Christmas Special: Retro Review Tandy/Radio Shack Science Fair electronic kit

Another 'big kid vid', this time opening and testing an electronic Christmas present.

It came from the tree wrapped in newspaper and had its price label intact ($16.99 from a secondhand charity shop). While the box was battered, it was in good condition, apart from a serving of old ear wax in the crystal earpiece.

It's branded 'Science Fair' - the Tandy/Radio Shack name for its educational kits in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. So it almost qualifies as 'old school' - I'd say roughly early '90s during the InterTan era. Also it's made in China whereas a 1980s kit would have probably been Taiwan and a '70s kit maybe Japan.

Any ungrateful thoughts as to the parsimony of the giver evaporated when projects were built. Which is what most of the video is about. You'll see demonstrations of radios, light dimmers, electronic birds and sirens. There's several attempts at music. And an electronic snake charmer? That's what is sounded like, though it attracted no unwelcome visitors.

This $16.99 pre-owned kit has already given more fun than it cost. May all the presents you give and get do likewise.

Music credit: freescores.com http://www.free-scores.com/download-sheet-music.php?pdf=12879 Copyright © Dewagtere, Bernard

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• electronic
• kit
• toy
• retro
• review
• Tandy
• Radio
• Shack
• Science
• Fair
• 1990s
• project
• educational
• snake
• charm
• music

[a7sorips]

sv1gcs or a7 sorips very good peter it took back to 70 s

[ez2curanut]

HAHAHAAHAH. I needed this. I went back 40 years in time, to when i was a kid, and made something similar. I remember getting mailers from radio shack at my house addressed to "Superman, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Dick Tracy, etc. ". LOL I bought sooo much from Tandy Corp, and Heathkit, when i was a teenager. Best video of the year right here!!! Thanks.

[Dan40049]

Nice :) I had a 50 in 1 kit in the 80s

[scottjacko87]

Hah that electronic charmer thing was hillarious. Nice work Peter

[dsittner]

Peter - you are a KOOK!

Loved the video - keep 'em coming!

[G4AKC]

Happy Christmas Peter .... speak soon!

[G4AKC]

Hello Peter, I started off radio using a "Phillips Electronic kit" a bit more basic, but similar to this one over 45 years ago! .....aaaaaah memories .......

[vk2zay]

Electronic snake charmer indeed! Love it. I once had a 200-in-1 electronic lab with the spring terminals, loved it, eventually rebuilt it, still have the audio transformer from it somewhere...

[drdavethelurker]

I had one of these kits as a kid. I think I probably still have a few of the blocks knocking around the extended junk box.

I think I saw via the Make blog that something very like this is back in production again.

[hamrad88]

Great video. Happy Holidays to you.

Tom