Electric Guitar Kits - Easier Than You Think

I wanted to build a guitar but knew I did not have the skills required to do it from scratch. That's when I turned to electric guitar kits. I found it much easier than expected and even more rewarding.
A guitar kit is a build it yourself construction project that at the end of you have a fully functioning professional quality guitar. Everything you need comes in the box and is ready to be used. Everything is designed to make it as easy as possible, even the holes and cavities are pre-drilled and there are no specialist tools required, you should already have all the necessary tools and if not a friend or neighbour will. You will require the following - Screwdriver, Coping saw or jigsaw, sandpaper (various grades), a craft knife and a wood file. That's pretty much it.
You may be asking the question. Why do we need a saw? Well most electric guitar kits come with a blank headstock to allow you to design your own shape and further emphasise that this is your guitar. The kit I brought had a headstock with three tuners on each side (holes pre-drilled). So to make sure my design was symmetrical, I found the vertical middle of the headstock and using a piece of paper drew just one half on the shape I wanted, traced it onto the headstock then simply flipped it over and traced it on the other half. Cut it with the saw and then finessed it with sandpaper until it was perfect and smooth.
There were a few things a was worried about before I even brought the kit. The first was the paint job. The body comes sanded and natural wood so the finish is up to you. Even though the body was sanded and sealed in the factory I found on my kit it was not a brilliant job so I chose to re-sand the body starting with a course paper and moving on to a fine wet & dry paper to really get a smooth professional look. I choose a navy blue colour to finish my guitar and I used an aerosol spray paint that I brought from my local car spares store. It took Four coats until I was happy with it, and then I gave it a further two coats of clear to give it a shine and protect the paint. I kept the headstock natural so just sprayed it with the clear to protect the wood. I could then attach the neck and body together which was simply a metal plate and four screws.
The biggest worry for me when I thought about building an electric guitar kit was the electrics. I was not confident about wiring the pickups, switches and knobs, so guess what, I didn't. The kit I had brought came with these all pre-wired I just simply feed them through the cavities in the guitar body and the job was done.
I plugged into my amp and was actually amazed to be playing something I had made and it sounded good. It really encouraged me to play more often and to get better. I will definitely be doing an electric guitar kits project again and really encourage you to do the same.

Chris is an avid guitar player who was so surprised by how easy and rewarding putting my own guitar together was. It really is a great way to get a guitar that is really yours. please use the links below to find more info on building electric guitar kits

The Fender "Strat" - The Ultimate Electric Guitar?

Is the "Stratocaster", Leo Fenders concept of a "working man's" instrument, the ultimate electric guitar? Just consider the roster of players: Buddy Holly, Hank Marvin, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Mark Knopfler, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and that's just a tiny number of "names". So Why nearly sixty years since it's introduction is the Fender Stratocaster still the most popular electric guitar in the world? (And the most copied!)
The Origins of the Strat are well known, it's inventor Leo Fender couldn't play guitar but had an inate understanding of the needs (and the problems) of working musicians. Leo had already introduced the Broadcaster/Telecaster in 1949/1950 and it was dismissed in some quarters as an "electric plank!" Leo was undeterred by the elitist attitudes of many and its initially poor sales.
The popularity of the instrument soon began to grow, it's space age look and name, it's blend of traditional and new materials were all major factors but it's subsequent enormous popularity is harder to pin down. It was a classic case of zeitgeist where mass production, innovative design and the parallel rise in the popularity of rock n' roll all came together, the Strat was no longer a tool but perhaps also a cultural weapon! It was cool, sexy and ever so slightly phallic (all factors that did not escape Jimi Hendrix!)
The truth is the Fender Stratocaster was and is hugely iconic, it oozes Rock N' Roll cred. More, much more then the right haircut, shades or a leather jacket the "Strat" endures!

Electric Guitar Effects Pedals - Using Guitar Effects Pedals With Keyboards - Improve Guitar Voices

Introduction
I recently read an editorial stating that although Keyboards are primarily used with computer DAW's, (Digital Audio Workstations) most musician users are in fact guitarists. However, for me it's the other way round as my problem as a keyboard player has been my inability to record guitar tracks, due to my lack of skill as a guitarist. As Keyboard technologies are developing continually, the Guitar voices on modern instruments are sounding more and more authentic. However, these voices still do fall short of the real thing especially when it comes to Guitar Rock solos.
Fortunately, with the advent of superb guitar software plug-ins and effects I can, with careful programming and canny use of the pitch and modulation wheels, use my keyboard to produce some pretty convincing guitar tracks when I am writing music or creating backing tracks.
Practical application for 'live' work
Using a computer on stage is impractical, so how can I adapt these new found skills in my 'live' work - and why should I need to anyway? The answer is Electric Guitar Effects Pedals.
But first, let us look at the Keyboard player's lot.
Hands up all those Keyboard Players who have struggled during a gig, to be heard over the Guitarist, whose only aim in life is to make your ears bleed.
Yep, thought so.
Also, having to provide piano, strings, brass, second lead etc., we tend to feel a bit unappreciated when the guitarist only has to play one power chord for all the males in a venue to roll up there eyes in ecstasy, and start playing 'Air Guitar'. Don't get me wrong, I have worked with some brilliant guitarists, but I have also worked with some whose only concept of balance, is not falling off the stage while totally wasted. So, back to my original question - why would I adapt my new 'keyboard/guitar' skills for live work?
No Band. No Guitarist
In my case, I also play as a soloist or with another musician in a duo. Both of these combinations have a rock influence, and as such, each requires those guitar licks and solos - but I don't have a guitarist. So I have programmed my keyboard to send the Keyboard guitar voices out via an assignable spare output and have connected that to a Guitar Multi-effects Pedal.
Many Keyboards now have spare audio output jacks that enable you to patch any voice on your keyboard via that output. This nicely separates that voice from the keyboards normal stereo output. I use a Yamaha Tyros for most of my live work, and My Korg M3 also has the ability to assign voices separately. By using a multi-effects pedal I have a wealth of Guitar effects voices at hand, and by connecting to a separate channel(s) on the PA the increased ambience and dynamics of the guitar sound is greatly enhanced to spectacular effect. Obviously, you could use a specific single Effects Pedal instead - e.g. Compressor or Overdrive pedal - to equally good effect. But personally I would go for the Multi-Effects Pedal.
The types of Keyboard Guitar Voices I use are generally the straight acoustic guitar voices which modify nicely with the Effect Pedal. I also use the clean electric guitar sounds as well, which are also very effective. Experimentation is the key.
When playing, make good use of your pitch and modulation wheels to imitate those pitch bends and vibrato techniques, and you will soon hear some pretty convincing sounds - especially during your solos. I would also add that using the Effects Pedals is not exclusive to your Guitar sounds. Assigning other voices through the pedal can produce some excellent results too. For example, try out the Hammond Organ sound with some distortion effects on your pedal - WOW - Deep Purple man. I know that all keyboards have their own inbuilt DSP (Digital Signal Processor) effects that you can apply to your internal voices, but diverting that sound separately through your PA via the Effects Pedal is really cool.
So, using my new found studio skills has now resulted in some great sounding live Guitar solos.
Conclusion
At a recent gig I had my first 'air guitar' player. Yes fellow 'Keyboardists', while playing the guitar solo to Thin Lizzys' Whiskey in the Jar, I looked up to see a guy - legs apart, eyes rolled up, actually standing in front of me 'THE KEYBOARD PLAYER', playing Air Guitar.
I had finally become a Guitar Hero. Well, the euphoria lasted almost until lunch the next day.
The thing is; as a Keyboard player, have I sold out? Do I even care?
Having an ego as big as any band member (yes, even the drummer), my answer has got to be. 'Darn it - if it works, don't knock it'.

electric guitar

Electronic Snap Circuits SC-300 Review

Every so often a truly educational toy comes onto the market with the potential to stimulate the imagination as well as the brain cells. Such a one is Electronic Snap Circuits by Elenco, and the SC-300 model includes over 60 parts which may be assembled to create more than 300 useful and exciting projects.

The SC-300 kit includes parts such as motors, sounds and lights and provides an opportunity to learn basic electronics through constructions that will entice eager young minds. These include real circuit boards, just like the ones found inside TVs, radios and computers. devices can be assembled by simply snapping the components into place on a plastic grid and connecting them with wire.

You can imagine some of the electronic devices that are possible when you consider that items provided include whistles, alarms, LED, a speaker and a fan motor. It's also possible to buy additional pieces to enable more elaborate projects to be undertaken.

Following the color-coded instruction manual, which has been designed for ease of use, projects such as a simple light switch or more advanced devices, such as a burglar alarm (noise activated) can be undertaken. The manual has been organized so that new users can progress from simple projects to more challenging and advanced ones.

As well, the different levels introduce electronics concepts so that the young engineers will not only understand the theory but see how the principles are actually applied. Diagrams assist with assembly and acquiring an understanding of how things work.

The kit is intended for children from about the age of 8 years to around 98 and those who participate, including parents, can be assured of a great deal of satisfaction as projects are successfully completed and demonstrated to work!

For instance, you can understand the excitement of building a flying UFO with the basic electronics pieces available, so it is a small leap to appreciate that young students will surely excite an interest in how electronics work and can be used for practical applications.

Naturally, those who are already studying electronics in their school classes will find that applying the theory is even more fun than simply reading about it in a text book. So don't be surprised if enthusiasm is fired and grades also begin to reflect this.

The Elenco Electronic Snap Circuits SC-300 is more than an educational experience - it is also a bonding one as interested parents get involved and contribute a little extra knowledge and encouragement. When new creations triumphantly emerge, could the parents of Tesla and Edison have been prouder?

Popular Microcontrollers

Embedded systems are not just complex projects in electronic laboratories--they are present in everyday devices. Every mobile device, electric toy or kitchen appliance has some electronic board which usually includes a programmable device--microcontroller. This is a special microprocessor with peripheral devices and I/O ports. Depending on the volume of the device the manufacturer can decide whether to develop an ASIC--a dedicated integrated circuit which performs all functions for this device or to make a standard board with discrete components. In both cases some microcontroller is used, either as a soft core in ASIC or a standard integrated circuit.

There is a plethora of choices from open-source projects to various IP cores with significant royalties for each device. Despite this choice there are few microcontroller families that are popular because of their flexibility, powerful development tools or because of historical reasons.

ARM

This is currently the hottest RISC core used in almost all mobile phones, portable devices and many other applications. It has powerful instruction set, low consumption, offers easy integration and there are many good development tools for easy development and debugging. The ARM core is also used in many popular microcontroller families from Atmel, Luminary Micro (now Texas Instruments), NXP and many other manufacturers. These microcontrollers are very popular among embedded engineers and are used in various applications from automotive industry to hobby projects.

AVR

This is one of the most popular microcontroller families from Atmel. It is also very popular among hobby engineers and it is used in many projects from simple LED controllers to complex communication devices. The RISC architecture offers fast execution and low power consumption. Development tools are available for free which is a great bonus for electronics enthusiasts. AVR is a direct competitor to Microchip's PIC. Some favor AVR, others like AVR. There is no clear winner. Both families work well. It is up to the developer/programmer what he like or prefers.

PIC

This is a leading microcontroller family from Microchip. PICs are available in very small packages with only few pins and also as powerful 32-bit microcontrollers with many peripheral modules and I/O pins. They are very popular among hobby engineers--in hobby projects you will find either AVR or PIC.

8051

This is a very old 8-bit microcontroller architecture that has managed to survive for more than 30 years. Many excellent compilers, a lot of code examples and simple development has contributed to the popularity of this family. This core is still used in many modern microcontrollers from Silabs, NXP, Atmel and many other microcontroller manufacturers. It is very likely that the 8051 is the most widely used core in embedded applications. Of course, many new designs will probably use ARM or some other advanced architecture, but because of popularity of the 8051 family in the past and availability of development tools it is still used in many applications.

Electronic Circuit Boards - Breadboard, 'Veroboard' and the 'PCB'

When you try to build a robot for the first time, you have to be an expert in electronics, mechanical and programming. Today, let us talk about or delve into the field of electronics. Did you know there is a subject called Field Theory, studied by Electronics undergraduates? Now, just for laughs, Field Theory is often called as Failed Theory. Yes, as scary as they sound, they are actually fine, these electronics when you can see them straight in the eye.

I believe many people think electronics is such a tough field because things are not so concrete at first. Power, current, voltage are things that cannot be seen by the naked eye, but yet very real. They do exist and serve us in somehow, invisible ways.

First, get to know what are the functions for each of the electronic parts. Be it the wire, transistor, resistor, capacitor, batteries, and so on. It is like building a castle. To build one, you will need every brick to support the huge castle. Just like life, it takes many experiences to excel.

Second, once you know about them, it is time to burn them. What I mean by this is, most electronic projects require assembling a particular board. This is due to electronics nature. Remember when I had told you about building castles? Well, in this case, burning is referred to soldering of the electronic components.

Only then, you will practice the skills applied in soldering and how to speed up. You will also go through what many electricians go through the first time they dive into this field.

Electricity Science Fair Projects

An electricity science fair project may be set up as a part of high school or college science fair or just for fun and learning. An electricity science fair project is aimed at demonstrating the major methods of generating electricity, its principles, applications and other principles such as chemical energy, electromagnetism, static electricity, resistance, etc.

For organizing an electricity science fair project, the students need three things:

1. They should have extensive theoretic knowledge of the projects they are going to build. For this purpose, they may have to consult books and encyclopedias.

2. They need the guidance and assistance of their science teachers or perhaps of external knowledgeable advisors.

3. They need certain materials like convex mirrors, reflectors, concave mirrors, insulators, conductors, light bulbs, fuses, wires, on-off switches, step-down transformers, holders, mazes, circuits, electromagnets, and many more. The pieces that they need for these types of experiments are sometimes hard to come by.

Nowadays, unlike years earlier, commercial ready-made kits are available that make the setting up of electricity science fair project easy. Though they cannot be used directly as project models, they can be used in specific electricity science fair projects. One can get basic or advanced kits for the projects, but remember, if it was available to you, it might be available to someone else. Duplicate experiments are not good for judges to see.

Some of the examples of electricity science fair projects are listed below, but are not limited to the following ones:

* Demonstrating the effects of electric fields on plants

* Carrying out experimental exploration of the photoelectric effect

* Carrying out experiments with electron diffraction

* Building models of a simple electrostatic motor, a wooden generator, a Van de Graaf generator, a wind generator, a water turbine generator, and demonstrating their operations

* Performing Faraday's "Ice Pail" experiment and explaining the mechanism of electrostatic induction

* Building an electroscope and demonstrating the existence of positive and negative charges and of two kinds of materials: the insulators and the conductors

* Demonstrating how lightning is produced

* Demonstrating how light is faster than sound

* Demonstrating the role of electricity in separating a mixture of salt, sugar and pepper

* Demonstrating static electricity with the help of the jumping effect on rice flakes kept on a tabletop

* Building a working model of an electric cycle, electric tricycle and an electric car and demonstrating the involved principles

* Demonstrating the way a hydroelectric plant generates electricity with the help of water.

None of the above-mentioned electricity science fair projects need expensive or rare materials, but instead, they simply require the relatively easily available ones. Moreover, any high school student can do most of these projects under the supervision of an elder, be it parent or a teacher.

Electricity science fair projects remind us of the fact that electricity is indispensable to mankind, and can provide a good segway for the student into a high paying career in the field of electronics or electricity.

Project Management - Choosing The Team

Because this is my area of expertise, I shall concentrate on defence electronics projects, but the principles can be applied to projects of any kind.

Managing a project is more than just the Project Manager, it's a team effort, particularly where large and complex projects are concerned. The first thing to do, therefore, is to choose your team but how do you decide who you need in your team.

First of all, there is of course, the Project Manager. This person will quickly scan the requirements of the project in order to decide who should be on the team.

In terms of defence electronics, there are a number of people who the Project Manager will always need on the team and these are:

Technical Lead or System Design Authority (SDA)

Commercial Manager

Finance Manager

Quality Assurance (QA) Manager

The SDA is the person who will be responsible for understanding and implementing the technical requirements of the project and for deciding what support he needs in terms of technical disciplines.

These could be any or all of the following:

Software engineers

Hardware engineers

Installation engineers

Test and Acceptance Engineers

Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) engineers

The Commercial Manager will be responsible for negotiation of the contract with the customer and for ensuring that all contractual terms and conditions are adhered to.

The Finance Manager will do much as the name suggests and look after the financial aspects, from pricing and devising stage payment plans, through to invoicing and all the myriad reporting requirements in between.

The QA Manager will ensure that all quality assurance standards are met and will be involved in witnessing testing and acceptance.

In terms of a very large project, the Project Manager will also need a Planning Manager and a Risk Manager, although for smaller projects, he will probably undertake these duties himself.

A project which involves bought in items of any kind will need a Procurement Manager on the team to deal with all aspects of supplier selection and management, together with price and sub-contract negotiation.

In the initial, bidding phase, of a project, both a Bid Manager and a Marketing or Business Winning Manager will be needed. The Bid Manager will plan the activities required in the time available and will be responsible for co-ordinating the actual writing, reviewing and submission of the bid document while the Marketing Manager will liaise with the customer. He will also concentrate on gathering marketing intelligence in respect of competing companies and consider the tactical aspects of the bid.

In our next article, we'll look at what happens, now that we have a team in place.

Electronic Body Music (EBM) - Influential Bands and Artists

Electronic body music, or simply 'EBM,' as it is usually referred to by fans, is an underground genre of electronic music that originated in the early 1980's in Europe. Today the genre's fan base remains centered in Europe, though it also retains a substantial following in North America, Japan and Australia.

EBM combines the attitude of industrial music with sounds borrowed from other electronic subgenres to create aggressive and harsh yet danceable beats and melodies. Kraftwerk is attributed with the creation of the term 'electronic body music,' though stylistically their music would not generally fall under the accepted definition of EBM today.

EBM has changed in many ways since its creation in the early 80's, though it has retained many of its original elements as well. Countless bands have contributed to the genre over the years; a few of the most influential ones are profiled below.

Front 242

Though 'electronic body music' may owe its name to Kraftwerk, no other band has done more to define the genre's sound than Front 242. Heavily influenced by electro-industrial acts of the 1970's, Front 242 was formed in 1981 near Brussels, Belgium and created a much more accessible and danceable sound than had previously been known in industrial music. The self-proclaimed 'fathers of EBM' - Front 242's sound is now often seen as the textbook example of EBM at its purist. The band has remained active since the early 1980s and its members have also participated in numerous side projects. In addition to having played a key role in the development of EBM, Front 242 is also one of the most well-known music projects ever to come out of Belgium.

Nitzer Ebb

Next to Front 242, Nitzer Ebb is one of the most influential EBM bands in the genre's history. The band started out in the early 1980s in Essex, England. More militaristic in their sound and imagery than Front 242, the band found a large following both in England and abroad. Nitzer Ebb broke up in the mid 90's but reunited for a world tour in 2006 and have since resumed recording of new material.

Combichrist

Originally formed in 2003 as a side project of the synthpop group Icon of Coil, Combichrist has since become one of the most well-known EBM acts of all time. Combichrist draws influences from techno and rhythmic noise to create hard-hitting tracks popular in EBM clubs around the world. More distorted than its predecessors, Combichrist has defined the modern sound of EBM.

In just a matter of a few years, the band rose from being relatively unknown to one of the most popular alternative electronic projects in the world, and has since played shows around the United States, Europe and Australia and even supported Rammstein on their 2010 tour.

Building Simple Electronic Projects Makes Learning Basic Electronic Theory and Skills Fun

There are two schools of thought when it comes to teaching electronics. The first school of thought is that it is important to develop a solid foundation in basic electronic theory before tackling any hands-on activities. The other school favors the hands-on approach that combines learning theory while conducting experiments and while building practical projects. Personally, I favor the latter approach and I have incorporated it in all the Adult Ed classes that I have taught over the years. Building simple electronics projects allows the student to see electronic theory in action, and it allows them to develop essential skills like soldering, disordering, working with pc (printed circuit) boards, etc.

Electronics is a hobby that the whole family can enjoy. Nevertheless, before tackling your dream project, you need to learn some basic theory, develop some practical skills, and build up your electronics workshop. One of the first skills you will need to learn is how to properly solder and unsolder electronic components because components and pc boards can be damaged if it is not done properly. Using excessive amounts of heat can loosen the copper traces on a pc board and destroy components like diodes and transistors. The good news is that soldering is an easy skill to master. Carl's AK-100 Learn to Solder Kit is one of those simple electronics projects that not only teach you how to solder, it teaches you another essential skill, how to read color codes, while building a working electronic siren. This kit also provides you with all the tools and supplies you will need to handle any basic soldering job that you will encounter in assembling any electronic kit. The good news is that it will cost you less than $20 and applicable S & H costs.

After you have mastered the art of soldering and after having added a professional grade 30-watt soldering iron and a pair of diagonal pliers to your tool collection, you are ready to tackle another project. Why not surprise your lady with a custom-built music box for Christmas. Well you can buy the box and then install the electronic playback unit that you have built from a kit. Carl's Music Box kit is another of those simple electronics projects that allows you to practice the skills that you have already learned while developing new skills and mastering new theory. You can select any one of a dozen romantic tunes for it to play when your loved one opens the box or you can set it to cycle through all twelve tunes. Again, you can build this kit for less than $20, of course that does not include the cost of the jewelry box that you install it in.

The fun has just begun. Enjoy your newfound hobby of building simple electronics projects. Carl's is just one o many online sources for electronic kits, tools, and supplies. A simple Google search will turn up hundreds.

Wendy Pan is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

Science Fair Projects Ideas Using Elenco Electronic Lab Kits

It is surprisingly easy and enjoyable for a student to create a science fair project that uses electricity. This article offers five ideas for great science fair projects using readily available electronic kits, such as Elenco Electronic Project Lab and Thames and Kosmos.

So why is it important for beginner electronics students to always use an electronic kit from a reputable brand, such as Ramsey, MadLab, Amerikit, or Elenco Electronic Project Lab? It is important because high-voltage electricity can be deadly without proper precautions, students can safely explore electricity with low-voltage electronic kits. Even at low voltages, electricity can be dangerous if not handled properly. Products like Elenco Electronic Project Lab avoid dangerous activities like soldering and use only battery power, which is much safer than AC power.

Another benefit of using electronics kits is they come with detailed instructions, which is very helpful for beginners. Before doing any experiments with electronic kits, students should read all directions included with the kit and follow those directions exactly. Improper use could result in fires, property damage, or even personal injury. Reputable brand name products like Elenco Electronic Project Lab include a lab manual with step by step instructions for every electronics experiment.

So here are a few ideas for projects. The simplest experiment with electricity might be an exploration of conductors versus insulators. A conductor is simply a material through which electricity will flow with little resistance; an insulator prevents electricity from flowing. This can be tested by creating a simple circuit with a battery and a light bulb. If a material completes the circuit, the light bulb will luminesce, indicating that it is a conductor. Most metals are conductors, while most nonmetals are insulators. Therefore, it will not be a surprise to see that silver and copper are conductors, while cotton and glass are insulators. However, you may be surprised by the results of lead (a metal) or graphite (a non-metal).

Depending on the requirements and the amount of time allotted for the experiment, another interesting and particularly applicable experiment would be an exploration of light bulbs. Which light bulb is the best value for the money? The student can explore the differences between brands or between types of bulbs (incandescent, compact florescent, or halogen). At the end of the experiment, the student can compare the price of each bulb to the number of hours the bulb burned. This experiment may require a closet or a room away from the bedroom, so that bulbs that remain on during the night will not awaken the family.

Another interesting and low cost experiment would be an exploration of temperature on the output (in volts) of a standard alkaline or dry cell battery. Another, similar variable would be the output of different brands of batteries (Energizer, Duracell, Eveready, etc.). If enough time is allotted for the experiment, the student can also explore the lifespan of a battery, and whether the battery will last longer if it runs continuously or if it is started and stopped on a regular basis. Any combination of these variables can form a fascinating hypothesis.

Part of the adventure of a science experiment is using imagination to explore a particular aspect of the world around us. Using this imagination, a student could explore a different application for an existing electronic device. For example, the student could investigate the possibility of creating a different type of clock that expresses time using lights instead of numbers. Similarly, the student could explore rewiring a low-cost radio to improve sound.

Creating a science experiment using electronic kits is a way for a student to explore a scientific hypothesis while still having fun. The hands-on style of science experiments is a particularly unforgettable experience. In the 21st century, career opportunities in electronics and technology are expected to abound. For many people, their interest in these industries begins in childhood with simple experiments with electricity!

Electronic Work Benches - Bringing New Technology to Old World Work Projects

Because it is a work where heavy tools are not involved, most people think that doing electronic repair or other kinds of electronic projects can be done in any type of table. That perception is absolutely wrong. You don't just do electronic projects on your dining table. For one thing you need to work on a place where you can focus. However, that is not enough. You also need to have an electronic work bench to do your job properly. But before you rush and buy an electronic bench, you need to take into consideration several factors that will help you find your ideal work bench.

Material
The first thing you should think about is the material and built of your bench. Wood is a great material for an electronic work bench. It is sturdy enough to hold many compartments and shelves where you can store your tools. Proper storage of your tools is important if you want to make your job easier. You don't want to delay your electronic repair work by searching your work area for a missing tool. So it is really important that your work bench is sturdy enough to accommodate spacious compartments.

Another great thing with wood is that it is not a good conductor of electricity. When you are working with electronic tools, chances are there might be instances when electrostatic discharges may leak from your tools. An electrostatic discharge can potentially cause electric shock, which is a very undesirable experience.

Yet wood is somewhat expensive. So you might just opt for an antistatic electronic bench made of fiberboard or gray laminate tops equipped with an earth lead for wiring into the earth circuit. These antistatic electronic work benches are not entirely made of fiberboard or gray laminate. To ensure that it will have a sturdy base, an antistatic bench may have legs, railings, or shelves made of aluminum or steel.

Size
The bigger, the better. Most folks say that. Sometimes, it is true. But when it comes to getting an electronic work bench, size depends on your workspace. If you have a large work area, then you can get a large electronic work bench. But if your workspace is already cramped, you should consider getting a medium-sized bench. Normally, a bench with a width of 39 inches and height of 30 inches would suffice.

Accessories
Of course, an electronic work bench with only its bare parts-legs, railings, and top-is incomplete. You also need to add drawers and shelves where you can neatly place your tools. You can put your most essential tools-such as anti-static equipment and testers-within easy reach if you have a nice top shelf installed on your bench. Things that you have finished working on should be organized in stackable drawers underneath the work surface. Since your work will require you to plug in several devices at once, you can avoid using annoying extension cords by having an outlet panel installed on your electronic bench. Other useful accessories are cupboards, top fluorescent light frames, rear service ducts, bench mats, and etc.

Cost
When searching for an electronic work bench, cost will be one of your top priorities. There are many online stores that offer brand new high-quality electronic work benches at bargain rates. If you are looking to save more money, then you can also buy a used work bench online.

Tools You Need For Electronics Projects

Assembling electronic circuits is a great way of learning electronics, and depending upon the project undertaken, a number of tools and components may be needed accordingly. However there are some basic tools and electronic components which are needed in almost all electronic projects and are a 'must have.'

The first thing to consider is the type of circuit board being used. The circuit board is what the circuit is assembled upon and connected. There are three main types of circuit boards - the breadboard, the stripboard, and the printed circuit board.

The breadboard is used for making temporary circuits and does not require soldering whereas the other two types are both permanent and require the parts to be soldered on to them.

When working on printed circuit boards or stripboards, the first tool that is required is a soldering iron. Along with the soldering iron, a solder stand, reel of solder, and solder removal wick would also be required.

In addition to the above, side cutters are required for trimming the component leads, and wire strippers for trimming the wires. A small pair of snipe nose pliers is needed for bending leads or holding small parts in place while soldering.

A flat blade screwdriver, heat sink, and electrical drill will also be very useful when working on electronic projects.

In addition to the tools, a number of electronic components are also required depending upon the project. A good collection to start with will contain capacitors, resistors, variable resistors, diodes, transistors, wires, switches, and a power source.

Having these basics will get you started experimenting with electronic circuits.

8 Recommended Electronic Kits For Science Fair Projects

Some of the electronic kits ideal for science fair projects are as follows: Snap Tricity kit, electronic playground, 300-in-1 electronic lab, electronic bell, lemon clock, radio AM/FM radio kit, Go electric, and car alarm simulator kit.

Science is full of mysteries that need to be discovered and explored. Experimentation is the sole solution to curiosity. Thus, a science fair, which is a common school event, is launched almost every year to allow children to discover things on their own. One of the most common things children love to research is electronics. Below are some of the good science fair project ideas such as:

Snap Tricity Kit

This is a good project that deals with magnetism and electricity. It has an instructional manual that contains a step-by-step procedure on how to go about the experiment. With complete parts, it demonstrates how circuits affect electricity and how magnetism is produced.

Electronic playground

Ideal for children 10 years and above, all the basics of electricity are covered such as voltage, current, antennas, transistors, and more. The cost is worth the knowledge because there are more than 50 experiments possible with just one piece of kit.

300-in-1 Electronic lab

For beginners, you will be amazed of the numerous experiments while using this gadget. This is safe even for children because no soldering is required. You can build a transistor radio, alarm, electronic game, rain detector, and so much more - fun and excitement awaits all the students.

Electronic bell

A fun way to learn simple electronic experiment is by discovering how a bell rings. It has its own motor, meter, and generator that allow a child to learn the mechanism of electricity the simple way.

Lemon clock

To discover nature's magic, you can generate electricity out of lemon fruit. At least 18 experiments can be made using this simple kit through the chemical reactions of the substances.

Radio AM/FM radio kit

Be a scientist in your own way. Learn how to make your own radio the fun and safe way. Children will surely enjoy doing the experiment because they get to tune in to their favorite station with just a quick set-up.

Go electric

Explore the world of electricity by learning the fundamental Ohm's law, amperes, fuses, and Mores code. These are essential if you want to create your own electric puzzle, light bulb, and the likes.

Car alarm simulator kit

Although this requires soldering, yet this is easy to install alarm that automatically gets activated once engine is off. It only uses a flash and LED, which is a cheaper way of deterring thefts.

Always remember that anything that involves electricity can be very dangerous. Whether these experiments are simple or not, utmost care must still be practiced to ensure safety of the students.

Brave New World - Integrated Layered Marketing - Hit Your Target Right Between the Eyes

The world is ever-changing. Yet, our history doesn't really provide us with the tools to deal with the kind of rapid change we now experience on a daily basis. From the first year A.D. until the early 1800's, the world changed - but very slowly. One generation lived pretty much like the last. Not until the industrial revolution did this trend of rapidly changing societies, technologies, mobility and wealth really take hold. Since the start of the industrial age, our lives have begun rolling at a break neck pace.
The world of marketing is no different. With the advent of the Internet, cell phones, and variable data techniques, marketing has transitioned from the subtle yet clever ad industry of the 1950s to the 24/7, everywhere you look, lifestyle of the new millennium.
I recently attended an event hosted by several Nashville based companies: Lithographics Inc., a high-end commercial printer; Emma, the web-based email marketing management company; iStockphoto, the Internet's original member-generated image and design community; FoldRite, the only dynamic, custom digital folding template creator for graphic arts professionals; and GossRSVP, a firm that helps advertisers turn print advertising into interactive advertising.
A refreshingly forward-thinking group of companies - and people - came together to show how their individual offers can be combined to create a powerhouse marketing strategy - how to, in effect, "Connect the Dots" of today's marketing tools.
They offered not only information on how each of their products worked, but with real world examples and ideas about how to bring these services together in order to take your marketing to the next level. The thought of layered, integrated marketing is exciting and scary too. It is a lot to think about, it can be overwhelming. Which is precisely why I appreciated this event; these five companies, each with a distinct purpose who decided that instead of trying to compete for clients, they would come together instead and enhance the services they provide by showing clients how this layered approach can work.
Even more than that, this informal consortium drove home the unmistakable point: The old ways of marketing, picking one avenue be it print, email or mobile, is simply not going to cut it in this new world. The most successful marketing campaigns will include all or most of these tools.
It all comes around to the same idea - if you want customers to find your product or service, you have to go where they are. Use to be, that you could advertise in the newspaper because most people read the paper, it was how they got their news. Or, you could advertise only on the most popular TV shows on one of the three major networks, because most people were watching one of those channels. Or, you could send out an email to a large yet targeting list and expect a decent return.
I would say most of these old ways no longer exist. Newspapers are disappearing as people now have a choice of hundreds of news outlets - the Internet, TV, mobile, etc. The average television viewer now has access to hundreds of channels, not to mention that with the advent of the digital video recorder, people are watching less commercials. And as for email, have you checked your inbox lately? Any emails not specifically requested usually end up in the spam folder or in the deleted file.
The myth is that people are now harder to reach...the opposite is in fact true. People are easier to reach, because they are "out there", they are connected. The challenge these days is to take those "targeting" lists and narrow them down even more. The challenge is not shooting a thousand arrows into the air and assuming a few will hit the target, but rather to zero in on those high-quality targets and hit them right between the eyes.
How do we do it? Layered, integrated marketing. It may look something like this example provided by the "Connect the Dots" people:
Sample Scenario:
iStockphoto wants to reach out to new customers through a direct mail piece and product giveaway.
Layer 1: iStockphoto uses Emma to send a survey to a target audience. The survey ends with a message to watch their mail for a special promotion. iStockphoto can track opens, click-throughs and forwards through Emma's technology.
Layer 2: iStockphoto designs a folded direct mail piece using a FoldRite template and integrated variable data personalization. They mail three different pieces, based on the original survey results.
Layer 3: Each brochure uses images relevant to the user's preference, and has one of three GossRSVP text messaging promotional codes. The recipient can text message the code they received to get a free image.
Layer 4: The customer goes to the iStockphoto web site to collect their free image.
Layer 5: iStockphoto sends out a follow up email via Emma, in the form of a newsletter with useful information related to the user preference.
Layer 6: iStockphoto uses another Emma survey to get customer feedback on their recent experience.
his sort of strategy takes a good amount of planning, but as you can see, the results returned are of a higher quality then you could get with a "old style" marketing campaign. The greatest value here is that you are talking directly to each customer - a key to getting and maintaining new clients.
People want to know that companies are listening to them. That instead of a company forcing the client to fit into their ad strategy, the client's preferences are actually determining the direction of the ad strategy.
With just a little planning and cooperation, the puzzle of print, email, media, and mobile can come together in a highly effective marketing campaign. It is not just a very "interesting" way of marketing...it is quickly becoming the "only" way of marketing.
What companies do you know of that are currently using a similar strategy? What do you think of this intergrated strategy? Would it work for your business? Why or why not? Have the Connect the Dots people I've mentioned hit all the dots or have they missed anything? Let me know your thoughts.

Joyce Dierschke is a Marcom Copywriter specializing in emerging, broadcast and print media. Joyce's varied background ties up neatly into a package of versatile skills and knowledge designed to meet the needs of any busy Marcom department. She can help you manage the overwhelming marketing opportunities available in today's world of advanced technologies without losing that valuable personal touch.

Is IStockphoto Right For You?

Photographers of all sorts used to have a very tough time getting their work seen. Only a handful of photographers enjoyed having the world see their work on a regular basis.
The Internet did indeed change all of that. Photographers can now use the Internet to get their work in front of the public and even get their work sold.
IStockphoto has been one of the more popular websites on the Internet for years. Part of the reason that millions of people visit the site each and every year, is due to the fact that IStockphoto has well over a million photographers from photographers all over the world. In fact, IStockphoto has even branched out into the world of video clips.
Internet marketers and Internet entrepreneurs may find IStockphoto to be of interest due to the fact that it is an easy and fast way to get photos for websites and other purposes. The real question is whether or not it is just as useful as it once was.
In 2006, Getty Images purchased IStockphoto. Ever since this happened, the charges for using photos has consistently went up and up. Today, prices have risen quite considerably from where they were in 2006. Those looking for a good deal might want to look elsewhere as a result.
While it is true that IStockphoto prices have continued to rise, it is also undeniable that they have a simply fantastic array of photos to choose from. Yet, there is also no denying that for entrepreneurs on the budget there are most certainly cheaper options.
When you opt to use photos from an independent photographer posting their work online, you are effectively supporting a visual artist. The odds are that you will even be able to save some money in the process.
In the end, IStockphoto might not be for everyone, as many will find that their prices have risen too much in recent years. However for those in need of one or two photos, this vast site might still be a good pick.
Finding what works for you isn't always easy. I was lucky in that I found what worked for me in the form of yoga and meditation. In fact, I will tell anyone who asks that I believe deeply in both of these ancient practices as a way of calming one's mind and reaching the best decisions.
I discovered how important maintaining one's center was in 2007, when I lost both of my successful real estate businesses. The real estate market collapse sent me off in a new path. Through carefully analyzing my situation, I was able to chart a new course. These days I am once again financially secure, and I love helping people learn to their own paths as well.

Dropshipping Electronics - Finding an Electronics Dropshipper

Finding an electronics dropshipper is inevitably the key to dropshipping electronics online.
Without a supplier to dropship electronics for you, you will not succeed selling on eBay. I agree it can be difficult finding the right suppliers but there are many out there. Research is paramount before selling online.
Many people who try to sell online, forget the fundamental rule and that is all about supply and demand. On eBay there are many sellers dropshipping electronics, however an mp3 player is sold every four seconds. This conveying that this is a hungry market.
Always dive into the hungry markets, thats where the profit is. By displaying your products on featured first you will quadruple your sales. Selling your products from an electronics dropshipper alleviates hassle and with vast amount of orders on featured first, you just place your order with the dropshipping electronics company and wait for the profit to roll in.
Is an electronics dropshipper difficult to find?
No certainly not! What is difficult to find is a company that will be dropshipping electronics for you and making you a profit. Most companies out there sell products at retail prices. What good is this to someone looking to dropship electronic items?
The key to dropshipping electronics is to research what is selling well, feature first your listing on eBay and then provide excellent customer service. That's all there really is to it. Finding these electronics dropshipper companies is paramount to your success. The best place to find them is through powerseller programs or through wholesale directories, which can be easily found on the net.

Sick of Not Succeed Online?

Tips to Choose the Best Electronic Dictionary

Dictionary is one of the most important equipment that you need to have in order for you to have a guide in everyday life especially with things and words that are hard to comprehend. One of the best forms of dictionaries is electronic ones. There are some tips that you can follow for you to choose the best possible dictionary.
DETERMINE THE PURPOSE
The first thing that you need to do before you buy one is to ascertain the use of the dictionary. You need to know where you are going to use the dictionary. If you want to give it to someone like a student, you need to choose the one that can be used easily in school. You can also buy a dictionary appropriate for traveling individuals.
KNOW THE FEATURES
Features of the dictionary must be considered all the time. Try to take a look at its different features for you to choose the one that will be helpful on your part. There are those that can help you in knowing the correct pronunciation of words. You can choose that one if you have a hard time speaking. Try to consider the one with a spell checker too.
SET A BUDGET
It is really important that you set a budget when you plan to buy something. This will help you organize and save your money. It can help you not to go beyond what you can actually afford. This will also help you choose the best that you can only afford to buy.
GO ONLINE
One of the most helpful sources of information with regards to electronic dictionaries is online. Try to see different sites that can possibly help you in buying dictionaries. Internet is always a good way to find the things that you always need.
These tips in buying an electronic dictionary are indeed helpful and beneficial. Always remember them all the time for you to be able to buy the best for you. There are some considerations that you always need to make. Try to follow them all the time.

How to Protect Your Electronics From Heat

1.0 INTRODUCTION
In our modern society, we have become very dependent upon our electronic gadgets and appliances. Most households (in the U.S) have Personal Computers with an Internet Connection. If we solely looked at the Personal Computer, we do a lot of thing with this product.

• We communicate with our friends, family members and business associates.
• We conduct financial transactions (e.g., buy or sell products on line)
• We create all kinds of documents (which are very important to our personal and business finances/operations)
• We store and play music (in the form of *.mp3 files)
• We (increasingly) store pictures that have sentimental value (and could be tough to replace if lost).

For many people, anytime their "computer dies", it becomes a major inconvenience in their lives. If you were to look at some other electronic systems that we typically have in our homes, such as

• DVD Players
• Gaming Systems (e.g., Playstation, X-Box, Nintendo, Wii, etc.)
• Audio Entertainment Equipment
• Video Recording Equipment (for you people that like to post videos on YouTube.
• Appliances (such as Central Air Conditioning Systems, Heat Pumps, Microwave Ovens, etc.)
• HDTVs (e.g., LCD or Plasma)

All of these items entertain us, enlighten us and provide us with comfort. These products each require a considerable amount of money to purchase. Further, repairing and/or replacing these products is also quite expensive. Hence, I am quite amazed that people do not do more to protect their investment (in these electronic systems) and do whatever they can to extend the operating life time of these products.
In general, there are three (3) different destructive mechanisms that will either destroy or greatly reduce the operational life-time of your electronics. These three destructive mechanisms are

• Heat
• Electrical Surge/Spike Events, and
• Electrical Noise

In this article, we are going to talk about HEAT. As we discuss Heat, we will cover the following topics.

• How is Heat destructive to your electronics?
• What can we do about heat - How to Protect Your Electronics from Heat and Extend the Operating Life of our Electronics?

2.0 HOW IS HEAT DESTRUCTIVE TO YOUR ELECTRONICS
Heat is an artifact of electronics. All electronic systems generate heat. Electronic systems accept electrical power (current and voltage) from the power line (via the electrical outlet). The electronic system uses a portion of this electrical power to perform work (e.g., the function that you want it to perform, e.g., play a DVD, cook a bag of popcorn, etc). The remaining portion of this electrical power is converted into heat.
However, heat is also an enemy of electronic systems. Few things are more effective in reducing the operating life-time of an electronic system, than raising the operating temperature of the electronic circuitry within your electronic system. If you were to speak with an Electronics Device Reliability expert, he/she would tell you that for every 10 degrees (Celsius) that you raise the operating temperature of an electrical device; you reduce the operating lifetime of that device by 50%. The impact of heat (in shortening the operating life) of your electronics is "huge".
3.0 WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT HEAT?
As I mentioned earlier, all electronics generates heat. There is no way to prevent electronics from generating the very thing that can destroy it. However, there are a couple of things that you can do to prevent this heat from doing so much damage.
1. You can work to remove this heat from the electronics (as quickly as it generates it), or
2. You can do things to try to help the electronics to not generate so much heat in the first place.
I will address each of these approaches below.
3.1. REMOVING HEAT FROM THE ELECTRONICS
Many consumer electronic systems were designed with "Heat Removal" in mind. Some of these electronic systems (like desktop computers) contain "internal fans". These fans were designed into these systems so that they could blow air through the area in which the system electronics resides. The intent behind having these fans to is blow the heat away from these electronics and to help keep them cool.
Other electronic systems contain "vents" (in their outer case) to provide an "escape path" for heat. Many of these vents are located at the top or in the "back-end" of the electrical system. On this basis, I have the following recommendations to permit the removal of heat from your electronics.
Make sure and keep papers, books, dust and other items from "blocking" the vents of these systems.
Leaving these items on top of your (DVD Player for example) will block the vents, and will not allow for heat to escape from your DVD Player. This will cause the temperature (surrounding the electronics) within your DVD player to rise; which will (in-turn) reduce the operating lifetime of your DVD player.
Make sure that the "back-end" of the electronic system is not "butt-up" against the wall or an entertainment cabinet.
It is important to make sure that there is sufficient air/ventilation space between the vents (in the back end) and the wall/cabinet to allow for Heat Removal.
Make sure and have your appliances (like your Central Air Conditioning system or Heat Pump) serviced.
Whenever these appliances are serviced, the service professional will do various things (like clean out dust and debris from ventilation path), therefore maintaining an unobstructed path for heat to escape from these systems.
Make sure that the fan (inside some of your systems) is working.
If this fan stops working, then you need to get it repaired quickly. Failure to do this will result in your electronic system having an early meeting with the "grim reaper" or an electronic waste disposal site.
3.2 REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF HEAT THAT THE ELECTRONICS GENERATE IN THE FIRST PLACE
Another approach to protecting your electronics from heat is to take steps to try to prevent your electronics from generating excessive heat in the first place. The amount of heat that is generated within an electronic system is often referred to as being related to the following expression for resistive loss: I^2XR, where:

• I represents the amount of current flowing through an electronic system and
• R represents the load impedance (or resistance) within this electronic system; and
• I^2 denotes " I being raised to the 2nd Power, or "I-squared"

From this mathematical expression, you can see that if we were able to reduce the amount of current flowing through an electrical system, this would certainly help to reduce the amount of heat generated within this electrical system.
QUESTION: How can you reduce the current that an electrical system uses? Doesn't it require a certain amount of current to do its job? The answer to this question is "Yes", an electrical system does require a certain amount of current and voltage (electrical power) to do its job. However, it doesn't need to use anymore current than that. Hence, we recommend that you use TVSS (Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors) components in order to reduce the current level (flowing into your electrical system).
Now, I know that some of you may be "scratching your heads" and wondering, "How in the world will this reduce the amount of current flowing into my electronic system" and (in turn reduce the amount of heat that it generates)? The answer is this: Anytime there is a large amount of electrical noise or spikes, or other forms of distortion in the electrical voltage and current in the power line, this also results in the flow of additional current into your electrical system. By using the TVSS components, you are eliminating this excessive current (due to noise, glitches, etc.) from the "power line" current, flowing into your electronic system.
In this case, you have now accomplished the following:
1. You have decreased the amount of current flowing into your electronic system, (which is the "I" in the expression "I^2 X R") - which helps a lot to reduce the amount of heat that the system generates.
2. By reducing the heat that the electrical system generates, you are now lowering the ambient (or surrounding) temperature in which your electronics operates.
3. Lowering the ambient temperature will often times also reduce the load impedance/resistance in your electronic system (e.g., the "R" in this expression) as well.
QUESTION: How can you reduce the load impedance/resistance in an electronic system? Isn't that a design feature of the electronic system? The answer to this question is "Yes it is". You cannot change the load impedance/resistance by very much. But, the reason why lowering the ambient temperature will also reduce the load impedance/resistance is that many resistors have (what is called) a positive temperature coefficient. This means that as the ambient temperature goes up, does the resistor value of this particular resistor.
However, the converse is also true. If you were to lower the ambient (or surrounding) temperature, then you would also lower the resistor value as well.
SO LET'S RECAP THE BENEFITS OF USING TVSS COMPONENTS:

• Using TVSS components lower the amount of current flowing through your electronic system.
• Lowering this current reduces the amount of heat that the electronic system generates.
• This lowers the ambient temperature for the system electronics.
• Lowering the ambient temperature also lowers the load impedance/resistance (R) within the electronic system.

Both the reduction of current (and the resulting reduction of the load impedance) would serve to significantly reduce the amount of heat that the electronics system will generates.
4.0 OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS SERIES
Other articles in this series are listed below.

• How to Protect Your Electronics from Electrical Surge/Spike Events
• How to Protect Your Electronics from Electrical Noise

5.0 CONCLUSIONS
In this article, we spoke about "heat" and how effective it is in reducing the operating life-time of your electronics. Heat is one of the three (3) destructive mechanisms that will either destroy or shorten the operational life-time of your electronics. The remaining two mechanisms are

• Electrical Surge/Spike Events, and
• Electrical Noise

We have also described some guidelines on how to protect your electronics from heat, and to extend the operating life-time of your electronics. In particular, we mentioned the following approaches:
1. Use (and do not thwart) the "Heat Removal" features of your electronic systems

• Make sure that Internal Fans are working and
• Make sure that vents are not blocks and that there is plenty of air space around the Electronic system to allow for the escape of heat.

2. Use TVSS (Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor) components to regulate the amount of voltage (and in turn) current that is flowing into your electronic systems: Minimizes heat generation due to resistive loss.