Snap Circuits UC-50 Electronics Exploration Upgrade Kit | SC-300 to SC-500 | Upgrade Classic to Pro

The UC-50 Upgrade Kit upgrades the Snap Circuits SC-300 into an SC-500. You need to have the SC-300 already to make this work. That said, it is a very worthwhile purchase for an older child/youth (or interested adult) to make the transition from just straightforward DC circuits and a couple of AM radio projects into building a varactor-tuned FM radio and a single-digit digital display. In addition to the aforementioned FM radio and digital display, the kit includes a d'arsonval meter, a transformer, an SCR, a relay, and a digital recording IC for doing much more sophisticated experiments than the SC-100 or SC-300 series kits. The manuals remain as easy to use as ever, but you should also purchase the "Snap Circuits Extreme Student Guide" (a separate Elenco-made book) to get more learning utility out of the upgrade. This particular upgrade (UC-50) is easily the most bang-for-the-buck of the upgrades in the SC-100 through SC-750 series. The only downside is that you should probably also buy the SC-100 through SC-750 carrying case to hold all the parts from the SC-300 and UC-50 kits. The case isn't cheap, but it is well made and keeps everything neat and together in one spot when not in use.

This is the third set, second upgrade, that we have bought for my nephew. He is the type of child that likes to take things apart and attempt to find out what makes it work. We thought this was a better activity than taking apart mom and dad's personal things, like a watch and a camera. Since each kit has so many projects it looks overwhelming but soon he was able to read and focus on each project. He did have problems trying to decide which project to attempt to complete first but once he made his choice the sky was the limit.He is learning how electricity works and even creates his own projects. He seems to have gained some self esteem from accomplishing these projects. He is so excited to present them to us. I do think some projects are still a little over his head but the educational value is limitless. He will be able to use these kits into adulthood and will understand more each time he uses the kits. Each piece is labeled with a alphanumeric code and are easy to read. The kits come in a sturdy cardboard box that can be closed and has a tray that keeps the pieces organized with a "map" of each piece and how many you should have in each kit. We use a large rubberband to keep the box closed and keep the pieces in the tray securely. The pieces are big enough for little hands as well as adult hands. What an exceptional product. I am looking forward to researching the next upgrade kit for this years gift.

I bought the Snap Circuits UC-50 upgrade for the SC-300 that we gave to our granddaughter about 6 months ago, and the upgrade in May 2017. My granddaughter loved it but disappointed when her AM Radio only had static, live in a rural area. I enjoy watching her work with the electronics, especially being I was a electronic tech myself. She was so excited when we gave her the UC-50 upgrade kit, which you can build an FM radio. She was so excited when she was able to pickup several radio stations. She is 10 years old and very gifted, working with the Robotics club. We did have 1 issue with the SC-300 S-1 switch that failed. Called the company to purchase another switch. They sent a new one, no charge & free shipping, top notch company. We will continue to upgrade. I told my granddaughter that she will be able to work with it for a long time, the box said for age 8-108 years old, she got a kick about it. My granddaughter now wants to get electronics components to build her own Snap Circuits.

My son originally received the Snap Circuits Jr. as a 6th birthday present. He played with it a bit, strictly as a toy, but lost interest, and I was glad we hadn't bought one of the more expensive sets. But then a few weeks later he pulled it back out and began really using it as learning kit. Suddenly his vocabulary became speckled with terms like short, ground, LED, and current limiting resister. He innovated and rev'ed up the flying saucer to 9 volts and managed to hit the vaulted ceiling with it, scaring the baby sitter. He also burned out the lamp.Clearly electronics were now a thing for him, but it didn't necessarily have to work out that way. That's why I'm so happy Elenco provides the upgrade kits. You can start relatively cheaply with a lower level kit, and if the kid's interest grows, you can upgrade. If their interest flags, then you can stop.He doesn't know it yet, but we've already bought the UC-80 kit for him. It's hidden away waiting for a string of good behavior, or perhaps a random act of kindness from him.

My son loves the snap circuits. I thought buying this would be useful with the motion set, but it's no use. When buying these upgrade kits you have to have the correct base kit. I have no problem buying the base kit to go with this because he loves them, but it went unused on Christmas Day for this reason.

Bought for grandson to keep him interested in something plus a little understanding how electric works.

Bought this set for my 9 yod as an upgrade to the kits she already has. The guide is simple to follow and I have even found myself tinkering with the kit(s) after she goes to bed. It is great that they leave the components exposed for the kids to see however a bit of care should be taken in not handling the smaller components directly. If you have a problem the folks at Elenco are super.

This was a Christmas gift for our 9 year old grandsons. We have been giving them expansion kits for several years. They enjoy working with snap circuits. The instructions are clear enough for them to follow by themselves and the parts are well made. I recommend this set to expand an existing set of Snap Circuits to the next level.