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December 2022 marked the 75^th anniversary of the invention of the transistor.    Scouts BSA youth studied this foundation building block of modern electronics and other components at an electronics seminar at the fellowship hall of Vinita’s First United Methodist Church on Saturday, December 10.

The seminar was sponsored by Northeast Oklahoma Electric Coop and BOLT Fiber Services who furnished hands-on practice and project materials. The youth enjoyed a pizza lunch also provided by the sponsors.

The 16-youth divided into two groups: 10 earned their Electronics Merit Badge; while 6 who had already earned the merit badge, built advanced electronics projects.

The merit badge group learned and practiced soldering safety and techniques. Component functions, schematic drawings, basic electronics principles, and career paths were reviewed. The candidates also learned how to use their new multimeters to measure voltage, resistance, and current.

They then completed a printed circuit board assembly. The project had 32 soldering points involving transistors, capacitors, resistors, batteries, and LEDs. Students learned how transistors are used as switches in electronic control circuits. The parts formed a blinking LED light circuit with a robot design on a printed circuit board mounted in a clear plastic case. The students 100% successfully completed their projects.

The advanced group projects included first an electronic hourglass timer.   A second project was a Robo-bug that followed a moving light beam. Two DC motors were driven by transistor switching supervised by photocells. Both involved soldering integrated circuit components to PC boards.

These electronics classes were conducted by volunteer Scouters: Tom Hopkins, Shane Smith, and Carl Reichert.

The electronics seminar was a beneficiary of a special grant from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Tulsa Section.  Each participating youth received a soldering tool kit and multimeter to use in the classroom and then take home for further experimenting.

Scouts BSA members—both boys and girls—attending were from the Cherokee Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. The council is a United Way agency and serves Craig, Ottawa, Delaware, Nowata, Washington, and Osage counties.

The Scouts BSA youth are grateful to Northeast Oklahoma Electric Coop and BOLT Fiber Services for their assistance and sponsorship of this STEM activity; to the IEEE-Tulsa for the soldering tool kits and multimeters. They are also thankful to the First United Methodist Church of Vinita for the use of its fellowship hall.

Electronics came to life for Scouts BSA girls and boys at an Electronics Merit Badge seminar where they learned about transistors, LEDs, and printed circuit board soldering on November 19 at the Bartlesville Scout Service Center.

The scouts included two groups: eight new to electronics; and four who had earned the Electronics Merit Badge earlier.

The first group set about learning and practicing soldering safety and techniques. Then they each completed a printed circuit board assembly while studying circuit operation.  Each project had 32 soldering points involving transistors, capacitors, resistors, batteries, and LEDs. Students learned how transistors are used as switches in electronic control circuits.    The parts formed a blinking LED light circuit with a robot design on a printed circuit board, then mounted in a clear plastic case.

The second, advanced group of scouts assembled a line following, robocar that included soldering integrated circuits and other components to a PC board, mounting dc motors, and gear-driven wheels.  

All of the students completed the project.

The seminar was sponsored by Siemens, who furnished practice, project materials, and a pizza lunch.

A special grant from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Tulsa Section provided each youth a soldering tool kit with a multimeter to use in the classroom and then take home for further experimenting.

This electronics seminar was conducted by volunteer Scouters Jerry Wells and Carl Reichert; and IEEE student member Devin Garcia.

Scouts BSA members attending were from the Cherokee Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. The council is a United Way agency and serves Osage, Washington, Nowata, Craig, Ottawa, and Delaware counties.

The Scouts BSA youth are grateful to Siemens for sponsorship of this STEM activity, and to the IEEE-Tulsa for furnishing the soldering tool kits and multimeters.