Great Electronic Kits That Light up the Season
Builds for yourself or as gifts
By: Robert Cong
Technical Copy Writer
Yes it's that time of the year to start shopping around for great gifts for the whole family. Or at least the budding engineer in your life!. Every year Jameco sees high demand for our seasonal do it yourself electronics kits.
| Kit Name (Part Number) | Product No. | Difficulty |
| LED Menorah (PN 2136542) | 080 | Beginner |
| Xmas Candle E-Badge (PN 2155305) | EB-XMAS-CANDLE | Beginner |
| Xmas Flower E-Badge (PN 2155313) | EB-XMAS-FLOWER | Beginner |
| Flashing Christmas Tree Kit (PN 147635) | MK100 | Beginner |
| 3D Flashing Christmas Kit (PN 211781) | MK130 | Intermediate |
| 60 LED VU-Meter Sound Star (PN 2128286) | MK172 | Intermediate |
| 60 LED Multi-Effect Star (PN 2128278) | MK170 | Intermediate |
| Riding Santa Sleigh kit (P/N 211764) | MK116 | Intermediate |
| Deluxe Christmas Tree kit (P/N 236072) | MK117 | Intermediate |
| SMD Christmas Tree (P/N 2150694) | MK183 | Intermediate |
Velleman MK100 Flashing Christmas Tree (PN 147635) |
Velleman MK130 3D Flashing Christmas Tree (PN 211781) |
Velleman MK183 USB SMD Christmas Tree (PN 2150694) |
We have kits for ages 9 to 99. Everything from Christmas trees to pumpkins and menorahs are available and ready to light up the night. All it takes is a little time and some simple soldering. For a bit more of a challenge, try the SMD Christmas Tree. Most kits are powered by a 9V battery or AA batteries, so there's no need to be near a wall outlet. It can be placed anywhere in your home, your office and even your car.
For a light kit that can march with the beat of the drum, check out the Velleman MK172 Sound Star. It has adjustable sensitivity and a microphone that will listen to the ambient sounds and keep the beat to music or any surrounding sound.
Another star kit with nice effects is the Velleman MK170 Multi-effect Star. It has a total of 24 different lighting effects including blinking, fading, static, and more. You can select which effect you want or just set it to play all of them. Create your own color combinations with the included extra LEDs.
 MK172 Sound Star Kit (PN 2128286)
|
 Velleman MK170 Multi-effect Star (PN 2128278)
|
If you want double the number of LEDs and twice the fun, then you will like the Riding Santa Sleigh kit or the Deluxe Christmas Tree kit, each with over 120 LEDs. These kits will surely brighten up the night and set the mood for a fun and festive season.
If you don't celebrate Christmas, maybe we can interest you in the Deluxe LED Menorah kit. It works the same way as a traditional menorah, without the wax and fire. It includes a pre-programmed microcontroller that lights up the correct number of "candles" with the corresponding night of the holiday. Also included are nine 10mm diffused LEDs, circuit board, acrylic stand, and all the necessary components (except the battery). You can now celebrate Hanukkah anywhere.
 (PN 236072) |
 |
These lighting kits are the perfect gift to not only build something together with a loved one, but build something that will last for many years to come. Spend some quality time with one another and enjoy the fruits of your labor by kicking back and gazing at the lights.
For even more kit-building fun, check out the wide variety of educational kits that will be sure to entertain and teach you something along the way. There are audio kits, robotics kits, power supply kits, and even alternative energy kits that bring futuristic ideas into today's everyday world. Build one of each to become familiar and knowledgeable in all aspects of electronics. Avoid the fuzzy sweater and give one or more of those kits as a gift.
Some of these kits and more are detailed in step-by-step instruction in our DIY Center.
Robert is a graduate from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in Electrical Engineering. He is originally from Lincoln Heights in Los Angeles, CA, and currently resides in Belmont, CA where he works as a Technical Copy Writer/ Product Manager for Jameco Electronics. His interests include sports, movies, music, and playing with cool, new gadgets.