OT: Electronic project gift ideas

ewlsey · Dec 9, 2017

I'm looking for an electronics project for my 14 year old nephew. He's plenty old enough to do soldering and programming. But, I'm sure he doesn't want to get a PhD in electrical engineering to finish the thing.

So, what's out there that is suitable for a young man? I was thinking of something based around an Arduino. Maybe a simple rover or game or something he could build and then reuse for future projects.

I poked around the internet, but I've never used an arduino. I used the Basic STAMP chips when I was in college, but things have come a long way in the last 10+ years.

Any ideas?

Newman109 · Dec 9, 2017

Jameco in California has many such items.

rons · Dec 12, 2017

ewlsey said:
I poked around the internet, but I've never used an arduino. I used the Basic STAMP chips when I was in college, but things have come a long way in the last 10+ years.

They sure have. Arduino is 8 bit. The STM32-Discovery kits are 32 bit, and these have lcd display with a ton of i/o pins brought out to drive external circuits like relays, leds. etc. I think an intelligent kid in today's world would appreciate it. There are demonstration and example programs provided that run the display and other areas of the board. I have been going to ST Micro for seminars for years where they have handed these things out. I have both boards.

STM32F429I-DISC1 STMicroelectronics | Development Boards, Kits, Programmers | DigiKey

STM32F746G-DISCO STMicroelectronics | Development Boards, Kits, Programmers | DigiKey

Scottl · Dec 12, 2017

I would suggest pointing him toward any of the "maker" sites that sell various kits and let him decide what he wants to put his efforts toward.

FWIW MCM Electronics has a whole section with Arduino, various input and output modules, and protoboards and kits, all at very low prices.

kd1yt · Dec 13, 2017

Arduinos are fine but, to me, meh. Warp his mind a little (in good ways) with the magic of intuitively understandable analog with something with hot glowing devices and high voltages that will turn out some really nice sound, like this:
Class A SE HiFi Stereo Tube Amp 6V6/6P1P/6CC42, beginners DIY Project. PCB-Kit. | eBay Throw in a couple of basic but nice full range speakers with good frequency response and high db to watt sensitivity:
Visaton BG17-8 6.5" Full-Range Speaker with Whizzer Cone 8 Ohm He'll be the only kid in his school that can play his android or iphone music through sweet sounding throwback technology that glows in the dark- and that he really made himself. Along with building the circuitry and learning how it all works, he can make a cabinet of his own imaginings.

ewlsey · Dec 13, 2017

Sure. Maybe we can teach him the Charleston and he can dream of an end to Prohibition...

I think we'll stay decidedly solid state.

Search

Largest Manufacturing Technology Community on the Web

Search

OT: Electronic project gift ideas

ewlsey

Diamond

Newman109

Diamond

rons

Diamond

Scottl

Diamond

kd1yt

Cast Iron

ewlsey

Diamond

Similar threads