I have owned both of these:

http://www.quasarelectronics.com/images/electronic-project-lab/epl130.jpg
http://www.quasarelectronics.com/images/electronic-project-lab/epl200.jpg

I can't seem to find a picture of the *first* kit I owned. That didn't 
have LEDs - it had *lamps*. Three of 'em; red, green and blue. Literally 
little bulbs with painted glass. You almost wouldn't believe you could 
light one with just 3V. It also had a little electric motor, and a very 
retro variable resistor. The "resistor" was a coil of wire, and you 
attach a crocodile clip to it to set the resistance.

As you can imagine, this product has probably been discontinued now. 
However, it looked something like this:

http://www.quasarelectronics.com/images/electronic-project-lab/epl030.jpg

Layout isn't quite the same. But it does have the same blue plastic 
sides, the blocks of colour on a black background, and the vertical header.

The next unit that I got was the 200-in-1. The picture shown matches my 
unit precisely. As you can see, it has a neat little "front panel".

The two knobs at the front are a variable capacitor and a variable 
resistor. (The latter also acts as a switch.) Next to that is a volt 
meter. You can just barely make out the 8-segment LED display and the 
photo-resistor beside it. The white squares have red LEDs behind them; 6 
small ones and one big one. (No difference in function though.) The 
grill houses a speaker. (A few projects use it as a crude microphone.) 
You could almost fail to notice the little black slide-switch next to 
it. The red and black lugs at the end are sprung-loaded wire clamps, for 
connecting, say, an aerial wire or probes or whatever. And the red bit 
below that is a sprung press-switch.

On the main board itself, you can see the for yourself the inevitable 
zoo of resistors and capacitors. There's two diodes, three transistors 
(of differing polarities), two transformers (labelled "input" and 
"output"), a relay (blue thing), a ferrite coil (obviosely every kit 
must be able to make a crystal radio) and two ICs: one is a 74LS00, the 
other is a dual JK flip-flop (74LS74?).

After that, I got the 130-in-1. (Yes, I realise that isn't in sequence. 
Presumably it's what was on the shelf when my parents went shopping...) 
This one also had three ICs - this time a 74LS00 and an op-amp. Nuff said.

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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I had one of these growing up:

http://thenetworkgarden.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/30/150inone.jpg

I spent allot of time experimenting with it, well past the projects that 
they had in the book.

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Kyle wrote:
> I had one of these growing up:
> 
> http://thenetworkgarden.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/30/150inone.jpg 
> 
> 
> I spent allot of time experimenting with it, well past the projects that 
> they had in the book.

Mmm, nice. Complete with a lamp, I see. Ooo, and a transparent relay...

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On 5/24/2010 7:23 AM, Kyle wrote:
> I had one of these growing up:
>
> http://thenetworkgarden.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/30/150inone.jpg
>
>
> I spent allot of time experimenting with it, well past the projects that
> they had in the book.

Wow! That certainly does bring back memories for me. I had exactly the 
same kit as a kid. Different colors, I think the one I had was from 
radio shack.

Ah, no wonder the different colors, the one I had was a different kit:

http://www.samstoybox.com/toypics/EPK160.jpg

-- 
~Mike

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> Wow! That certainly does bring back memories for me. I had exactly the 
> same kit as a kid. Different colors, I think the one I had was from 
> radio shack.

Pitty they don't make one with, like, 35 logic gates in it, eh?

...on the other hand, who the hell would play with that? (Other the me, 
obviously.)

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On 5/24/2010 9:42 AM, Invisible wrote:
>> Wow! That certainly does bring back memories for me. I had exactly the
>> same kit as a kid. Different colors, I think the one I had was from
>> radio shack.
>
> Pitty they don't make one with, like, 35 logic gates in it, eh?
>
> ...on the other hand, who the hell would play with that? (Other the me,
> obviously.)

I had this one as well... .pretty sure the CPU had more than 35 logic 
gates :D

-- 
~Mike

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On 5/24/2010 10:27 AM, Mike Raiford wrote:
> Wow! That certainly does bring back memories for me. I had exactly the
> same kit as a kid. Different colors, I think the one I had was from
> radio shack.
>
> Ah, no wonder the different colors, the one I had was a different kit:
>
> http://www.samstoybox.com/toypics/EPK160.jpg
>

Mine was from Radio Shack too, but I'm pretty sure it was the color of 
the one I posted, the 150 in 1 version.  I wonder what the additional 10 
projects were in the 160 in 1 version, since the components look 
identical between the two units?

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