150 in one

Electronic Project Kit [ +zoom ]

I mentioned a trip to the thrift store on Sunday.

I tend to walk past the clothes and head to the back wall with the yellowed appliances and stacks of tattered Harlequins. The junk.

To my delight I found one of these electronic project kits for 2 bucks. Score.

I always wanted one of these growing up, but I had to prioritize and got the markers and colored pencils instead. That is why I turned out to be a designer and not an engineer—that and I’ve no mind for math.

I just read in someone else’s journal a talk about making major changes in the middle of one’s career:

“You are standing on the edge of a huge abyss; the unkown. And then you jump. And then you see it wasn’t an abyss: it was a threshold.”

Heavy duty, inspiring stuff.

I suppose I can be an engineer after all.

For now however, I’m going to focus on the immediate future: a hat full of chocolate unclaimed by trick or treaters. I should explore professions in the candy industry.

10 responses to “150 in one”

  1. erik Avatar

    I had one of those!
    However, I wish I’d actually tried to understand the book that came ith it instead of just obediently following the wiring instructions.

  2. Blaine Kendall Avatar

    I had one of these as well. I’m not sure if this is one of the factors that made me grow up to be an engineer, but it must have helped. But I also hated my electrical courses…hmmm.
    I loved this “toy”, but sometimes it was so frustrating to wire up an elaborate project only to have a loose wire somewhere and not be able to find it. My sister hated it cause I would wire up the “whisper2000”-like listening project and listen to her from afar. Or I created the tripwire alarm system and rigged it to her bedroom door. Good laughs.

  3. sis Avatar
    sis

    saw this on your site and smiled…we just got rid of one of these not that long ago…they are sweetttttt…ttys love ya

  4. Thomas Avatar

    Wow! I had the exact same set growing up. I think mine had a quartz radio tuner with it as well? Hopefully you where able to locate the manual with some cool projects. Awesome find and great pictures as always!

  5. Raybob Avatar

    Had one, too. Sadly, I left the Electrical Engineering curriculum my second semester of my senior year. Liked software design and documentary photography much better.

  6. Kate the Great Avatar

    Engineering. I wish I had the mathimatical aptitude for that field. Then my bills would be paid, I’d have a house and I wouldn’t be in debt.
    But I am a wordsmith, and so that’s what I do.
    String words together until they make sense, at least to me.
    Now chocolate, I could get into that business big time…

  7. A.J. Avatar

    it’s true… i recently was pushed into one of those thresholds.
    when i was growing up i wanted an easy-bake oven, had to cook with my easyshow projector instead.

  8. angie Avatar

    i’m with you on passing the clothes at the thrift store. get me to the junk! ;o) glad you scored with this and the leftover chocolate!

  9. john blue Avatar

    I still have my 150 in 1 kit. My son (age 6) gets it out and always wants to make the light alarm for his room:)