Here is a small company that has their act together. The Electronics Component Pack 1 for the Make Electronics Second Editions by Charles Platt, has everything you need to complete the assignments in chapter 1&2 of the book. This package has saved me a lot of time in searching, finding all the components needed for the assignments, along with the assurance that I have the right parts. When I get done with this review, I'm going to order Pack 2 &3, just so I have them to complete the rest of the course. BE AWARE: There are other kits online that are for the first edition, these kits as stated by Charles Platt do not match the assessments in the new Second Edition.

Special Thanks to ProTech Trader for putting this outstanding package together, and I'm looking forward to buying more of your products as they come out. - Jeff C.

I actually haven't started with the book and kit yet, but after buying the book and looking at the list of required components, I quickly determined this is worth the price. The amount of searching you would have to do to find the needed parts, combined with the fact that it's impossible to buy many of those pieces in small quantities, really makes this kit a good deal.
Also, I can tell from the producers of the book as well as the kit, that they are sincerely doing this to share the joy of learning, and to do provide the most value possible for the cost. I am always happy to support true mom and pop small businesses, and I'm really pleased to find this kit is produced by such a team.

As an aspiring electronics hobbyist, I wanted to set myself up for success with the Make: Electronics series of books. While it's possible to source all of the components you'll need by hand -- doing so is quite a project in and of itself. For instance, even with a parts list, it can be quite difficult to ensure that the components you're buying are the right ones.

And that's why these kits are so fantastic.

Instead of scanning through the book and putting together one (or, inevitably, two) parts orders -- you pick up one of these kits and... that's it. You're done. You've got everything you need right there.

Moreover, these kits aren't just a bunch of electronic components crammed into a box. They're neatly organized Plano-esque storage cases with all the components parceled out and meticulously labeled. With one of these, all you have to do is read the book, pick out the components you'd like to use, and build away. Easy.

That said, these packs are indeed a bit pricey ($80, yikes!) -- but given the amount of time, effort, and eyestrain they'll save you in the long run, they're more than worth the cost. Frankly, I'm not entirely sure how much the raw materials would cost if you bought them individually from, say, Jameco. But I suspect that the markup isn't all that high when you consider everything you get with this kit.

Long story short: if you're looking to get the most out of the Make: Electronics series of books with a minimum of fuss, searching, and sorting -- this kit is an excellent choice. I'm grateful that ProTechTrader took the time to put this together: the kit may be third party, but it's still more complete (and more up to date) -- not to mention affordable -- than the kits that Make put out a few years ago... if you can find them in stock anywhere.

This kit contains a collection of components useful for doing the first few experiments in Make: Electronics 2nd edition. I suspect that I paid quite a bit extra for the convenience of this package. Resistors, capacitors, etc. are pretty cheap so I suspect that if I went around and bought all the stuff I needed, I could get it for less money. But it would take me a bunch of time to find the necessary stuff and being a novice, I might buy a wrong part or two. Plus then I'd have to spend time organizing all the stuff I bought or have it be a big mess. This kit comes with a plastic box and everything is bagged and labeled and put in a specific compartment and it comes with a sheet that is a map of where all the stuff is. My time is valuable so I don't mind spending a bit to save some time. The case is nice because it organized everything though it also makes me nervous because the latches on the case don't inspire a lot of confidence in me. They don't feel super tight so I fear them opening and spilling out stuff, though this hasn't happened yet. I wish the latches felt a bit more solid.

It came with a note that mentioned that these are put together by a husband and wife team, so I thought it was nice that I was supporting a small business.

The Product was interesting and fun to use, even for adults.