[Elecraft] OT - kits for young kids?

[Wayne Burdick]

> ON4WIX wrote:

>> Today he asked me if I could teach him to build some stuff like he  
>> had
>> me seen build (or rather -  put together) so many times before.
>> Of course, considering his age soldering is still out of the  
>> question.

I built a Radio Shack "Science Fair" kit when I was 8 -- an eight-note  
electronic organ. I remember staying up until 11 PM to finish it, and  
it did involve soldering. I remember my dad checking up on me a few  
times. It was late but he could see I was motivated, so he'd just  
smile and let me continue working. Years later he told me he figured  
the future was in electronics, and I had played right into his hands :)

In fact this little kit may have launched both my electronics and  
music careers. When I finished it, I could tell that one note was out  
of tune. It was clear from the schematic that the resistors set the  
pitch of each note. I didn't really know about parallel/series  
combinations yet, but I experimented and got the note dialed in, by ear.

This is my long way of saying that perhaps your 7-year-old *can*  
solder. If he really wants to.

73,
Wayne
N6KR

P.S. This email was read and approved by my own 7-year-old son,  
Griffin :)