A few questions

Edukits EDU01
#1

Hi, I received an EDU01 kit for Christmas but am an absolute beginner when it comes to electronics.

I managed to complete the first basic lighting an LED project without any difficulty but am now struggling on project 2.

Is this kit intended to be used with other learning material? I appreciate space is limited in the booklet but it doesn’t really clearly explain the fundamentals to a beginner how this circuit is supposed to work. E.g. the last line of “how it works” is “R3 will prevent the transistor for unwanted functioning”. That line doesn’t make much sense to me. What unwanted functioning?

On the diagram there is a curved arrow to the left of a jumper wire then a finger between the two. I’m assuming you use your finger across the two wires to complete the circuit. Here is a really stupid question though. I’m using the supplied flat cables. I’ve cut two strips to create the jumpers. Surely the grey covering is an insulation material and I need to strip that to expose bare wire in order to make the circuit? Like I said, a stupid question but the booklet doesn’t specify that the insulation has to be removed, only that the wires should be seperated before use. Looking ahead at the other projects, I’m assuming the wires can be used with the insulation in place to avoid any shorts?

Jumping ahead to project 4, there is mention of the 0,5m supplied wire. I’m assuming this is the loop of black wire provided rather than one of the flat cables and I will need to strip the ends before use.

Jumping ahead to project 10, there is mention of 2 wires to place in the cup of water. Is this the same 0,5 black wire as used in project 4 (it doesn’t specify 0,5m here like it did for project 4 hence my confusion)? If so, as only one is supplied, is it intended that this should be cut in two or am I missing a wire?

Like I say, I’m an absolute beginner so no doubt my questions are somewhat stupid but thought it better to ask before making a mess of it by stripping or cutting wires where I shouldn’t.

Many thanks in advance for your help.

#2

Re: EDU01
Hey Doyden! I too am a newbie and like you, I also started with this kit this Christmas. Concerning project 2, I used the solid wires in the resistor package…otherwise I believe that you will have to remove the insulation from the jumper “strips”. Also, in project 4, the supplied 0,5m should probably read 0.5m which is 1/2 meter. And yes, you will need to strip the wire at both ends. I should be working on project 10 tomorrow and as I have briefly scanned ahead, I do believe that we need to cut that black wire. I must agree that the manual might be somewhat ‘rough’ for square 1 newbies.

Isn’t it great to be asking these newbie questions though when knowing fully well that if you put your heart into it…won’t be too much longer and we’ll be able to hang with the Radio Schack dudes!!!

Hope Everyone is enjoying their Holidays…and hope Santa left you all with nice soldering stations and big magnifying glasses!!

#3

Hi WizOfOzz and thanks for the reply from a fellow newbie!

I’ve been completely engrossed in this all afternoon. Each session with the kit swallows hours of time in the blink of an eye. I’m loving it!

Re the solid wires. That serves me right for not completely inspecting every supplied component beforehand as I’d not even noticed that the strips of resistors contained a couple of solid wires. I will use those for project 2 rather than stripping the insulation on the flat cables.

I’ve since completed project 3 and 4. Out of the two, 4 was the easier circuit to understand. I think I’m 90% of the way towards understanding how the astable multivibrator works in project 3.

I’ve found the Android app EveryCircuit very useful in understanding how these circuits work as you can see by way of animation as capacitors are charged and discharged and how the switching of transistors affects the current.

#4

Hey Mr D!..and Happy Holidays to you also!

Likewise, I am truly excited about the entire Velleman paradise. Last Sept I happened to turn 60 years young…and I guess around this age you just might reflect over all your past interests. But, through a very heavy curriculum of activities, other hobby interests, and work demands - you never gained the opportunity to explore the world of electronics! Having spent a good portion as a park ranger and hosting a computer related side business for some 14 years, I worked with several hundred computers…Design, construction, system configuration and installation. And how I was so intrigued with all those circuit boards! I always had the desire to learn electronic nomenclature, I guess now I finally have the chance to devote plenty of time!!!

I will check if that app is avail for the iphone, it sounds pretty cool.

Just a mention…I read somewhere very recently that if you read these 3 books you will be very well on your way to becoming an avid electronic hobbyist! I ordered all 3 and should be receiving them next week…“There Are No Electrons: Electronics for Earthlings” by Amdahl, Kenn
“Make: Electronics” by Charles Platt
“Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Building Robots” by Branwyn, Gareth

Funny how it all started out. I was looking into building myself an aquarium top/off system so as you may have time to take a small vacation. With salt water you are required to entertain 20% weekly water changes as well as eveporation add/backs. I figured a few electronic floats, a relay, a 12v power source, and a small aquarium pump would be kosher!..Sure enough my surfing led me to Velleman!!!..And the complete joke of it all was in the middle of the night on the puter with straining red eyes, I found an advertisement for the Velleman K8045 whereas you can really spice up your home project with an LCD readout incorporating 9 different triggered readouts!!! This was utterly fantastic!!!..and then when it arrived, I found out what the letter K stood for!!! Holy Crap!!!..Look at all those parts!!!..If you could only have seen my face!!
Well, I have purchased the Velleman soldering station, EDU01 and EDU05, looking forward to the other kits upon availability especially EDU03…since I’ve yet to solder!!!..I feel like a virgin!

Anyway, then I come across and received the Velleman K2639 Liquid Level Controller and WALLAH!!!so much easier for my aquarium!

Happy New Year

#5

Mr W! Happy New Year!

Thanks for the advice on the books. I’ll look them up. I received a copy of an “Idiot’s guide” for Christmas along with this kit so I’ll see how I get on with that first.

Like you I’ve been involved with computers for a number of years but as I’m a sucker for flashing lights, I think it was a UK action tv show in the mid 90s which featured lots of fictional gadgetry which first ignited my interest. At that time I made my first basic device which was nothing more than a couple of flashing LEDs in a box with a toggle switch which I stuck near my door to give the illusion of some kind of security device. Life gets in the way and you never get around to doing much else until earlier this year I watched that same TV series and was intrigued once more. I now finally have the time to get a lot more involved.

Thanks for your heads up on the wire in the resistor packet. I went back and completed Project 2 and have now just completed Project 5.

Here’s a question for you. As you seem much further on with the kit than me, did you have any issues with Project 5? With the circuit in place exactly as per the diagram, the LED was constantly on even with no light on the LDR. I used a multimeter to prove that the resistance was changing across the LDR depending on light levels so it didn’t appear to be a faulty component. What I did in the end was change R1 from a 10k resistor to a 100k figuring that there was too much current getting through regardless and activating the transistor. With the 100k now in place, the circuit acted as intended with the LED only lighting when there was sufficient light. So, either a misprint or maybe it is a faulty LDR?

Oh look - another 4 hours swalled whole by this kit! :slight_smile:

Happy new year once again to one and all

Any idea how to modify the circuit so that the LED lights when there is no light which would make more sense to me?

Also, do you know why a resistor is required across the base and emittor of the transistor on both Project 5 and Project 2?

#6

Happy to read you guys enjoy our edukits.
You’re correct, there is no space in the manuals to explain every tiny detail and sometimes, something that seems obvious is overlooked in the manual.
Keep posting your feedback, it helps us improve our products.

#7

[quote=“VEL417”]Happy to read you guys enjoy our edukits.
You’re correct, there is no space in the manuals to explain every tiny detail and sometimes, something that seems obvious is overlooked in the manual.
Keep posting your feedback, it helps us improve our products.[/quote]

Please with your kits, join an explanation about working principles and “un schéma de principe”

#8

I also agree that, sometimes more explanation is required ‘why does it happen so?’ For example, why does burglar alarm work when the cable is removed, I have difficulty in understanding it.

#9

With something like the EDU01, there must be a balance between the number of experiments and the depth in which they are explained. They can’t ship a 500 page textbook with a product like that. You can find some details about using a transistor as a switch in very much that way here:

kpsec.freeuk.com/trancirc.htm#model

and here:

kpsec.freeuk.com/trancirc.htm#switching

Hope this helps.