can be tedious!

[BeavisNacho]

Wow, reminds me of the sets they had when I was a kid, where you would connect the wires in different ways on a protoboard, rendering different experiments.

+Lots of fun at ITT tech from '97-'99 - graduated valedictorian.

[girrrrrrr2]

Does anyone have a link as to where i can buy this... as my first bread board...

[1234567898765432157]

radio shack

[poppinoncrackvideos]

ok, i lost my book, how do i make this :|

[jonjb2a]

You're welcome, ironfan63. Glad to have been of help.

[jonjb2a]

I guess by this time you also know where the power (+3, +6, +9) and ground (-) wires go as well.

If the same thing happens after you've done all that, not sure what the problem could be, myself. The ElectronicsLab has its drawbacks, I've noticed. Sadly, I've tried a few projects and they haven't worked. Not sure if it's because of bad components, a damaged circuit board or what. Maybe I screwed up somewhere myself. Oh well.

[ironfan63]

It's working now. Thanks, jonjb2a.

[jonjb2a]

Did you start from scratch? Page 20 has nothing to do with page 19. All you need here are three blue wires, connected according to the instructions and of course, the batteries. Be sure the power switch is off to start with. Once you've made the connections, then push the power switch on and DPDT switch up. Basically, those are the trouble shooting steps I can think of. Oh yes, and being sure the wiring is done properly. Those are my guesses. Good luck.

[ironfan63]

I'm up to page 20, project 2 in workbook 1. When I make the last connection, the buzzer starts sounding without hitting any switches. When i hit the power and dpdt switches, the frequency changes. When I leave the power switch up and put the dpdt switch in the up position, then the buzzer stops. I'm a complete novice at this and any answer would help. Thanks.

[jonjb2a]

I'm not sure either, now you mention it. In a sense, I was just starting out with this kit.I'm lucky to have learned anything with electronics, kit or no kit. Maybe someone else can help you with this question. Good luck and thanks for posting.

[jonjb2a]

Thanks for the comments.

Taking a break from noodling around with electronics. Probably sooner or later (maybe sooner!), I'll be building or modifying more gadgets.

[hahacamera]

hey, i was wondering why when i puyt on a resistor, it goes normal for a second(it is completely bright) and the nit fades and doesnt turn on again

[davidbball13]

i got a reall breadboard because i thought the learniung lab on is crap i meen the hole thing is great but extremely limited. having the DIPs going verticcaly really screws you over in big circuits. keep the componets and the book and get a bread board

[jonjb2a]

Thanks. I get really frustrated sometimes with the learning lab, anyway. I happen to have a few breadboards on hand just ready to be used.

[davidbball13]

yeah having the dips going up and down makes the hole breadboard very not useful. but the books are great and it comes with some great parts

[jonjb2a]

Definitely. I don't know why I'd bother going to Radio Shack or ordering online when I can always use the components for various projects. And the books are great starting points for projects, whether Mims lists them or I come up with my own.

[davidbball13]

yeah i just found a local electronics shop neir me and its great. i got 100 ICs (blister pack) with tons of gates, shift registers nd thing you can think of only for 6 bucks. and i got 200 transistors for 3 bucks

[jonjb2a]

So there are alternatives to Radio Shack, which some people in a newsgroup (circuit bending, on myspace) call Shadio Rack. Nice to know, for sure.

[davidbball13]

yeah its really good

[themarkmarcus]

...looks like a trigger mechanism to the next generation of atomic bombs... haha!

[whoisondrugs]

I closely followed the instructions, and the blink cycle was much slower, as described in the manual, @ every 2 seconds, and @ about 2 per second, and I use the dpdt switch to transition. Pretty fun, thanks for the vid.

[jonjb2a]

No problem. Glad the video was helpful. Thanks.

[jonjb2a]

Yup. I stand corrected. u is the closest equivalent of the Greek "mu", used to denote microfarad. mf is indeed millifarad.

[fishstixman]

Its uf, not mf. mf is millifarad. uf is microfarad.

[berkut2006]

;) tnx man

[jonjb2a]

Glad to be of help. Good luck.

[berkut2006]

the problem is that i leav in argentina not USA, so i need the exact name of the component lol :)

[jonjb2a]

The component is indeed a 555 timer circuit. I mentioned this in an email to you. Hope this particular component is available.

[manumenzella04]

This particular component is available here. I also live in Argentina. If you need help with your project, contact me.

[berkut2006]

i need any ccomponent, that gona on and off per 1 seg or 2 or more, did you undertud? somthing like timer

[jonjb2a]

I think the 555 is the timer circuit. It's included in the kit and I used it for this project. The 100 mF capacitor is what you add to make the sound go once every two seconds. That's the clincher: the 100 mF cap(acitor). Hope that helps.

[jonjb2a]

Use a 555 IC, a 10 mF (microFarad) capacitor, red LED and the following resistors: 4.7k, (yellow, violet, red), 10k (brown, black, orange) and 1k (Brown, black, red). In addition, there's a 100 mF capacitor to modify the sound.

[berkut2006]

hey man, what you use to creat that circuit?

[jonjb2a]

Some time, I'd like to try this on my own, without the kit. Btw: thanks for the comments!

[jonjb2a]

Thanks for the comment. A 555 IC, Red LED, a 10 mF capacitor, the following resistors: 4.7k, 10k, 1k. Also, a 100 mF capacitor to change the pitch of the tone. This project is shown on page 15 of Basic Electronics, Workbook 1.