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From a retired electrical engineer and former electronic circuit designer: Excellent video!! Especially about using breadboards, learning to read schematics, and using data sheets! Those are the key first steps. I started out using 555 timers, too. They are very handy for experimenting with logic circuits. Excellent introduction!

If you start, as a youth, teaching yourself electronics you will be miles ahead of the competition for the rest of your life. It's never to early to learn! I too started learning electronics by tearing into radios people had thrown out before I was a teenager. I made a secure and interesting career in electronics and now at age 81 I keep my tools and test equipment to do practically anything, but mostly I repair antique radio and hi-fi equipment for fun.

I’m a 62 year old retired carpenter who studied electronics around 1982. Chose carpentry to make living but now I want to pick up where I left off in electronics. Saw your video and I am in.

Just getting into electronics after messing about with Arduino for years. Bit of a top down approach, but much easier than starting from scratch. Had projects that worked, now finding out the lower level nuts and bolts. Bit like studying grammar after you learn the language. Thanks for really helpful video.

You have tapped into a viable niche. Your intro at the beginning of the video about not needing college courses is encouraging to the growing population of self teaching enthusiasts. I wish you success in expanding your UKposts reach. I am subscribed and hope that you will stay true to the objective you laid out.

I have an Associates degree and a BSEET in Electronics. I regret that I never used most of my Electronics knowledge and pursued a career in firmware and software. Now, I design microcontroller circuit boards and I write firmware and software to bring my creations to life. I am much happier designing and building prototype circuits in a lab.

I've been working with electronics for about 30 years, and I started with these kits as well. This is one of the most honest videos on getting started. Thank you!

Yes, I think you would find many people do not know what they are looking for because they don't know what to ask. Therefore, developing something that would help a beginner (like me) would be incredibly useful and favored over time.

that radioshack kit really looks incredible and massively educational! i would DEFINITELY buy an electronics kit from you especially with that impressive thing as your inspiration! getting into electronics still as a noob, the whole "every kit includes arduino" thing had me really confused for awhile actually... i didnt understand why i needed that. thanks for going over these few things, they were more helpful to me than you might think

This has been exactly the path that I followed and after studying electronic engineering I stand out above my peers. Very good tips!

Great Video! I just started playing around and learning programming an Arduino for a self-made flipper project we do in school. Now I want to go deeper into the basics of electronics, because not only do I find it interesting it can be also beneficial for my apprenticeship I do rn. Glad that I found your channel and that your kit launches soon, so I can get a good beginners-set!

i started electronics in mr. pettibone’s ap physics class. he taught me everything i know

Well done! When I got started, I asked a lot of questions of my Dad. He answered what he could, but I soon discovered that Dad didn't know everything. ;-) Right after I got to that point, he came home with a book or two, authored by Forrest Mims III, the same guy who wrote the book you just flipped through. He is good at explaining so much for beginners -- if I remember correctly, he was self-taught, too, so that's the best perspective to have when starting. You've done a great job, and I hope your videos inspire many more people to learn basic electronics.

Started the same way in the mid 70's. Something like a 75 in 1 electronics kit. Looking back on that kit now it was very good at the projects that it had. I also took a lot of things apart, like model trains, radios etc. Good a taking them apart and testing how they worked, not so good at putting them back together, as my father would attest to, but he had no problem doing everything that he could do to send me to Engineering School.

Great advice - need to learn from the ground up. I'm back to electronics to pick up where I was a few years back... I used the 555 then and I've got to get back in to it again. Great intro vid. Thank you.

As a kid i pllayed with these lego style denshi blocks with contacts on all four sides for connecting to each other on a base that would hold them in place. They were clear plastic and anyone could understand how they work very easily. The blocks consisted of resistors, diodes, caps etc and you could arrange them in any way to make any simple circuit such as a morse code transmitter/receiver. It was called EX KIT 150 and was good fun.

I honnestly dont do electronics, nor im interested in it, just not my field. but seeing you being so cheered up about teaching it and explaining your past mistakes makes me happy :)

Not boring at all! I remember those Radio Shack kits and could never decide which one I wanted. My dad bought me a Heathkit AM radio kit that taught me how to solder, but in the end, it didn't work. My dad sent it back to Heathkit for troubleshooting. They added an obvious jump-wire with no explanation, but at least the radio worked. A friend of mine in high school very much wanted to be a radio broadcaster so he learned how to build a radio transmitter and built it from salvaged parts from old radios and TVs and such. No breadboard, he put it all together on an 18 x 20 piece of plywood. He had me run it from my attic bedroom and rode his bike around the neighborhood to see what kind of range and signal strength we could get. I love your idea to put together parts for a few specific projects to teach basic principles.

Just ordered, super excited for both myself and my kids.

You are a role model for electronics enthusiasts like me. Keep innovating for us.

You are an amazing fellow, thanks for getting into this, and showing us all its not to late to learn.

1:35 funny thing, I actually have that exact kit with two booklets {Basic Electronics Workbook 1 and Digital Logic Projects Workbook 2} inside that I got at a thrift store for around $10. thanks for reminding me of that kit...also just tested it, still works even though it had some battery acid in the battery compartment, Whoo! Hope you have a great day & Safe Travels!

Back in 89, My brother got a kit. This thing had Everything in it. Fighting all the time over it. That kit offered a lot more than now. We got books in the mail through the subscription that came with it. I too want to develop a kit, or even a store like RadioShack. Everyone in small town America, forced to ordering from amazon or driving a couple hours for common components. It makes me sick. Anyhow, keep the good spirits. God gives us everything we need, when we need it. It IS up to Me to use what He Provides. There is no better feeling, taking two things that don’t match, and make something “outside the box” and it works. No Higher Feeling of Success. Keep up Friend. God Bless.

Found your kickstarted via this video. I'm now a backer because it is exactly what I need! I don't want to get my son into programming quite yet, but he does have an interest in circuits. This is going to be a great resource for both of us. Thank you!

I got that exact kit as a birthday present when I was a kid. It was a really good kit and it's one of the reasons I went to college for EE. That and my grandpa teaching me some and saving electronics and appliances for projects until I was up there so we could disassemble things or help with a project of some kind.

I have that same Radio Shack kit. I just re-dug it out recently. I didnt dig too deeply in electronics, but every now and then I get the bug to fiddle around with an idea. I can follow along with Ben Eater well enough, but watching Uncle Doug re-bias a vintage tube guitar amp is pretty bewildering, but I get the gist of it. The kit is nice because so many basic components are built in..ordering small numbers of parts online isnt much bang for the buck, but having to buy 100x of somthing you only need 5 of is discouraging.

Thank you for making this video. Great video and right on about how to learn. Yes, someone should make basic kits like the old Tandy ones. I'd like to add that 'data sheets' are also called ' white papers'.

Putting together a basic kit is a very good idea, back in the day when I was first getting into electronics these kits were really common but as you point out now the only kits are microcontroller based which is way too complex for a beginner to learn any basics as it all needs to be highly modularised. The kit you showed was by far the best type. A bread board surrounded by input/output components. This is what your kit needs to be, just some way for beginners to simply test their basic circuits without any other test kit so it's nice and self contained. Those types of kits got me hooked and I ended up doing electronics at college and finally getting a degree and a career in electronic engineering.

You are wonderful! LOVE young-uns that LEARN stuff and DO something with it! Rock on!

As someone who has been obsessed with accelerated learning all my life, I think mentor-student relationship is one of the fastest. Personally I read through dozens of books on birds, fishes, trees, insects... but after using an app that lets you identify these species (acting as virtual mentor) my learning exploded. Of course electronics is different. But I can only imagine the immersive knowledge one has shadowing an electrician and what not. There are of course various routes to learning.

I teach high school electronics and I do bread boarding of transistor circuits, 555 timers and counters and op amps to name a few. I have lessons all day and it’s a tough gig with classes of 25 pupils all having their own breadboards 5 times a day. They enjoy it and learn a lot more than just soldering components to a pcb. I can cover so much more and they enjoy the fault finding as much as I do. You can’t beat the MAKE electronics books I even still use the cmos cookbook. I teach H bridges, logic and microcontrollers too: just starting out with the Picos doing physical circuits with them so it’s my next challenge. All my circuits are also built in circuit wizard a great package for schools.

I think there is another important point nowadays which helps for the understanding of electronics circuits a lot. This is circuit simulation. I personally use LTSpice since a long time, because it is very easy to use and very powerful. When I try a new circuit I start to build it up step by step in a circuit simulator and test its modules under different conditions in order to find out how they react on changes of operating parameter, how stable they behave. After this I go into breadboard testing in the same way. I build up the circuit step by step testing the modules before I let them interact with another. It helps also to think in functional electronics modules and their interaction with another. You can also learn on retroactive effects of modules.

I have no qualifications but I do have very recent experience! I dove into the world of electrical engineering headfirst about 3 years ago... started with a microwave and all of it's treasures! After about a year of frustration I took a hiatus, wondering how I'd ever rekindle the passion... Three weeks ago the simplest answer just hit me....basics! I kept assuming that it would all fall into place as I moved forward with the difficulty of the projects but it only made me realize how little I actually knew. TL:DR Great advice! I learned the hard way. I really want one of those RadioShack kits 😢

I think its a great idea, I would totally buy one. I've recently graduated in electrical engineering and I am currently developing a product and the entry level of electronics is so high it took me about a month just to get an idea of what to put on a breadboard.

Dude I had both the snapcircuits kit and the radioshack kit as a kid, still have the radioshack kit. I haven’t done anything with electronics in ages, but I’m getting back into it and it’s cool to see other taking the same route I did (even if I took the scenic route)

Man I tripped over this video. I now build robots and like you, I have been self taught. Now to do robotics you have to know electronics. In my time I bought and studied from courses and kits from Heathkit. Sadly now they are gone, but their approach of theory and build made me learn very quickly. This is an excellent video, and you hit on many points that are very important and necessary for all beginners. KEEP UP the great work you are doing. By the way my all time favorite ic is the 555, and I have about a hundred in my lab!!

Thanks my fellow lab friend this was good insights from someone who truely wants to grow and learn! EDIT: I just wanted to add that its a great video for the begineers simply because its overwhelming when starting any new hobby and to have direction on getting started properly to me is a most needed foundation.

As a high school electronics instructor I had my students use the Chaney 33-In-1 Deluxe Electronic Kit. Experiments 1 - 11 in Grade Ten. Activities 12 - 22 in Grade 11. Activities 23 - 33 in Grade 12. As a forty year shop teacher, instructional materials do not get better than this. Thank goodness I kept one set for myself. Breadboarding fun where you actually build some neat electronic circuits. Really good stuff. Yes, my students would build and engineer some pretty serious stuff as well. We took seventeen medals at the Skills Canada electronics competitions in twelve years. This Chaney stuff is excellent teaching/learning material. Was I connected to the factory ? Only in the way I would regularly purchase stuff for the shop.

Great idea! Very little available like this nowadays; it would be a fantastic educational tool for any age!

Thankyou this is great guidance for me as a beginner. The kit you've devised sounds cool. I'd love one.

I wasn't even searching and your video popped up I've been interested in electronics for a while now, please build the kit I'm sure many people will benefit from it.👍😎💖🔥💯

Thank you so much for posting this excellent video, yes what a shame the old school radio shack projects companies have long gone, we need to 'Build' A time machine 'Back to the future' and grab a few bargains from their stores, as would prove very handy esp with a hands on approach to proper learning and assimilation of the entire process of each of the individual components relative to one another, please post more cool videos, Much respects. 🙂

I’m just now stumbling onto this video and as a freshly graduated electrical engineer, I think I would’ve done much better in my classes if I had a kit like you’re describing! I don’t think I ever heard of a 555 counter until now, which is pretty sad considering the many uses it seems to have. I would definitely buy that kit if you ever actually made it

1:40 - IT REALLY DID CHANGE THINGS. I buy and donate computer stuff to a local it place. A few moths ago they showed me the ratioshack kit and I immediately fell in love . I have learned so much since then. When I was a kid I had the snap circuits and I totally agree that it’s very limiting and doesn’t really explain what you’re doing. Great vid

I bought a pi4 because i enjoy open source code for lights and automation. But I started out in elementary school helping the radio shack owners kid because I came into the shop so much. Ended up fixing 20 inch crt tv's in the shop with them. Curiosity drove me, and those radio shack kits with smoking transistors taught me a lot about current limits.

i've been loosely starting electronics back in ~2018 and its only now that I've been starting to take it more seriously (due to having more time). Being in my late 20s makes it a bit tougher to learn this stuff but its great, nonetheless.

This video was reccomended to me and I checked your newer videos and I’m very happy to see you made the kit :) I hope you’re still shipping them because I’d love to purchase one

Thank you for the content you get straight to the point I appreciate that

I received my AM TECh beginner's electronic kit. It's truly awesome! Quality, from the packaging to the manual, it's all top quality and easy to learn with. 👌

I love this video and agree 100% with your remarks. I started with Arduino, and although it is a great platform to learn about embedded systems and sensors, it is terrible for learning about circuit design. It abstracts too much away and allows you to get away with not reading datasheets or schematics. I didn't pick up those skills until college, which was a real problem.

Forrest M Mims. Not only an inspiration to learning electronics, but an inspiration in good penmanship, clear diagrams and the use of graph paper. His books are gold. For those who didn't see, the Radio Shack kit's book is written by him, he's also written a book "getting started in electronics" which is IMHO by far, the best beginners guide ever written, even for young audiences.

My dad got this kit for me instead of a games console for my birthday. I was petty and never touched it. Now, many years later, I find myself wishing I had. In fact, I recently bought an arduino kit like the one you said not to get. Needless to say, my pettiness didn't pay off. I ended up getting into software, and that's where I work now, but my knowledge of hardware today could've been much greater if I had spent the time to go through that book and build those circuits. Granted, I think I was a bit young for it at the time, and I didn't get much help when I did try to play with it. I most likely have it somewhere CIB; I should dust it off and use it. Teach my children with it someday.

Just found your channnel and I ust wanted to say I appreciate your modesty and your approach. I've wanted to go into college since I was younger, now I'm 27 and it seems like it's too late. Thank you for keeping my head up for another day and for your ability to further peak my interests in electronics and (software) computing.

i got gifted that radioshack board when i was very young, wow what a blast from the past i even remember that book's font

I'm just getting started out in electronics, the reason I went for the arduino kit is most stuff today has some form of computer doing something, coffee machines read bar codes to know how much water to pump through for example so my thoughts were, these kits give me the chance to learn both building circuits using the bread boards and programming the arduino to make the project work, that's where my thoughts were when thinking about getting started. Great video though, being able to read a schematic was on my mind as well.

I would like a kit like that for sure been looking for one for a while

Excellent video! Loved it! I’m trying to learn how to make Hulda Clark Zappers and it’s so frustrating. I’m now watching lots of electronic videos and this one is on top. And yes please make some kits, I’ll buy one in 2 seconds.

I started off with arduinos and learned more than I could ever imagine, I was told to buy one from my mentor who has been an electrician for over 40 years and trust me it does work

This video is just what I've been looking for. I'm mechanical trained but want to get started with electronics and honestly had no idea where to begin. This is exciting and I think I'll get my 12 year old daughter involved from day one 👍

Very informative and some great tips. Thanks for sharing.

Young man you are very well spoken! Great things in your future

WAYYYY back in the 70s I got the Radio Shack 150 in 1 Electronic Project Kit. Unfortunately it did not contain a breadboard. It did have a great representation of common components and a wide array of projects. I eventually became an electronic technician and though I left that for computers, and then something completely different, I still love to play with electronics in my model railroad hobby. I'm trying to learn Arduino programming now. I do agree, Arduino kits, as great as they may be, do not teach electronics. Good like with your kit and thanks for the video.

I'm 30 and just bought a used Radioshack electronics learning lab. I'm halfway through the firts book and really excited so far lml

How I started in electronics? Back in the early 80's, I would take walkie-talkies apart. And learn (go to libraries) which component was and what it did. I learned I could boost the range about 20ft.

Thank you for your advice. Kind of nice to know where to start when your a beginner. Thanks again!

You got a good point. Keep up the good work 👍

It is not just "easier" to teach yourself, it is essential.

Awesome video, and sure go ahead and make that kit, that may change lives! Thank you!

Getting into amateur radio is also a great way to get into electronics and you rub shoulders with others who will be able to guide and advise you in learning about electronics with a purpose. Whether you are making up a simple circuit or trying to repair something it helps to have others you can turn to who can pass on their experience & expertise.

I had that as a kid my uncle got it for me i remember making an led circuit and couple other projects

As a teenager I took electric shop in high school and we built real stuff and I know I learned a lot. We built real vacuum tube circuits and it turned out that a lot of vacuum tube had transistor equivalents. The transistors I first used were pnp. The positive battery terminal became circuits ground.

wow best advice to get started i have heard thank you! i have those other kits... yes havent learned anything!

very good points! the thing of "few projects where you can learn a lot" is 100% true. Arduino, and its IDE, does indeed separate you from actual electronics.

For anyone finding this now, the perfect youtube tutorial and breadboard kit is Ben Eater's 8bit breadboard kit, and includes 3 variations of the 555 timer for creating a computer clock signal.

When I was a little girl in the 90s I had a little book that taught about simple circuits. That toy of yours is awesome.

From another just retired EE. I think you are giving good advice. I would add finding projects to breadboard involving transistors and fets as well as IC's. A good source for such projects would be older electronic magazines from the 70's say, and project books. Most used book stores have a section where you can find electronic project compilations. One title is "400 ideas for design" taken from electronic design magazine 1965 -1970 . Another is "Encyclopedia of electronic circuits". The titles I mention are a bit dated, as they have tube circuits as well as solid state, and tube circuits are perhaps a bridge too far for modern learners. (in the 1960's when I was a kid learning electronics tubes were the thing, mostly). One of the funnest circuits I ever built as a kid was a super het receiver based on a single tube from a 1950's popular electronics magazine. Learn how to bias transistors and make them amplify, oscillate and switch. Also learn about basic test equipment. Learn how to use every feature on the voltmeter. Get your hands on an oscilloscope and learn how to look at digital signals and measure frequency and amplitude of sine waves with it. Get radio receiver kits, and learn about radio and antennas. The soft rock line comes to mind. Also as you point out, software is not electronics, its logic. Of course microcontrollers are all over electronics. There is hardly a product I was involved in since 1979 (I got my degree in '77) that didn't have a uC somewhere. So while microcontrollers are part of the electronics world, building projects with them doesn't have much classic electronics in them. PS you are spot on about data sheets. Learn how to read data sheets. Another clue... when on an interview and you are asked to comment on a schematic placed in front of you look for the title block, usually in the lower right.

I had one of those 101 project kits from Radio Shack as a kid and still have of their blue circuit books. I did learn how to read a schematic and etch copper board.

555 timers are the best! I did a few breadboard projects. And then decided I was fluent enough to start messing around with AC. Anyway, I basically shorted the house and dad knew exactly who was responisible. Thankful for breakers and that was the end of my practical experience.

I think you know what your talking about! Good job!! Keep up the good work!!!

My first circuit board was an electronic software for the Commadore 64 SX (around 30 lb laptop).

Boy I'm glad I clicked on this. I totally agree about the arduino statement, I'm glad you said that.

I grew up reading every little book written by Forrest Mims. I bought them from Radio Shack from the 70's to the present. I still have them today. I highly recommend them.

I totally agree with that approach.

I like your idea of the kit. I encourage you to put something together

This is a great way to solve the problem of current kits

heck yes, thanks. Great video!!

First time in my life, i subscribed after watching just one video. Great information

i started by pluging a multimeter to the AC 240V right after I bought it and turned the wheel, it made BOOM and I had to buy a new one and start from batteries and learn how to use multimeter :)

I had a 200-in-1 Electronic Project Lab that was a gift for my 8th birthday, and absolutely loved it. Pretty sure I destroyed all the capacitors and ICs through trying to experiment. A couple of years ago I wanted to try and have another go at learning electronics for real and I remembered seeing the '300-in-1' version of the same kit. As luck would have it, (at least here in Australia) you can get the '300-in-1 Electronics Project Lab' by Maxitronix which seems to be almost identical to the one in your video. I'm still only just dabbling as I get sidetracked easily but I figure if anyone wants something like it, it's still available :) I'll be checking at the AM Tech kit too :)

I am listening , thank you, subed, and can't wait to dig into your channel!

Dude! This wasn't boring, it was just what I needed to hear. Yeah, I have started with the Arduino Super Starter Kit, and it IS so cool. But you are right, I look at videos and there is so much I don't get. You mention the 555 timer. I've heard of it so many times and I still don't get what is the deal. You got a new subscriber. :-D

Hey I learned a lot from your video. I understand it was three years ago- and the video was not boring. I am so interested in electronics now. My background is a Millwright Construction worker, but I my dream is to make electronic charging stations, and market them. I'm super interested in one of those kits. The video was good super inspiring!

Yep I have that RadioShack breadboard kit. It was totally worth it. I made a bigger one with a better power supply and that had both analog and digital gauges. Great kit tho.

You can modify a fork to fit perfectly into a wall outlet. Use this trick to trip the circuit breaker and you won't have to guess which one you're on. That's how I got my start!

Good video you identified good circuits that will build on other projects...identify your list of top 10 or 25 that are most common...

Those are great tips, and that is a really nice kit! I agree, a kit's book needs some form of datasheets. You mostly have to self learn how to find and read datasheets these days, which is very confusing for beginners.

Great information. Good going.

I started out in the last days of vacuum tubes. An old guy who served as a radio/electronics guy in the Marines during WWII started showing me around in the vacuum tube world. I was about 10 years old. Since I had no education on the subject, semi-conductor theory was hard for me to understand. Then, I found a manual that explained it differently. I started working on TV's, Radios and everything electronic. As the years went by, I ventured into the PDP series computer world using dumb terminals and punch tape. When cheap home computers came to be, I bought my first Commodore 64. I started writing BASIC and assembly language programs, but it had to be --- I joined the PC world, then industrial electronics and PLC's which was a combination of everything I had learned so far. Until this point, I had never had any official education (except for PLC's). I was already into my career when I got certified in UNIX and WINDOWS servers, Email servers, firewalls (using UNIX) and ancillaries. I trained on UNISYS and IBM AS/400 mainframes and on and on. I am retired now, but I still "pittle" around with PLC's and Computer systems. I have a thing for 555's and 4017's as well for the old 2n2222. I still have most of my old equipment including my old Tektronix Oscilloscope and Fluke meter. I also have a sh** load of IC's, Horizontal output transformers, chokes and capacitors. I'm '67 and still truckin! I highly encourage you who read this to learn all you can in electronics and beyond! You will never be bored -- I promise. Note: @jamesclark6382 reiterates first things first.

I started electronics by soldering things together. Nowadays I first design the projects on paper, then on computer, then on a breadboard and then on a pcb.