December kit builds: audio level meter kit

[@retireeelectronics2649]

Cute little kit, now I remember why I bought the LM3915 and LM3914 ICs

[@HazeAnderson]

When I get a dirty PCB I take a white eraser and scrub the pads and thru holes with it. Wash it off with IPA and use my rubber dust blower to knock the eraser debris left behind. You can almost use the pads as a mirror afterwards. 🙂

[@GlennHamblin]

I remember those parts from the late '80s. I think there was a 3914 that was linear, the 3915 was log, and the 3916 which I don't recall the function. Very cool parts at the time. Nowadays they are hard to find and expensive when you do find them. I used them as voltmeters, and water level meters with pressure sensors. Nice kit build, thanks.

[@rorymacleod8488]

Cant believe its kit-build time again !!!!

[@jenntek.101]

Funny you should build one of these. I plan on teaching some friends how to solder, and this is one of the cheapest easiest kits. I can explain lots of good things with it. It has most components. Resistors, IC's LEDs, Caps, connectors etc. Maybe your next December project could be a DIY speaker kit... and incorporate this into it, then, a DIY little PAM8403 or PAM8410 driver, and then, a little MP3 kit or something, build a teeny stereo . ... Hey; its all fun. I'm going to be fixing my trusty 20 year old Vellman Soldering iron station this week.

[@DustinWatts]

O holy yes! I forgot that it is already December... So time for a month of kit builds. That hits the spot!! 🎅

[@GworxOz3953]

Thank you for another enjoyable video.

[@erikburman530]

Super simple kit. I could easily make it myself. But in some perverse way I'd rather listen to your soothing Canadian accent and watch you do all the work. Probably some sort of Canadian government mind control op.

[@dhultgren1]

Seems that the red LEDs should be on the opposite side of the line.

[@pileofstuff]

Maybe. Without real instructions, it's a bit of a guess.

[@Enigma758]

@@pileofstuff At 18:25 it seems to be yellow first, then red which makes sense. Also the OP may not have realized that you are showing the board 180 degrees rotated. So I think it is correct.

[@GlennHamblin]

It's upside down.

[@wrxs1781]

Good little kit, I also have a box of kits, some were fairly expensive and will get at them after the holidays, starting with the UFO detector kit and the Tesla coil to follow.

[@jyvben1520]

Tesla first, use as a shield when the aliens want to take your pet tamagotchi, the ufo detector should auto switch the Tesla on, warning the tamagotchi might not survive the Tesla coil emp.

[@wrxs1781]

@@jyvben1520 Good advice, one can never be under prepared!

[@matambale]

Even with full color vision, those metal film resistors demand an ohm-meter, at least to my eyes. Yes, I'm gonna comment that every time. (Edit: I've yet to find blue-tack) (And I enjoyed the robo-cam shot)

[@EsotericArctos]

Maybe they supplied the LED as a Power On LED, to go in place of the C1? Not sure how long the LED would last in that position though given it gets full inout voltage. Might just be a spare too :) Cool little kit and a great start to December.

[@SidneyCritic]

LOL, that's my car narrow band oxygen sensor lambda display.

[@LuizMoraes-fn5ir]

Some changes for better performance. - 100R resistor should be jumpered. - Add a 68nf capacitor between terminals 5 and 8 of the LM. - Add an 820k resistor between terminal 5 of the LM and ground. - Interrupt the track of the central pin of the trimpot and add a 1n4148 diode with anode on the central pin of the trimpot and cathode on terminal 5 of the LM.

[@vhoward1122]

I'm wondering if the left over LED goes where you held the jumper in place?

[@DavidPlass]

14:03 did you get your flying camera rig working?

[@pileofstuff]

Yup. It only took 3 tries and a donated controller.

[@fabioeleuterio9382]

The LED's are unstable, this is a problem with this kit. The R2 (100 ohms) causes the instability.

[@LuizMoraes-fn5ir]

Some changes for better performance. - R2 should be jumpered. - Add a 68nf capacitor between terminals 5 and 8 of the LM. - Add an 820k resistor between terminal 5 of the LM and ground. - Interrupt the track of the central pin of the trimpot and add a 1n4148 diode with anode on the central pin of the trimpot and cathode on terminal 5 of the LM.

[@frenchcreekvalley]

Do you wear a mask when soldering? I just had to have my nose cauterized after doing a bunch of soldering. i recently found out that resin type soldering flux actually becomes acidic when heated, so the smoke, if breathed in can do bad things.