Electronic Project Kits by Science Fair

	Sam's Toybox Homepage

Elenco Electronics currently makes 130-in-1 and 300-in-1 kits.

The Electronic Project Kits by Science Fair, a Tandy Corporation Company, were sold at Radio Shacks for decades. My first one was the 100-in-1 project kit shown below that I kept from my youth. I actually learned a lot with this kit and have introduced each of my three sons to the kits as they became the right age. Here are the three XXX-in-1 kits I now own: 65-in-1 kit - item number 28-250 - no date to be found, 100-in-1 kit - item number 28-220 - manual is copyright 1972, and 160-in-1 kit - item 28-258 - manual is copyright 1982. Below these kits are some individual project kits.

Lots of folks email asking if I could possibly make a copy of the manual for the 160-in-1 kit shown here. In 2003 or so a high school teacher from Texas emailed me saying he received five copies of the kit for use in his classroom but none had the manual. I made a page-by-page photocopy of my manual, made five double-sided copies from this copy and mailed them all to him. I also enclosed the kit from my personal collection, shown here, along with its original manual so he would have six working kits. So sorry, I no longer have the manual to make you a copy. Sam
The last picture is of the Integrated Circuit from the 1972 100-in-1 kit. Looks like something out of the stone age and yet it was state of the art at the time.


Above are three individual project kits from Science Fair, the AM-VHF Monitor Radio Kit, item number 28-163, no date to be found, the Lie Detector kit, item number 28-182 dated 1970, and the Crystal Radio, item number 28-207. The Lie Detector is a solid state kit where one must solder components to a printed circuit board. (AM-VHF Monitor Manual, Lie Detector Manual)


The Solar Power Lab kit is very similar to the project kits above but includes four solar cells to help power the projects. There are twenty-five projects one can build with this one. Catalog number 28-255 there is no date on box or instruction manual but I would guess the early 1980s.


Above is a very cool 20-in-1 Electronic Project Kit, though not from Science Fair. One must first build this kit by putting all the components and spring connectors into a cardboard "workbench". I found this kit at the annual Books are Fun sale at work. It is considered a book so has a publisher: becker&mayer!, and an ISBN number: 0-740-70331-5, and is Copyright 1994.


Above is an old Electronics Project Kit by an unknown manufacturer. Very much like the Science Fair kits above this one uses numbered spring connectors. The base is clear plexiglas and there are instructions for ten projects. Shown here in the box it game in, a vintage Salt Water Taffy box, the kit has no clue to date or manufacturer

Name:	Electronic Project Kits
Manufacturer:	Science Fair/Radio Shack
Vintage:	Early 1970s
Obtained:	Christmas gift, thrift shop, garage sale, eBay.
Other Links:	Lie Detector Manual - Scan of the original instructions AM-VHF Monitor Manual - Scan of the original instructions EVG's Project Kit Page - most (all?) that exist. Sparktron's P-Box Kit page - I had some of these too! Buy NNN-in-1 project kits by Elenco Electronics
Look for it:	Search eBay Auctions - Current Search eBay Auctions - Completed

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Contact me: Sam Cancilla, sam@samstoybox.com.

Last Modified: June 9, 2004