Electronic beginners

Our learn to solder pack is the ideal low cost solution for teaching soldering in the classroom/after school club. The pack provides all of the parts and PCB's required for a class size of 25 and also includes a 9V battery for testing purposes. Each pack comprises; 25 x PCBs, 100 x 100 ohm resistors, 25 x LED's, and a 9V PP3 battery.

We have also produced a step by step guide to soldering, which covers; equipment, solder, tinning & cleaning, soldering in 8 steps, de-soldering in five steps, wire preparation, examples of good and bad solder joints, basic PCB repair, resistor information, LED information, full step by step build information for the kit, and how the learn to solder kit works. This guide covers everything that you might need to discuss with students and can form the basis of your lesson plan.

Using the kits and the step by step guide, each student will solder four resistors and one LED to their PCB before pressing it to the terminals of the 9V battery to check that their board works. Using the guides they will be able to examine their own work and troubleshoot problems. The battery pads on the PCBs have been shaped inline with the battery terminals on a PP3 battery making it straightforward to see which way around it should be placed on the battery.

Features:

• Purpose built PCBs that can be tested, once built, with the supplied 9V PP3 battery.
• Low cost classroom pack for 25 students.
• Easy build kit.
• Full teaching resources and step by step guides available for this kit below.

Contents:

• 100 x 100 ohm Resistors.
• 25 x Red 5mm Diffused LED - 275mCd.
• 25 x Learn To Solder PCBs.
• 1 x 9V Zinc Chloride PP3 Battery.

Dimensions:

• Built Height: 11mm.
• PCB Length: 31mm.
• PCB Width: 21mm.
• PCB Height: 1.5mm.

Requires:

• Soldering Iron.
• Solder.
• Wire Cutters.

Resources:

• Teaching Notes.
• Essential Information.

Build a computer desk lamp or ornament using this simple board. The board takes power from a USB port and the light can be turned on / off with the on board switch.

Features:

• Colour Changing USB Lamp Kit.
• The Colour Changing LED slowly cycles through a range of colours.
• The board takes power from a USB port and the light can be turned on / off with the on board switch.

Contents:

• 1 x USB Power Cable, 1m.
• 1 x PCB Mount Slide Switch.
• 1 x Colour Changing (Rainbow) LED.
• 1 x zero Ω Resistor.
• 1 x USB Lamp PCB.

Dimensions:

• PCB Length: 44mm.
• PCB Width: 16.5mm.

Requires:

• Pliers.
• Soldering Iron.
• Solder.
• Wire Cutters.
• Wire Strippers.

Resources:

• Build instructions.
• Teaching resources.
• Autodesk files.
• 3D CAD Files.

Note:

• This kit requires soldering.

This easy build bike light kit has just ten parts, making it a good introduction to electronics. The kit uses two ultra bright red LEDs, which flash rapidly, providing a highly visible light. Making it ideal for use as a rear bike light.

Alternatively it can be used as a night safety product or flashing eyes.

Features:

• Easy build kit making a great introduction to electronics.
• Great visibility for night time safety.

Contents:

• 1 x 2xAA Battery Cage with Leads.
• 2 x 470K Resistor.
• 1 x 33R Resistor.
• 2 x Capacitor, Electrolytic, 16V, 10uF.
• 2 x BC547 NPN Transistor.
• 2 x Red 5mm Water Clear LED - 30deg - 1000mCd.

Dimensions:

• Length: 48.5mm.
• Width: 25.5mm.

Requires:

• 2 x AA Batteries.
• Soldering Iron.
• Solder.
• Wire Cutters.

Resources:

• Click here to download the essential information
• Click here to download the full teaching resources
• Autodesk Files.
• 3D CAD Files.

This easy build bike light kit has just ten parts, making it a good introduction to electronics. The kit uses two ultra bright red LEDs, which flash rapidly, providing a highly visible light. Making it ideal for use as a rear bike light.

Alternatively it can be used as a night safety product or flashing eyes.

Caution:

• This is an educational kit and should be used in conjunction with a commercially available bike light.

The LED torch uses a white 5000mCd ultra bright LED. Power is supplied by an N size 12 volt battery, which is included in the kit. The torch comes complete with a slide on off switch.

With just four parts the kit makes a great introduction to electronics.

Features:

• Easy build torch kit makes a great introduction to soldering.
• Ultra bright torch.

Contents:

• 1 x N Size Holder.
• 1 x N Size 12V Battery.
• 1 x White 5mm Water Clear LED - 15deg - 5000mCd.
• 1 x 680R Resistor.
• 1 x PCB Mount Slide Switch.
• 1 x White LED Torch Project Kit PCB

Dimensions:

• PCB Length: 79.5mm.
• PCB Width: 15mm.

Requires:

• Soldering Iron.
• Solder.

Resources:

• Click here to download the essential information. 
• Click here to download the full teaching resources.

This light activated kit is also available as a temperature activated project kit. The output of this board can be used to control other electronic circuits, turning them on automatically when it goes light or dark.

The board has space for an LED with current limit resistor (both available separately) which will light when the output turns on.

The Darlington pair transistor configuration allows an output current of up to half an amp to be controlled. Operating voltage 3V to 12V (lower voltages allow for better adjustment of the switching point).

Features:

• This Light Switch Kit detects the brightness of its surroundings using an LDR.
• The kit acts as an automated on/off switch (light dependable) for many devices.

Contents:

• 1 x 47KΩ Potentiometer.
• 2 x BC337 NPN Transistors.
• 1 x Miniature LDR (Light Dependent Resistor).
• 1 x 220Ω Resistor.
• 1 x Light Activated Switch PCB

Possible applications include:

• Garden light that switches on automatically at night.
• Draw alarm, which sounds when a dark draw is opened.
• Line following robot (using 2 light activated boards).

Dimensions:

• PCB Length: 53mm.
• PCB Width: 25.5mm.

Requires:

• Soldering Iron.
• Solder.
• Wire Cutters.

Resources:

• Build Instructions.

• Teaching Resources.

Note:

• This kit requires soldering.

With its low part count this easy build timer project makes a good introduction to electronics. The timer uses a resistor capacitor network to provide a time delay of between 1 second and 4 minutes, which is set by the PCB mount variable resistor. When the button is pressed the LED changes from red to green, then at the end of the time interval it turns red.

Features:

• Easy build timer kit.
• When the time set has been reached the LED changes colour.
• The time delay can be adjusted via the variable resistor.

Contents:

• 1 x 2AA Battery Cage.
• 1 x 47Ω Resistor.
• 2 x 10KΩ Resistors.
• 1 x 1MΩ Potentiometer.
• 1 x Capacitor, Electrolytic, 10V, 1 mF.
• 1 x BC558 PNP Transistor.
• 1 x Tri colour 5mm diffused LED - 650mCd.
• 1 x 6mm PCB Mount Tactile Switch 9.5mm Height.
• 1 x Easy Build Timer PCB

Dimensions:

• PCB Length: 54mm.
• PCB Width: 26mm.

Requires:

• 2 x AA batteries, available separately. Alternatively it can be powered by our easy build coin cell power board.
• Soldering Iron.
• Solder.
• Wire Cutters.

Resources:

• Build Instructions.
• Teaching Resources.

Note:

• This kit requires soldering.

This kit uses a silent low current motor to spin a fan, making it perfect to circulate air through an air freshener containing potpourri or it can be used to move a light weight buggy. The electronics take no power in standby and when the switch is pressed the motor spins for up to 100 seconds. This time is adjustable via the on board variable resistor.

Features:

• Silent motor.
• Adjustable timer.

Contents:

• 1 x Battery Holder With Leads (2x AA).
• 1 x 1K Resistor 5%.
• 1 x 1M resistor.
• 1 x PCB Trimmer 1M POT.
• 1 x 16V 220uF Electrolytic Capacitor.
• 2 x BC547 NPN Transistor.
• 1 x Miniature Push to Make Switch, Red.
• 1 x Low Inertia Solar Motor - 1820 RPM.
• 1 x 55mm White Four Blade Miniature Impeller.
• 0.5m Connecting Wire.
• 1 x Air Freshener PCB.

Dimensions:

• Length: 46mm.
• Width: 28mm.

Requires:

• 2 x AA Batteries.
• OR 1 x Easy Build Coin Cell Power Board.
• Soldering Iron.
• Solder.
• Wire Cutters.
• Wire Strippers.

Resources:

• Click here to download the essential information
• Click here to download the full teaching resources

This kit is supplied in a grip seal bag.

This temperature activated project kit is also available as a light activated project kit. The output of this board can be used to control other electronic circuits, turning them on automatically when it goes hot or cold.

The board has space for an LED with current limit resistor (both available separately) which will light when the output turns on.

The Darlington pair transistor configuration allows an output current of up to half an amp to be controlled. Operating voltage 3V to 10V (lower voltages allow for better adjustment of the switching point).

Features:

• The Temperature Switch Kit detects the temperature of its surroundings using a thermistor.
• The kit acts as an automated on/off switch (temperature dependent).

Contents:

• 1 x 47KΩ Potentiometer.
• 2 x BC337 NPN Transistors.
• 1 x Thermistor.
• 1 x 220Ω Resistor.
• 1 x Heat Activated Switch PCB

Possible applications include:

• Babies bath over temperature indicator.
• Automatic fan.

Dimensions:

• PCB Length: 53mm.
• PCB Width: 25.5mm.

Requires:

• Soldering Iron.
• Solder.
• Wire Cutters.

Resources:

• Build Instructions.

• Teaching Notes.

Note:

• This kit requires soldering.

Learn how to harness the energy of the sun in your Electronics and Design and Technology projects with our new Solar Power Starter Kit. With this kit it is possible to build a simple solar charging and power supply system for a variety of useful low power devices.

As of 2017, renewable energy accounted for more than 25% of energy produced in the UK for the year. Environmental targets are such that this is set to increase year on year. Solar power is already a key player in the renewable energy market and there is the potential for it to grow much larger still. It has been estimated that covering just a fraction of the Sahara Desert in solar panels would provide enough electricity to power the energy needs of the whole world!

The Solar Power Starter kit itself is a simple kit to build and understand. Once the kit has been set up and placed in direct sunlight the batteries will begin to charge. If the light level is insufficient to facilitate charging, the diode prevents any of the charge held in the batteries from discharging back through the solar cell. The supplied switch enables you cut power to the kit that you are powering for greater recharging efficiency.

If used with the included Kitronik LED Desk Lamp Kit, for example, fully charged batteries will provide light for up to 17 hours, more than enough for a little light reading.

Note:

• This kit requires assembly and some soldering.
• The kit does not contain any connecting wire, you will need to use wire like Multi-stranded Wire.

Features:

• Harness the energy of the sun and add simple solar charging and power supply to your low power devices.
• Learn about renewable energy and how simple it can be incorporate into your designs.
• A Small Signal Schottky Diode is supplied to protect against accidental discharging of the batteries through the solar cell.
• Examples of Kitronik kits that can be used in conjunction with the Solar Power kit are;
• 2155 5V LED Desk Lamp Kit-Included with the Solar Power Starter Kit.
• 2157 FM Radio Kit V2.0.
• 2165 Mono Amplifier Version 3.0.
• 2162 USB Fan Kit.

Contents:

• 1 x 5.0V 130mA Polycrystalline Solar Cell.
• 1 x BAT41 Signal Diode.
• 1 x SPST Toggle Switch.
• 1 x 5V LED Desk Lamp Kit.
• 1 x 3x AA Battery Holder with Flying Leads.
• 3 x Rechargeable AA Battery (1300mA/h).

Solar Cell Dimensions:

• Length: 58mm.
• Width: 110mm.
• Height: 3mm.

Requires:

• Soldering Iron.
• Solder.
• Wire Cutters.
• Wire Strippers.
• Multi-stranded Wire.

Resources:

• Datasheet.

This kit can be used to make a shed or room alarm when mounted on the top of a door, drawers or any other object with a moveable opening. It can also be used by replacing the micro switch with a magnetic door contact.

A micro switch acts as a trigger mechanism and is armed / disarmed by a separate sliding switch. The door's movement is detected by a micro switch mounted onto a door or object with a lid. A timer provides an entry delay during which the system can be disarmed by the slide switch, whilst a separate timer silences the alarm after two minutes. Both of these timers are implemented via a 556 dual timer IC.

The alarm can be further enhanced by using a simple key switch for arming / disarming or by replacing the micro switch with a magnetic door contact switch to activate it. The board, battery pack & buzzer can be placed into a box designed by the student.

Features:

• Can be enhanced with a key switch to arm/disarm.
• Can be enhanced by replacing the micro switch with a magnetic door contact switch.
• Entry delay for disarming.

Contents:

• 1 x PP3 Battery Clip Lead (Heavy Duty).
• 1 x 4xAA Battery Cage with Clip.
• 1 x Miniature DPDT Slide Switch.
• 1 x NE556 Dual Timer IC.
• 1 x IC Socket 14 Pin.
• 1 x Piezo Buzzer (with Drive).
• 4 x Capacitor, Ceramic, 50V, 10nF.
• 2 x 100uF Cap Low Leakage.
• 3 x 10KΩ Resistor.
• 1 x 220KΩ Resistor.
• 2 x 1.2MΩ Resistor.
• 1 x Micro Switch with Medium Lever.
• 1 x Red 5mm Diffused LED - 275mCd.
• 1 x 330Ω Resistor.
• 1 x Alarm Project Kit PCB.

Possible applications include:

• Adding an alarm to a cookie/biscuit tin.
• Adding an entry alarm to a door.

Dimensions:

• PCB Length: 51mm.
• PCB Width: 41.5mm.

Requires:

• 4 x AA Batteries.

Resources:

• Click here to download the essential information.
• Click here to download the full teaching resources.

This kit is supplied in a simple grip seal bag.

Note: This is an educational kit and should not be used to secure anything of value.

Build you own DIY "Sun Jar" with our Solar Garden Light Kit. is an interesting project that uses sustainable energy to illuminate a white LED. During the day the solar panel charges an AA battery, then when it goes dark the board automatically switches from charging the battery to illuminating the LED.

The solar panel is resin encapsulated and therefore waterproof. You will need to make a waterproof enclosure for the rest of the parts. Alternatively the board has been shaped so that it will fit into an old jar.

Features:

• Waterproof solar panel.
• Automatically switches on when dark.

Contents:

• 1 x Solar Cell (60mm by 60mm).
• 1 x Rechargeable Battery 900mA/h.
• 1 x 22ohm Resistor.
• 1 x 330ohm Resistor.
• 1 x 1Kohm Resistor.
• 1 x 10Kohm Resistor.
• 1 x 100Kohm Resistor.
• 2 x 1nF Ceramic Disc Capacitor.
• 1 x Wide White 5mm Water Clear LED.
• 2 x BC337 NPN Transistor.
• 1 x AA Battery Holder, PCB Mounting.
• 2 x 470uH Inductors.
• 1 x BAT41 Diode.
• 0.5m Connecting Wire (For Solar Cell).
• 1 x Solar Garden Light PCB.

Dimensions:

• Length: 56mm.
• Width: 44mm.

Requires:

• Soldering Iron.
• Solder.
• Wire Cutters.
• Wire Strippers.

Resources:

• Click here to download the essential information
• Click here to download the full teaching resources

This kit is supplied in a grip seal bag.

This kit uses a single AA battery holder into which the user places a battery. LEDs then illuminate to show the remaining capacity of the battery. The circuit uses a quad operational amplifier to provide a reference voltage and comparators to determine which LEDs should go on. This makes it a great kit for studying operational amplifiers.

Testing of the kit can be performed using an adjustable power supply.

Features:

• Displays battery charge level with 4 LEDs.
• Great for showing how operational amplifiers work.

Contents:

• 1 x PP3 Battery Clip Lead (Heavy Duty).
• 1 x 3xAA Battery Cage with Clip.
• 1 x LM324 Quad Op Amp.
• 1 x IC Socket 14 Pin.
• 1 x 1N4001 Diode.
• 4 x Red 5mm Diffused LED - 275mCd.
• 1 x 680Ω Resistor.
• 5 x 220Ω Resistor.
• 4 x 22KΩ Resistor.
• 1 x 100KΩ Resistor.
• 1 x 1xAA Battery Cage with Leads.
• 1 x Battery Tester PCB.

Dimensions:

• PCB Length: 68.5mm.
• PCB Width: 38mm.

Requires:

• 4 x AA Batteries.

Resources:

• Click here to download the essential information. 
• Click here to download the full teaching resources.

This kit is supplied in a simple grip seal bag.

This is a versatile relay board kit that can easily be configured via jumpers and trimmer potentiometers to do a range of tasks.

Most sensor and switches can be connected to the input of the board and the trigger level set for the input device. This can be inverted if required, then there is the option to feed this straight to the relay or a timer of up to 25 minutes can be used. Irrespective of the state of the invert jumper whenever the sense LED goes from off to on the timer restarts.#

The board can run off any voltage from 4.5 to 6 volts.

The output cans switch DC or mains.

This datasheet details what the board does and how to use it along with some worked examples. A more detailed set of information including the build instructions & how to configure the kit can also be downloaded.

Click here to download the full teaching notes

WARNING: Using mains electricity can be dangerous and should only be attempted by qualified electricians.

This kit includes:

• 3 x 100Kohm resistors
• 3 x 220ohm resistors
• 1 x 47Kohm resistors
• 1 x 1Mohmpotentiometer
• 1 x 10Mohm potentiometer
• 2 x 1N4001 diodes
• 2 x 5mm red LEDs
• 1 x 100uF capacitors, electrolytic
• 1 x 4.7uF capacitors, electrolytic
• 1 x 2N7000 n-channel FET
• 2 x 2 way terminal blocks
• 1 x 3 way terminal blocks
• 1 x LM324 operational amplifier IC
• 1 x 14 pin IC holder
• 2 x 3 way pinstrip
• 2 x Jumpers
• 1 x Relay
• 1 x Relay board PCB

PCB dimensions: 86.5mm x 49mm.

This kit is supplied as a pack of parts and requires soldering.

The Kitronik Deluxe Rear Bike Light Kit is easy to build kit and is an excellent way to learn about the very popular 555 timer IC. The kit uses four ultra bright LEDs that can be operated in two modes; constant and flashing.

A key design aim of the kit was that it should conform to all relevant British Standard measures. Both the flash rate and brightness conform to British Standards for vehicle road lighting (2005), making it ideal for use as a rear bike light. Alternatively, it can be used as a night safety product or flashing eyes.

During testing we connected the kit to 3 x AAA batteries and ran it continuously. At 80 hours of continuous use the LEDs were still lit at full brightness. After 107 hours, although still lit, the brightness had dropped below the level at which you would want to use them. So, we estimate that with brand new batteries you could comfortably run the light for 2 hours of daily commuting for at least an entire month with the LEDs still at full brightness.

Features:

• An easy to build rear bike light project that conforms to British Standards for vehicle road lighting (2005) for both brightness and flash rate.
• Learn about the very popular 555 timer IC.
• The kit features 4 x bright LEDs.
• It has two operating modes; continuous and flashing.
• Its compact design makes it the ideal choice for designing custom enclosures.

Contains:

• 4 x Red 5mm Water Clear LED - 30deg - 9500mCd.
• 1 x On-Off-On Slide Switch.
• 1 x Capacitor, Electrolytic, 50V, 1uF.
• 1 x Capacitor, Ceramic, 50V, 10nF.
• 1 x 220K Resistor.
• 2 x 1K Resistor.
• 4 x 100R Resistor.
• 1 x BAT41 Signal Diode.
• 1 x 2N7000 N Channel FET.
• 1 x IC Socket 8 Pin.
• 1 x NE555 Timer IC.
• 1 x (3 x AAA) Battery Holder with pre-tinned flying leads.
• 1 x Deluxe Rear Bike Light PCB.

Dimensions:

• PCB Length: 52.6mm.
• PCB Width: 37.6mm.
• PCB Thickness: 1.6mm.

Video: https://youtu.be/KPPh7Nwa1ts

Requires:

• Soldering Iron.
• Solder.
• Wire Cutters.
• 3 x AAA Batteries.

Resources:

• Teaching Notes.
• Essential Information.