“I am not unhappy with this kit. This radio comes with instructions to set the audio amplifier at the Maximum level. Capacitor C21 does this. If you remove it from the circuit then the level is set at the lowest amplification and the radio works much better and without distortion. the tiny speaker cannot handle the higher setting so the radio will have too much distortion at the higher level. The instructions describe this modification,in the troubleshooting section, but it is not clear to the average builder. Remember DO NOT INSTALL C21 or remove it if you have already installed it.With this one change the kit is a great build. Enjoy.”
“I bought this little radio in order to refresh my kit building skills, however it would also be a great kit for a beginner. The kit comes in a plastic bag which is a little off putting at first, but most small parts are nicely laid out and labelled on strip of cardboard. Other parts come in smaller sealed plastic bags which helps to keep things from getting lost.The instructions are very clear and easy to follow. They include some explanation of component markings and theory behind the working of the radio. There is also a small quiz at the end.Testing instructions are included for each section, which are very helpful and very reassuring when they come out right (and useful in finding an error before moving on to the next section).Be aware that you will need a 9 volt battery. Also no case is included with the kit. My kit differed slightly from the picture in that instead of a blue reset button mine was yellow. Be aware too, that this is a very basic radio, it is mono, not stereo, there is no frequency display either. Tuning is accomplished by a reset button (which set the frequency back to 88 MHz) and a scan button which scans for stations.This could be a one day project, but it might be best to split it into two or more sessions, depending on your skill level and fatigue.All in all, buy this and build it. You'll learn a little, get a sense of accomplishment, and have some fun.”
“Bought this as an aid to teach my 8 year old son about electronics and technology. The instructions were clear and the components were clearly marked - he did the whole thing without any help and I soldered it up for him. He learned a lot and used the finished radio during his school presentation.”
“I ordered this product as project for me and my niece to work on during her summer break. I try to find different things to help round out understanding of the different hobbies out there. This one emphasized electronics, obviously, and it did a very good job introducing her to soldering. We worked on this project together, I used the hot pen and she brought the wire close to it to form the solder. This process worked well. I also had her finding the different markings on the integrated board that we were directed to find in the instructions while I found the piece we needed for that step.For the most part, this product worked out well but I'd make a suggestion to anyone buying this product. READ THE DIRECTIONS. I made the mistake of putting a piece in wrong the first time and ended up having to buy a new radio kit to try again. The second time I made a mistake with another piece but was able to de-solder it a little more easily; in both cases the issue could have been avoided had I paid more attention to the directions.In the end, I turned the radio on and my niece's eyes gleamed with pride as tuned to it's first station. She spent the rest of the day telling everyone she knew about how we built a radio. She wants me to order more electronic projects now which makes me happy because she has taken an interest in something she'd of likely never considered in the first place. This is a good starter project for anyone interested in learning a little about electronics.”
“I'm still a beginner. I started with the siren kit and moved onto this. The instructions are easy to follow. At first my radio didn't work. I noticed there was no power (no LED) to the board after connecting the battery. I reinforced the connections on the power switch /knob thing (the potentiometer) then finally it worked, I got power. In order to get reception I had to play with the 6-loop coil and spread it out a little. I live in a place with poor FM reception but I'm able to pickup the nearest station. I'm surprised how clear it sounds. I especially liked the detailed description in the manual regarding FM detection, audio amplifier, and RF amplifier. It's a lot to take in but allows the student to dig in deeper if you want to. I feel like I'm getting the hang of soldering and understanding components. Thank you Elenco!”
“The instructions are pretty clear and I consider this product shows a good approach to enhance the interactions between electronic products and users”
