Considering the Radio Shack Learning Lab

[eddie6675]

Hi everyone,
This is embarrassing, but I've been struggling with some simple concepts in electronics, and in my area it's tough to find a mentor. I spotted the learning lab at RS the other day, have been reading reviews and think it might be useful to me not only to self teach but also as a tool for one day designing my own projects. I've also been told it's very easy to out grow it in a hurry. So my brain started ticking.....My dad gave me full access to a treasure trove of components out in the garage and I think I can emulate that kit in an expandable format for my self. I mean the guy has EVERYTHING! He would gladly teach me him self but is now too disabled to do so. Now.. I would drop 70 buck in a heart beat for my own education but I wonder if maybe my first project could be a really fancy Masonite mounted bread board with some power supplies, a milli ammeter, etc.. I at least understand how the kit it's self works. any ideas?

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Building something is always fun. The big kit manufacturer's a re long gone: Heathkit, Eico and Knightkit. With Heath, you could have built your own TV and it came with tools.
My first kit was a FET-TVM or FET-Voltmeter. At my age at the time, it was tough to manage.

Yep, I did have one of those RS labs sych as: https://www.google.com/products/cat...a=X&ei=CzAsTvfiNYu5tweI2fCuAw&ved=0CDQQ8wIwAA. It was something I sold long ago. I did grow out of it fast.

I started fixing stuff when I was younger than a teenager. Tube stuff, transistor stuff etc. You could get schematics.

I met a guy in a theater who was struggling with electronics just like you, but tube electronics. Simple concepts really. We are still friends.

Here are some "larger ideas" https://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=138224 for a breadboard. Now things are just getting harder and harder and smaller to do.

 

[eddie6675]

I'm very impressed! My curiosity just grew enormously! I'll probably just start real small; emulate The one from radio shack but buy the books so the designer gets a his fair share. The only difference is that I plan on making it expandable to evolve as I do. I'd like to set it up to run a dual rail power supply eventually. My main interest in learning this stuff is: solar tracking, automotive accessories and eventually a little Dremel cnc. Pretty tough projects. I KNOW that kit would be a good start, but my fore though wants my little work shop to be ready for the 'big' projects! Hopefully I can get there..we'll see.
Well, I'm now inspired to go make it happen! I'll post again to show progress and maybe be of help to other newbies like my self.

 

[Mike - K8LH]

.... in my area it's tough to find a mentor. ....

Check to see if there are any ham radio clubs in your area. Most hams are quite knowledgeable about electronics and some might consider being a mentor.

Cheerful regards, Mike, K8LH

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I built a work bench when I was about 10 YO. A pretty spiffy workbench. It hasn't gone anywhere in nearly a half a century. Yep, still live in the same house. Dad cut the plywood, I did everything else with jigsaw.

 

[squishy36]

I suggest you visit a second-hand store. Those training labs sometimes come up.

One thing I strongly recommend is sitting down and doing real experiments and learning how to build things. I like the looks of the experiments at and would suggest you work through some of those. You'll learn a lot.

The kits were good things to build and learn things from too. When I was a college student in the 60's, one of my lab courses required us to build a couple of Heathkit kits (a VOM and VTVM) and they were good practical experience. The teachers loved them because all the instructions were in the book -- meaning the teachers rarely got bothered with the details, as you were expected to figure out things yourself. Alas, as KeepItSimpleStupid said, these companies selling kits have all gone kaput.

I think it will be easier than you think to find a mentor to help you -- you just haven't gotten creative enough about it yet. Advertise on Craigslist and put up some cards on the bulletin boards at the local shopping centers. Also stick an ad in the newspaper. Do something nice for the folks at the local Radio Shack and then give them a card with your name on it and tell them you're looking for a mentor and to have them ping good candidates who come in. Talk to your local librarians, science teachers, college teachers, etc. Call a local company that's likely to have electrical engineers and ask them if you could e.g. post a note about needing a mentor in their company rag. When you get a contact, make sure you write name and phone number down, then use them to make other contacts. You need to learn how to network. I'll bet you'll find some retired guys who wouldn't mind helping you.

 

[crutschow]

If you want to do your own kit, buy one of those plug-in breadboards, such as this, for experimenting with the simple stuff. It's a lot easier than soldering it together.

You should also consider learning how to use a Spice circuit simulator such as LTspice which is free from Linear Technology. It's great for learning how circuits operate without having to actually built them. It's also useful to verify that a circuit is likely to work before you built it. You just create the circuit schematic with the program and then simulate the circuit directly from the schematic. It takes a little effort to learn how to use but they have a good tutorial and instruction manual to help. It's well worth the effort.

 

[DerStrom8]

I recently saw one similar to what KISS suggested, and I was very tempted myself! It had a breadboard that could fit several uCs, along with LEDs, pots, 7-segment display, meter, etc on the side. I unfortunately didn't have the money, so I don't think it's very likely that I'll be able to get it anytime soon.
I found this picture of the one I saw:
**broken link removed**
(Sorry guys--Didn't realize it was so big! )

It is VERY tempting, so if you have the money, I say GO FOR IT!! I envy you
Regards,
Der Strom

 

[eddie6675]

Ya know come to think of it, I did happen into a man at Unicorn one day who was quite helpful. He's building a life size semi autonomous r2-d2. I'll bet he can steer me rite! He'll hopefully have his work on display at the speedy fest in Binghamton next month. Thanks squishy36...good thinkin'! And Derstrom8, That's the one I'm still thinking about buying; I still would like to build something similar. But I better do some reading and lurking for a day or two. I just got back in from the shop and with in 5 minutes I gathered 10 red matching LEDs, a box full of potentiometers, the digital uhh....thing switches buttons ..wow never realized my dad had so much stuff! I also found a copy of electronics for dummies at the library. Good start for one day.. So far It's just cost me 5 miles of gas money.

 

[DerStrom8]

I just got back in from the shop and with in 5 minutes I gathered 10 red matching LEDs, a box full of potentiometers, the digital uhh....thing switches buttons ..wow never realized my dad had so much stuff!

Okay, I've just got to say it: I'm so jealous! I wish my dad had left me with that kind of stuff! The only thing he left was a bunch of rusty old metal and some cleaning fluid

 

[eddie6675]

lol. My dad in his day built what seemed like hundreds of things the Timex Sinclare upgrade kit was just one I do remember being his pride and joy until Toyota gave him an old IBM they were going to throw in the dumpster. I still have that computer and it runs windows 3.1 and some ancient form of Linux lol. I'm 34 now and he's still alive but not really interested any more. He did however get exited to learn I'm learning this skill, instead of just sticking with mechanical stuff. That's so easy to me it's become boring. This is a nice fresh challenge! Oh.... I down loaded spice for Ubuntu. they seem a little tricky but I think once I get some practice with the software It seems like a real nice tool.

 

[DerStrom8]

Yes, Spice is very useful when you need to know what a circuit will do. One of the best

I used to have an old laptop (a Toshiba, I think) that ran Windows 3.4. Screen was in black-and-white and everything!
It didn't last very long, though. I eventually tore it open and robbed it of its components.