Borderless Electronics Indiegogo campaign for their $9 electronics kit with an Arduino Leonardo clone went so well that the owner of the campaign decided to limit the total number of boards to 15,000, and basically stop the campaign early to avoid production delays. For $12 ($9 + shipping), you could get a full kit with:
- Arduino Leonardo clone
- A mini breadboard with 10 Jumper wires
- A plug for a 9V battery
- A few components: 6 LEDs, 10x 330 Ohm resistors, 10x 1 KOhm resistors, 3x push buttons, 2 NPN transistors, 5 diodes, a light sensor, and a sound buzzer
- A micro USB to USB cable
Although they may start a new one campaign in a few months, the campaign is over, and you can’t get this cheap Arduino kit anymore.
But one of my reader (onebir) let me know that for less than $20, you can get an Arduino Leonardo clone with a USB cable, a large Breadboard, and many components, by purchasing three items on Aliexpress,.com:
- Arduino Leonardo R3 compatible development board with USB Cable – $9.48
- 400-tie point breadboard (8.2 x 6.2cm) with 65 jumper wires – $5
- Components kit with nearly 250 components – $5
So for a total of $19.48 (all prices include free shipping), you get a full Arduino compatible electronics kit.
Here’s the content of the components kit:
- 210x resistors with values: 100, 1K, 4.7K, 10K, 47K, 100K, and 1M (30 pieces for each)
- 4x potentiometers: 2x 10K, and 2x 100K.
- 12x LEDs: yellow, red, green, and white (3 for each color)
- 6x 12*12 tact switch body
- 15x tact switch keys: blue circle, red circle, white circle, white square, green square (3 of each type).
- 2x 40 pin 2.54 pitch header
The kit does lack some fun components like a buzzer, a servo, a light sensor, etc… that you can find in Seeed Studio SideKick Basic Kit for example, but it does seem to be a decent deal nonetheless.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress
If anyone knows places to cheaply pick up some of the ‘fun components’ CNX mentions in single or small lots (with free postage) that’d be good to know 🙂
Looks like dx is pretty good, eg 9g mini servo, $3.94: http://dx.com/p/20023
@onebir
You’ll find Arduino add-ons in dx.com for $2 to $3, as well as components, but I’ve found it’s usually a bit cheaper to buy them from Ebay. For example for 9g mini servo ($3.05) – http://www.ebay.com/itm/SG90-9G-Micro-Mini-Servos-Torque-For-RC-Helicoper-Airplane-Car-esky-450-/171101903200?pt=Radio_Control_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27d677d960
@Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)
It find searching ebay really difficult; shipping charges mess up the price comparisons, and many sellers don’t ship to onebirland… 🙁
Turns out buyincoins (famed for the fake review!) has similar servos for $2.50:
http://www.buyincoins.com/item/3457.html
@onebir
Before I was wondering why all reviewers either wrote Chinglish or Russian in that website… But as long as they ship the goods, it should be OK.
@Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)
They ship faster than anywhere else I’ve bought from, the quality is generally ok & once or twice when things have been broken (in transit I think) they’ve given me refunds without trouble. It’s just those frickin fake reviews…
A few more “expensive” kits on Aliexpress
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/free-shipping-Starter-Kit-for-Arduino-Step-Motor-Servo-1602-LCD-Breadboard-jumper-Wire-UNO-R3/320981_1077306872.html – $40 with a servo and a step moter
Even bigger kit, with RFID reader:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/For-Arduino-RFID-learning-suite-is-entry-to-the-master-suite-upgrade/1041872986.html – $54
or the RFID kit by itself, $9
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Free-shipping-RFID-module-Kits-RC522-RFID-SPI-Write-Read-for-uno-2560/320981_968016332.html
and if you want to robot:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/1-Set-Smart-Car-Tire-Wheel-with-Gear-Motor-1-48-Dual-Shaft-FZ0395-Free-Shipping/752646797.html $5 for a wheel and a motor. Or http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Free-shiping-4Lot-package-Deceleration-DC-motor-supporting-wheels-a-smart-car-chassis-motor-robot/110055_959232929.html for $10 for 4 wheels and 4 engines.
or the 2 wheels+chassis+2 motors for $12
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Special-promotions-Smart-car-chassis-Tracing-car-The-robot-car-chassis-With-code-disc-tachometer/710157614.html
Getting back to the ‘cheap’ stuff…
10 5mm Photoresistors (GL5516), $1.40:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item//578912737.html
10 5v buzzers (magnetic) $2.85
http://www.aliexpress.com/item//834823506.html
So it is possible to buy a lot of these components for reasonable prices in small lots, just such a PIA the kits seem like a better option. :s
Man, too bad I missed this. Thought I had some time left (and did not notice they added buttons etc).
Hope they do a rerun.
Wrt the components:
here’s your buzzer: for two dollars:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/1pcs-High-Quality-Passive-Buzzer-Module-for-Arduino-New/1076307586.html
and if you have 52 dollars you want to get rid of take a look at these 37 items:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hot-Sale-Cheap-37PCS-Arduino-Compatible-Sensor-Switch-Flame-Temperature-Color-LED-Buzzer-Replay-37-in/855079171.html
Another thought. I saw the sets of 100 are also sold, so I suspect we’ll end up seeing these on ebay for $ 20 or so
@FransM
Well, for $20 you can get something pretty similar (maybe better in some ways).
http://www.aliexpress.com/item//834823506.html
is for 10 buzzers, but without breakout board/cable. Looks like they might need a couple of extra components to work?
Probably misformulated.
I meant that the original Borderless kits will show up in ebay for $20 or so (as the sets of 100 were also sold), not the buzzers.
I see what you meant now!
I’m one of the Borderless Electronics Indiegogo campaign Funders.
When I found the campaign I was still on time to get the $22 perk…
Now I’m just waiting for it to be delivered 😛
At first I didn’t knew that the campaign would grow so much, but after a few days It became huge… and the extras are awesome for the price.