Great Gifts For Electronics Geeks For Less Than $20

Fill your favorite nerd's stocking with Make's holiday gift guide

By Mike Haney Posted 11.18.2009 at 3:54 pm 8 Comments

Bomb Defuser Maker Shed

Make magazine has just put up its $20 and under holiday gift guide, chock full of starter electronics kits like a barebones Arduino and tools for your favorite tinkerer. Or if you're the only one who solders in your circle, pick up a few kits now and give away the finished product.

I've built a number of kits from Make and they're a great way to learn and hone your DIY electronics skills, with super-clear instructions. After the jump, I add my five additions to their list, with an eye toward encouraging the young hijinks-prone Makers-in-training on your list.

TV-B-Gone kit: Maker Shed

1. Super TV-B-Gone kit
$21.99
Okay, it's $2 over an Andrew Jackson, but if there's any way to get kids interested in electronics, it's with guaranteed mischief, like secretly turning off any TV in the area just before The Biggest Loser is revealed. But maybe give it to him after

the big Xmas-day NFL game.

2. Fire Piston kit
$20
I was just talking with our resident mad scientist Theo Gray about doing a column on fire pistons, a very cool way to start a fire with basically nothing but pressure.

Make Knife: Maker Shed

3. MAKE: Warranty Voider - Leatherman "Squirt" E4 (electronics version)
$39.95
I just traded a Swiss Army Knife for one of these for my keychain (I got the non-branded pliers version, but a laser-etched Make logo is easily worth the extra dough) and already I want to void a warranty with it. And yes, I'm advocating giving a pocket knife to a kid—just teach him or her not to stab living things with it and they'll be fine. Pocket knives, like fire, are a crucial tool for encouraging tinkering.

4. Barrage Garage Vo1. 1 DVD"
$19.99
You can't go wrong with anything from DIY crazy man Bill Gurstelle, whose other projects feature titles like Backyard Balistics and Absinthe & Flamethrowers.

ReMake America T-shirt: Maker Shed

5. ReMake America T-shirt
$8
Remind everyone that tinkering, building, making and unmaking are part of the American spirit. Barack Obama himself says so.

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8 Comments

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BeardogRed

11/18/09 at 8:50 pm

Real Fine unless i is from OK!

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BeardogRed

11/18/09 at 8:52 pm

I need a plumb defusser fo sure!
Waz do I have to ax you to win won?

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Seriously

11/18/09 at 9:12 pm

What does a stupid presidential T-shirt have to do with electronic gadgets under 20 dollars? Seriously?

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melatonin17

11/19/09 at 12:26 am

...somebody's a republican.

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Azorus

11/19/09 at 2:24 am

seriously is right, who cares about a t-shirt?

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Seriously

11/21/09 at 1:26 pm

Actually no, I'm not. I hate politics. And I hate government. ALL OF IT. That means BOTH sides. I have no horse in this race. But I can see you do. Please enlighten me as to what a T-shirt has to do with:
"Great Gifts For Electronics Geeks For Less Than $20".

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vandrop

11/25/09 at 2:03 am

As you just mentioned, the title is "Great Gifts For Electronics Geeks For Less Than $20;" it's not "Great Electronics For Less Than $20." So a t-shirt isn't that out of context.

The quote has to do with engineers/hobbyists who make stuff. Those guys might like that quote on a tee. I'll say that they could've completed the sentence or something to make it a better t-shirt, but it still is pretty clear that the quote can be applied to hobbyists (i.e. electronics geeks).

What you should be worried about is that 3/5 of these items are not less than $20.

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AreYouKidding

11/30/09 at 1:25 pm

For real does Mike Haney not know how to count? Under $20?? Last time I checked $39.95 is not less than $20. Hey Mike can I have $20?