I love building electronic kits, and there is a long tradition of kit building among people who tinker with electronics, including amateur radio operators, that goes back almost 100 years.
That tradition continues today with products like the replica computers offered by B
I love building electronic kits, and there is a long tradition of kit building among people who tinker with electronics, including amateur radio operators, that goes back almost 100 years.
That tradition continues today with products like the replica computers offered by Briel Computers and amateur radio kits from companies like Elecraft.
Despite predictions that surface mount technology and the reduced emphasis on electricity and electronics in education would mean the demise of kits, the popularity of kit building has grown in the last ten years or so, as part of what is now often called the "maker" movement.
While kits have differing levels of complexity in terms of the number of parts involved and effort to assemble them, it seems to me that there are four fundamentally different levels of kit building.
Let me expound my theory, which I think is original if not particularly insightful.
Level 1: Assembling From Pre-built Components or Modules.
Kits at this level involve assembling pre-built components and mechanically connecting pieces together but doesn't involve any soldering, or if it does, just simple soldering of wires and connectors.
I've heard people talk about "building their own computer" and more often than not they mean building one at this level -- taking a commercial motherboard, case, and power supply, and connecting them together into a working computer.
Examples of this category include the pre-assembled Apple Replica 1, the Arduino embedded controller or the Elecraft K3 amateur radio transceiver.
|An Arduino Embedded Controller|
This can be a good way to get started in electronics and build up confidence before you are ready to pick up a soldering iron.
Level 2: Building a Commercial Kit
The next level involves assembly of a kit that requires soldering as well as mechanical assembly. You need to be able to solder competently and identify electronic components. You don't need to understand the circuit being built and don't need expensive test equipment although a Digital Multi Meter (DMM) is very useful.
The kit may include a professional case, power supply, etc. or may leave it up to the user to provide these.
The Heathkit company was the premiere source of kits of this type for many years and was renowned for the quality of its manuals and the professional look of the kits when assembled.
Briel Computers and many other companies offer similar kits of this type.
|An Assortment of Heathkit Equipment|
Level 3: Building From a Provided Design
The next step up is to take an electronic design, such as one described in a magazine or book article, or possibly as little as a schematic diagram, and realizing it as working device.
This involves finding and sourcing all th