At The Shack, we’re big fans of science fairs, which means we’re also fans of kits that give you a great starting point for that cool project. Velleman is the undisputed leader in do-it-yourself kits and components, and we’re excited to partner with them to make it easier for you to get everything you need in one place. We’re introducing over a dozen new kits from Velleman that any tinkerer is sure to love, and they’ll be arriving at your local RadioShack store this week. Here’s a peek at some of the kits you can expect to find.
Spinning LED Wheel
Velleman kit MK152
The Spinning LED Wheel kit is a great beginner project for anyone looking to solder their first project. It consists of a circuit board, a few resistors, and a handful of LED lights. Once you put it all together, snap in a 9v Enercell battery and press the button. The LEDs will light up in a spinning motion and finally come to rest with just one lit up. Simple, yet fun.
1W/3W High-Power LED Driver
Velleman kit K8071
Moving up to something more advanced, the 1W/3W High-Power LED Driver kit is able to power most high-power LEDs with an accurate constant current. While this kit doesn’t include a power source or LEDs, it does come with a potting enclosure, for easy mounting. You won’t need a heatsink with this kit, either, and there is a built-in rectifier, if you’d rather connect an AC source. The high-power LED driver kit is a great starting place for anyone looking to add lights to their project, including stage and architectural lighting.
USB Experiment Interface Board
Velleman kit K8055
The USB Experiment Interface Board is a core kit that can build the foundation for any number of bigger projects and includes a host of input and output options, so the possibilities are endless. There is a USB interface so you can program this board via DLL, as well as a downloadable SDK pack with a few examples. The real beauty of this kit is the options it presents: you could connect a motion sensor and computer interface, so that it unlocks your computer when you wave your hand in front of it, or build something as complex as a walking robot.
For all of these kits, you’ll want to have a good soldering iron and some solder – we recommend the Soldering Work Station with Dual-Powered Iron and some Lead-Free Solder.
Here’s the full list of Velleman kits you can expect to find in your local RadioShack store, you can use our RadioShack Store Locator to find the store closest to you.
- 1A Power Supply Kit (K1823)
- Metal Detector Kit (K7102)
- Start/Stop Timer Kit (K2579)
- 3W Mono Amplifier Kit (K8066)
- Sound to Light Kit (MK103)
- Flashing LED Sweetheart Kit (MK101)
- Flashing LEDs Kit (MK102)
- Multicolor LED Christmas Tree Kit (MK130)
- Pic Programmer Kit (K8048)
- Electronic Cricket Kit (MK104)
If you’ve picked up one of these fun kits and built something, leave a comment below or send an email to Social.Media@RadioShack.com, we’d love to know what cool things you’re building!
Paul J. Anderson
I just love that you’re carrying more kits. I’m buying some, just to show support! Keep it coming!
_Paul
M. Eric Carr
Very nice to see Radio Shack starting to offer more interesting prototyping options. The USB experiment kit in particular looks like a winner. I like the direction this is going!
Ryan
Glad you are finally carrying more kits! I can’t wait to tinker with that USB kit. Does it work with Macs?
Charles Hendry
Used to use all your experimenter boards from the 70′s . Glad to see you are carrying experiment kits again. Hopefully there will be more. I am buying some of the kits now especially the USB kit. Keep them coming
Steve Q
It’s great to see the Shack getting back to it’s roots.
Steve Q
Gary Boyer, P.E BCEE
Great trend. Evokes wonderful memories.
Gary Boyer, P.E BCEE
Many future scientists and engineers had hobbies growing up involving building items from kits, as I did. I have many fond memories of Radio Shack, building radios from kits and so forth.
Linda
It was just yesterday (June 14) that I stopped by my local Radio Shack to inquire about DIY soldering kits. I was disappointed to find that the only kits available were snap together. Kudos to adding the “real McCoys” to your line of products! There are plenty of us out here who still like the challenge of creating electronics the old-fashioned way!
Raymond Fellers
This is a positive move for RS. I’m a ham and kit builder and had all but given up on RS. Then I noticed that my local RS has been stocking up on tools and parts that I can use. Now I’m going to RS 2-4 times a month and actually buying stuff I can use. Keep it up!
Doug
need these in the stores.
Gordon
Kits are a step in the right direction. However, there was a time when IC’s of all kinds could be had at your local RS. Electronics magazines had great projects, and you could always find what you needed at RS. Gone are those days!
Now at least you could offer components over the web for pickup at your local store! How is that for a good idea?
Toño Bycicleta
best thing to come to the “lowcountry” since grits.this area was desperate for a real Radio Shack.
Christopher J. Hicks
Thank you Radio Shack for bringing back the kits that made me the person that I am today. Velleman kits have been a strong staple in the DIY field. Will you be getting any radio or computer interfacing projects in? You might consider Forrest M. Mimms III to get and give some insight to some kits that could be “Radio Shack” branded and bring back that nice 70′s – 80′s feel of kit building with parts that can be found in your stores. You’re doing well, RS…keep it up.
mike
Thanks will be taking a look at this! Also more parts forDIY would be nice. Had about given up on RS. Most of the time when you walked into the store asking for a part with details on what you needed; all you would get is a blank stare and a whats that??? How about hiring people who know something about electronics!!
Sherry O
YEA!! About time, I miss the bags full of components that took weeks just to sort. I have wanting to build things like this with my grandkids. Can’t wait to get my hands on them. May in even use them in my classes at school.
daniel eng
This is awesome !!!
DellroyGM
Finally! Radio Shack starts getting back to its roots! Hooray! Now if we could buy the Minimus series speakers again – they were great!
Brian Thorp
I’m off to my local radio shack to see if they carry this stuff, looks like fun to dust off my soldering iron
Dennis
I have now completed every single kit that you stock in about 2 weeks. When are you getting more?