Retro electronics kits | Ingmar's Retroblog

Another electronics kit from my youth is the Philips EE series. It dates approximately to the years 1976-1979. The box presented here is the EE2050. Unfortunately, this is no longer the original that I recorded back then, but a version bought on eBay. But this is a real collector’s item, because the box has never been recorded.

The boxes (EE2003 / 41/50/51/52) under my custody have unfortunately not survived the years. Since the modular system was designed in such a way that all components were “free”, ie not riveted to any sockets (just as they were also used in industry), I always used them. If I needed a resistor or capacitor quickly, the kit had to serve as a “donor”.

Befestigung des Bauteils auf der Grundplatte — Fixing the component on the base plate

The concept of the modular system: It consists of a perforated plastic base plate through which a hairpin spring is inserted. This hairpin spring in turn holds a spiral spring. Now, between the hairpin spring and the upper end of the coil spring, the connection wire of the component can be clamped.

The components themselves are contained in the box as they are also commercially available. An exception here are only the transistors and transformers. They are mounted on a small printed circuit board, which facilitates assembly and also protects the component itself from mechanical stress.

In the final stage, the box consists of two bolted base plates, which in turn are bolted to a control panel. In this media console then turn capacitors, rotary potentiometers, buttons, bulbs and a speaker place. The number of experiments to build is also huge. The manuals are very well structured. They describe the basics of DC technology, as well as the operation of the circuits.

Here is an excerpt from the inscription of the electronics box. Note the gender-oriented spelling 🙂

Wonderful world of electronics – a mysterious world that every boy wants to get to know and understand. This electronic kit gives him the opportunity to easily gather his own insights in this field. The box contains a richly illustrated instruction book and over 150 items – e.g. 10 resistors, 5 capacitors, photocell and transistors. Thanks to the clamping system, the young electronics builder can assemble these parts completely independently and without prior knowledge to the following functional devices:

Burglar Alarm Systems, Amplifiers, Automatic Parking Lights, Humidity Indicators, Acoustic Relays, Morse Exercise Machines, Brightness Controls, Timers, Others – a total of 21 electronic devices and many interesting circuits.

With additional boxes the possibilities extend to the MW radio with loudspeaker. Proper engineers work with the same parts: all the boxes in the Philips Elektronik series are equipped with the most modern parts of today’s electronics in their original form.

From my youth, these three red boxes came to this article. A relic from the basement of my parents’ house. These are the electronic experiment boxes from Busch. These are the boxes “Compact studio 2060”, the “supplementary package 2061” and the “digital-technik 2075” box.

Busch electronic 2060, 2061 und 2075

The kits are in a relatively good condition, although I’ve made plenty of it as a budding teenager.
The first, so the basic box 2060, I got in the elementary school once for Christmas (must have been so about 1979 – 80), because the predecessor modular system of Philips for lack of knowledge and my urge to experiment unfortunately did not bring the success. (There was one of the transistors quickly broken and nothing worked anymore …) So my parents have looked for a new modular variant, with which I came as an 8-year-old then also coped perfectly. (Of the Philips kits, unfortunately, only fragments and parts of the base plate exist – but I’m currently in the bay looking for a copy of this kit.)
Back to the bush system:

As you can see in the photo, just about all parts are still present. Neatly I have then combined the two boxes 2060 and 2061 to a box. (Unfortunately)

The company Busch advertised at that time with the following slogan:
“Experiment without prior knowledge!”

The instruction books were structured in such a way that one quickly came to a sense of achievement and could then also think about the technical background. From the description of the boxes:
The “compact studio” 2060 offers about 40 experiments and circuits, such as: “Electronic mini organ, alarm and rain warning systems, automatic flashing and timer, tone generator and audio amplifier,
Sensor key, voltage tester, remote-controlled electronic relay, siren and room switching, light organ principle circuit. ”
One year later, I got the expansion box 2061. With that, experiments such as radio receivers were possible. From the MW and LW receivers to the FM FM receivers, where the inductors for the oscillating circuits themselves had to be wound (of course strictly according to plan).

Also, the 2061 is in good condition, unfortunately, the plastic retaining clips of the smoked glass plastic cover are broken, so that it rests only on the housing.

Here is now plenty of room for the multitude of experiments. Nicely tidied up, with a media panel with built-in potentiometer, variable capacitor for the receiver tuning stories. The loudspeaker is now also integrated in the housing, as well as a slide switch, a moving coil meter and a 5-pin diode socket. (That was a standard for audio connectors at the time).

Again, I tinkered in my childlike carelessness and integrated the LED and a 3.5mm and a 2.5mm jack into the control panel. Unfortunately, this does not look very professional and destroys the originality of the kit.

Another step was the entry into digital technology with the box 2075.
Here experiments such as: a 1-bit memory memory, counters with 7-segment LED display, random generators, etc. are built.

The power supply was provided for all experiment boxes with a 9V block battery. As an option, Busch also offered a power supply unit at that time.