Community Quality: 3
(5=Most community) How much of a community is there around the kit? Are there builder groups, online forums, circles, and meetups? Is the kit used in class- rooms or after-school programs? Do the kit makers or builders have a presence at events like Maker Faire?
Mars Lander
If you want a more challenging project that takes shape with some real cutting and sanding, small manufacturer Semroc produces high-quality balsa rocket kit reproductions. The Mars Lander, originally sold by Estes in the 1970s, is a beautifully realistic-looking spacecraft with spring-loaded landing legs. You can also try their Saturn 1B ($78), a 1/70 scale re-creation of the […]
Bike Motor Kit
I was reading Boing Boing one day and saw a link to this bicycle motor kit, consisting of a 66cc two-cycle engine, drive mechanism, gas tank, muffler, and controls. The ad brought back kid-time memories for me, as I had dreamed of one day owning a Whizzer, the classic motorized bicycle. It was the only vehicle you could […]
South-Pointing Chariot Kit
Indie makers RLT Industries of New Braunfels, Texas, sells this lovely wooden model kit of the classic “south-pointing chariot” mechanism. Set the chariot down with the vane pointing in an arbitrary direction — south, north, whatever — and a geared differential connected to the wheels will keep it pointing the same direction regardless of which […]
Analog Geiger Counter
MAKE contributor John Iovine has been designing and improving affordable Geiger counters for decades. After Japan’s nuclear crisis last spring, his company was swamped with orders. Now they’re working on even better designs and DIY kits. This analog counter detects beta radiation above 36 kilo-electron volts (keV) and gamma above 7keV, signaling each radioactive particle detected with an […]
Energy Wiz
Aimed at kids 8 and up, this kit has real heart. Its 48-page workbook and components (solar cell, buzzer, two motors, LED, capacitor, copper rivets, pinwheel, etc.) take you through lessons and fun experiments that teach the basics: What is energy, as distinct from force? What forms does it take? How can it be converted […]
SunMod Remote Kit
Make Kit Reviews
SunMod Remote Kit
$18
Reviewed: November 3rd, 2011
Make Kit Reviews
SunMod Remote Kit
$18
Reviewed: November 3rd, 2011
In MAKE Volume 25, Sparkle Labs showed how to hack your TV remote control to make it solar powered. Just add a tiny solar panel and rechargeable batteries. It works with any AA- or AAA-powered remote. Now they’ve put together this easy kit: a flexible 4.8V solar cell with soldered leads and connector pads, and […]
IN12 6 Tube Nixie Clock Kit
Nixie tubes, beautiful relics of early computing, display their numerals with a quivery orange glow. Peter J. Jensen makes Nixie tube clock kits, and it was a joy to put one of them together, thanks to the clear step-by-step instructions and parts envelopes labeled with corresponding numbers. Jensen designed the clock and circuit board himself, […]
ArduiNIX ANX-1.0 Board
Old-fashioned Nixie tubes are beautiful, but driving them in a circuit can be complicated since they often require voltages as high as 250V DC. The ArduiNIX board for Arduino makes it easy to add standard clock functions to your next project. Just be sure to design an enclosure that will keep those high voltages safe. I […]
Chronulator PM2V
Alternative time-telling devices are compelling, but only if they’re easy to read. Building a kit can be satisfying, but only if it leaves room for creativity. The Chronulator clock kit fits the bill on both counts. Solder it together, and you’ve got a microcontroller-based clock that converts time to current, displaying hours and minutes on […]
Real Time Clock Kit
The Real Time Clock Kit Parts Bundle includes everything but the casing to build the PIC-based clock designed by Sparkle Labs and featured in MAKE Volume 09. Be sure to read the article for detailed explanations of how the PIC, Real Time Clock, and LED driver all work together to make a functioning clock.
