Commander X16

I never had the ones with the springs. I did have a Logix-Kosmos kit, as seen here:

https://www.sportscards.com/item/vintage-logix-kosmos-science-fun-experiments-in-electronics-1973-incomplete/123293079211

 

I also had a RadioShack 28-280 Electronics Learning Lab that actually includes a breadboard; I built a few test circuits on that; I keep thinking about getting another one, since having the breadboard, LEDs, and buttons all integrated is super handy.

 

I had SO many of these growing up, they were by far some of my favorite "toys" of the late 70's and 80's. It was so long ago now that I really can't remember all of them. Though I did have the 160-in-1 Science Fair Kit posted by SlithyMatt, hard to forget that one, it was such a well built kit. When I was growing up, a friend of my family owned and operated the local Radio Shack, so I was in there all the time, and got to try a lot of the kits as they hit the shelves. In fact, most all the kits I owned came from there, or Sears.

Like I said, I had so many, some multi-kits, and others were single devices (mainly radios), but they are what lead to my love of electronics, and what I learned from those kits allowed me to fix a lot of old hardware that would have otherwise ended up in the waste bin.

For a while there I was making a lot of my own devices for different things, sometimes just for fun. I'm not sure if you can still get them but you used to be able to buy PCB etching kits. Basically, you would "draw" your circuit on a copper coated board, submerge it in an acid solution, and the areas not covered my the ink would be eaten away, leaving your circuit paths. Drill the holes, solder your parts, done. I used to find that so fun. Of course, now with PCB kits so readily available, and companies like PCB Way, there is really no need for etching.

Sadly, none of my kids really got into any of this. They just come to me when something stops working. lol

I do miss it sometimes. ?

While we etched some things on occasion, we mainly used hole matrix boards (if that tranlation for "Lochrasterplatine" is right ? ). But it was my father who went into electronics and I never did, I go to him if something stops working, at least the more complex things. ? I only now discover electronics for myself a bit. Probably to late to gain any real proficiency but a bit.

Very similar to Matt's, I had this one:

12 minutes ago, rje said:

Very similar to Matt's, I had this one:

I think they are basically the same, just the 160 one has some cosmetic changes and 10 additional projects in the manual.

1 hour ago, SlithyMatt said:

I think they are basically the same, just the 160 one has some cosmetic changes and 10 additional projects in the manual.

The solar cell in the 160 kit is better!

 

In recent years, one notable kit is the Little Bits. They were bought by Sphero:

https://sphero.com/collections/all/family_littlebits

i wanted to get one for my son, but used to be a little expensive when it was launched.

I didn’t have any kit as a kid.

On 1/29/2021 at 6:41 PM, Falken said:

If you want weird: ☢️







https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_U-238_Atomic_Energy_Laboratory



(shudder)



 

"The Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab was a very dangerous toy lab set that was produced by Alfred Carlton Gilbert, who was an American athlete, magician, toy-maker, business man, and inventor of the well-known Erector Set. The Atomic Energy Lab was released by the A. C. Gilbert Company in 1950. The kit's intention was to allow children to create and watch nuclear and chemical reactions using radioactive material."

 

WOW.

 

 

13 hours ago, rje said:

The kit's intention was to allow children to create and watch nuclear and chemical reactions using radioactive material."

Hey, not everybody wants grandkids.

@FalkenIt  just shocks me that at one point, we thought radioactive toys were a good idea. ?

After reading this thread, I started looking around at kits still available, and I ran across this one...

 



 

https://www.amazon.com/Maxitronix-200-in-One-Electronic-Project-Lab/dp/B0002AHR04/

I had a similar one back in the early 90's, though I don't recall it costing so much, and I can't remember the brand. Though it was probably from Radio Shack since most of mine were.

I have actually started buying a lot of "soldering project kits" to do, just for fun. I love to solder and build, and don't get to do it nearly enough. haha