Build Your Own Love Tester Kit
Test Your Love Quotient
By Kelley Nash - Jameco Product Manager

I'm not sure why I got assigned to build the Love Tester. But I thought it would be fun a Valentine's Day project... and it was.

This kit is designed for two would-be lovers to test their true love. Each partner holds one end of the PCB, join hands and watch the meter go.

Love Tester Kit
Jameco P/N- 2123928
Experience Level: Intermediate
Time Required: 1.5 hours

Tips/Advice:

  • The Love Tester is the most complex kit I've attempted so far. While LEDs are one of the easiest components to work with, there are only 10 LEDs in this project. It was those pesky other components that were a bit of a challenge.

  • Since this was the first time I assembled a kit involving ICs, I anticipated the soldering would be difficult. The sockets and the ICs are 18-pin and 14-pin which I figured would make it difficult to solder in such a tight space, but it was actually quite simple.

  • Double check to make sure you install the ICs correctly. Figure to the right of the instructions advises to watch the position of the notch on the ICs. There is a little half circle cutout on the IC which is placed directly above the same cutout on the socket. If the ICs were to be put in backward and the kit were powered on, it would cause the ICs to overheat and smoke. While some might view this as a sign there was no love connection, it would in fact just mean the IC was installed incorrectly.

  • The capacitors were tricky to get to stand up straight. Unfortunately I didn't really figure out a good solution, but I just tried to balance them as best I could so they'd sit straight.

  • I found it difficult to solder the battery holder wires. You almost need an extra pair of hands to hold them in place on the solder points while soldering them on. It's doable, but it took me a few tries.

  • When the kit is all finished, remember you need to hold hands with your partner in order to complete the circuit, otherwise the tester will not work. Also make sure your finger makes contact with the copper circle, as pictured below:

Test your love connection this Valentines Day with this kit from Velleman!

Don't forget to check out our other Valentine kit - The Flashing LED Sweetheart (P/N: 147555)


Kelley Nash graduated from Notre Dame High School in Belmont, California. She is currently living in Savannah GA and is planning on attending Armstrong Atlantic University to obtain a major in engineering.