Velleman MK175 Animated LED Smiley Electronics Kit

Bought this to try wean my 10 year old son away from a screen. We've previously assembled some Velleman kits, and he was happy to solder this kit. (The MK135 is his favourite.) The instructions are accurate and correct. He followed them exactly and the kit worked first time. The good: No missing parts ( had two extra small LEDs ). Accurate instructions. Worked first time. Good LED brightness and sensible programming. Really fun and entertaining. Batteries should last a while, as it has an auto off function. Good price. The could be slightly better: Switch ident marking could have said mount on reverse. Like the previous review, the case needed a bit more time and care to put together. I used a small cable tie to tidy up the battery leads and hold them neatly. The battery bay and microchip pad out the overall height, but it does go together. You'll have an easier fit if you solder the microchip directly to the board, but I don't think it's necessary. You'll want a snug fit to stop the PCB and battery rattling around. Tips: Neat soldering and short cropped leads will avoid adding extra height, which will make it difficult to screw the case together. Watch out for switch soldering, it's mounted on the solder side. Don't forget the batteries, you'll need 3x AAA. Overall very pleased and we enjoyed assembling it together.

Great little kit - really good fun but getting the 'guts' into the case is a nightmare! We've had to lengthen the switch and all sorts of work arounds. A shame as otherwise this is a lovely introduction into soldering.