elleSmart 17 yo nephew is really into electricity and magnets. I'd like to get him an adult kit to mess around with at home, with circuits and such, for Christmas. Any good brands and kits you can recommend? Ty 🤗
Jenny Fx
Joe (TBA)I second this suggestion!
@ElleGray More specific might help narrow things down. By electricity, do you mean electronic gizmos? And there are some pretty cool magnet things available. There are things that use magnets to levitate the object. I've seem some pretty nifty things with magnets. Like a magnetic turntable for LPs (pricey) But other things like a globe of the moon floating a cm above its stand.
There are also robot kits that are fun to build.
Just a few ideas.
eri 
James Corey@ElleGray How much experience? Has he done kits before, projects, classes at school? Leaning more toward the physics, radio, or, say, computer circuits?
Even just beginner, intermediate, or advanced, is helpful.
I second the Arduino thing--very versatile and useful, can't go wrong. In terms of specific kits, maybe something like a USB button pad, or a 2D CNC pen plotter, or a cute light with a microcontroller and individually accessible LEDs...
@ElleGray Oh also, you have to check out Adafruit if you haven't before, it's just awesome N different ways.
timberwraith@ElleGray I had the predecessor of this electronics kit in the late 70s/early 80s and I had a lot of fun with it. There's not a lot going on there in regard to magnetism, though, other than the relay that is included. But, there's a lot to learn about basic electronics in this kit.
https://shop.elenco.com/consumers/electronic-playground-130.html
Electronic Playground 130
Start a great hobby in electronics. Spring coil connections make it safe and easy for anyone to use. Includes a detailed, step-by-step illustrated manual for easy construction. Comes with a built-in speaker, a 7-segment LED display, two integrated circuits, and rotary controls.
@ElleGray But also, check out that website for other kits. There's a lot of stuff there to peruse.
@ElleGray If you want to get a kit that requires a higher level of skill (soldering, for example) you can check out this website:
@timberwraith this looks perfect tysm 🤗
@ElleGray Sure! 😊
Camilla
Allyn@ElleGray
If you have a 3D printer, here’s a beginner level project that creates a magnetic levitation kit:
https://eu.store.bambulab.com/products/magnetic-levitation-diy-kit
You buy the kit
Print whatever design you like
Add LED lights
It’s powered by USB-C
Magnetic Levitation DIY Kit
The Magnetic Levitation DIY Kit features an innovative design that uses magnetic technology to make objects float smoothly in mid-air. Consisting of a base, float, and power supply, this kit creates a futuristic, tech-inspired ambiance, perfect for DIY enthusiasts eager to design custom desktop decorations. From floating collectible figures and moon lamps to unique 3D-printed pieces, your imagination is the only limit.
@ElleGray
There’s also a bunch of beginner level electronic kits here:
https://shop.pimoroni.com/collections/kits
There’s also a bunch of beginner level electronic kits here:
https://shop.pimoroni.com/collections/kits
Mallory's Musings & Mischief@ElleGray So, I guess are you thinking something like an Arduino that's programmable (writing code to make it work), or fundamentals of electronic circuits (using things like resistance, capacitance, inductance, etc to do interesting things)? Obviously there's a lot of overlap there, but there's a qualitative difference between writing code and soldering lol
@malcircuit fundamentals. Thank you 🤗. I don't even know enough to ask it right lol.
@ElleGray That's okay.
Maybe then something like this kit? https://www.sparkfun.com/sparkfun-tinker-kit.html
Or this
https://www.adafruit.com/product/3588
Basically, a kit with some basic components like resistors, LEDs, etc with a small breadboard and jumper wires. That way, you have to actually put a circuit together to do something interesting. More hands-on. Just an idea.
@malcircuit that's perfect. Tysm
@ElleGray Another idea is to get a book on some of the fundamentals of electronics. The Art Of Electronics is a classic of the genre.
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Electronics-Paul-Horowitz/dp/0521809266
@ElleGray A 17 year old is a little easier to shop for when it comes to basic electronics, because it honestly requires some math (algebra, trigonometry, basic calculus) to really understand how some non-trivial (anything that does something cool) circuits work, especially with respect to anything involving magnetism. A motivated kid at that age can figure it out, given the right direction. Younger kids are trickier.
rhempel@malcircuit @ElleGray That's a great book - but I think it might be a bit much for a 17 year old unless they have someone in their life that can help them when needed.
Are they into LEGO at all, specifically Technic or the PoweredUp sets? If yes I can recommend #Pybricks from PyBricks.com
nick@ElleGray Does he have tools? Parts come and go and get used up / burnt out but decent tools can last for decades.
If you want a "thing", check out those pseudo perpetual motion things which use hidden electromagnets, they're cool & there's pre-made ones or DIY kits in the usual places.
If they're interested in microcontroller sort of stuff I'd agree Adafruit are a good supplier but I'd look at their CircuitPython stuff instead of Arduino.
(obligatory disclaimer: I have indeed been paid to work on CircuitPython (and MicroPython) but a long time ago and this is just an honest opinion.)
Clark Breyman (he/him)@ElleGray - Haven't tried it but this is definitely on the experienced end of the spectrum. https://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/august-2010/do-it-yourself-cyclotron
zl2tod
PastaThief@ElleGray I have this and find it pretty neat: https://craftingtable.com/products/adventure-kit-30-days-lost-in-space
Number1SummerJam@ElleGray Maybe a set of repair tools? It’s a great way of exploring how electronics work and they’ll learn a skill that they can make money with!
https://www.ifixit.com/products/pro-tech-toolkit-refurbished
xmanmonk
ZahmbieND@ElleGray Several people mentioned Arduino kits, but I'd probably recommend an ESP32 kit instead. The ESP32 is a bit more versatile than most Arduino boards, with support for a few different programming languages like MicroPython and Scratch which both tend to be a little bit easier for beginners, rather than just the Arduino language (which is basically C++).
Most ESP32 boards support Bluetooth and WiFi as well, making it useful for things like wireless sensors or internet-based automation.
I'd also suggest a soldering iron, solder, breadboards, insulated wire, and resistors can be helpful if they're not already part of whatever kit you get. Those can help to make the wiring for a project more permanent, if he doesn't want to take it back apart to build something else right away.
Chuck@ElleGray Consider a Hackerboxes subscription? Get him the Soldering Workshop box for Christmas. I have no relation to the company just a happy subscriber and have done this for a couple of friend's children of similar ages.
satire@ElleGray when I was young my mom handed me a fork with bent prongs and pointed me to the nearest outlet
@ElleGray maybe a car battery
Kendal@ElleGray I recommend either purchasing materials for them or supplying the funds to build their own tesla coil or potato launcher (aka potato gun). It’s worth getting their brains in gear to search out online the tools and materials necessary. I remember taking my offspring on an exploratory mission to a geeky electronics shop for supplies. We had so much fun!
Mastodon Migration💯 Here is what you should get him:
https://digilent.com/shop/zybo-z7-zynq-7000-arm-fpga-soc-development-board/
If that is out of your price range, you should get him this:
https://digilent.com/shop/basys-3-amd-artix-7-fpga-trainer-board-recommended-for-introductory-users/
Getting a smart 17 year old into FPGAs can be truly life changing.
Basys 3 AMD Artixâ„¢ 7 FPGA Trainer Board: Recommended for Introductory Users
The Basys 3 is an entry-level FPGA board designed exclusively for the AMD Vivadoâ„¢ Design Suite, featuring AMD Artixâ„¢ 7 FPGA architecture. Basys 3 is the newest addition to the popular Basys line of starter FPGA boards. The Basys 3 includes the standard features found on all Basys boards: complete ready-to-use hardware, a large collection of on-board I/O devices, all required FPGA support circuits, and a free version of development tools and at a student-level price point.
Chupacabra 78704@ElleGray I just got a 1958 number 7 erector set with motors and all.
cathos@ElleGray i really loved building some ham radio kits from QRP Labs and qrp guys. There are several other small shops that make wonderful beginner-friendly soldering kits. Sparkfun and Adafruit are popular, but also catch a lot of flak. canakit and pimoroni are also pretty popular, and in addition to microcontrollers and such, they carry small soldering kits, such as clocks and audio amplifiers.
I'd lean towards something like this clock kit, because it has excellent assembly instructions: https://qrp-labs.com/clockn.html
But it does require a basic understanding of soldering.
Twoowls Elt 🦉 🦉
Extreme Electronics@twoowls73 @ElleGray Thankyou :) http://www extkits.co.uk :)
kauer@ElleGray when I was about 8 my Dad gave me a little suitcase, like a lunch box with a handle, that contained a bunch of insulated wire, lots of little springs, alligator clips, a big 6V battery, light bulbs, switches, electric motors, buzzers, electrical tape and so on. I still have bits of it today, five decades later. It was the most fun thing I was ever given as a kid. Not a prebuilt kit, just a mess of stuff he must have bought at a hobby shop or somewhere. Oh, and a book on electricity. I didn't make anything useful, but it taught me heaps about how things worked.
Phil Haigh@ElleGray I replied suggesting SparkFun or Adafruit yesterday but I suspect that you deleted and re-posted.