Found this thread via searching for transistor write-ups or something similar... the title caught my attention. Just spent 20 mins reading through the whole thread.

WOW. Your daughter is incredibly talented! And way to go mom for supporting her hobby and interests. If only I knew what she does when I was 10

 

Hi all,
I just wanted to let you all know the results of the past 2 months of work has paid off and Katie is now the proud owner of a VERY cool, VERY bright, one-of-a-kind "USA" LED sign that looks incredible.

Since I last posted she completed connecting the strings of LEDs exactly in accordance with SgtWookie's instructions. Connected the new power supply (8-AAs) and then built a case to enclose the wiring/etc on the back of the board. We spent a week trying to figure out the best way to protect the back of the board while still keeping it both visible (it's a science project so they need to see her awesome soldering work) and we also wanted security at the Olympic venues to be able to see that it isn't a bomb...although honestly, I am not sure we will be able to get it inside a venue because of it being so outside the norm. Glorified postboard for sure! Rest assured, I will have pictures of Katie in Vancouver holding her sign and supporting our country at the Winter Olympics next week!

Anyway, it simply looks amazing and she is SO PROUD that she did it. I can't wait for her to show it off in Vancouver! You'll have to look for us on TV! I swear you can see this thing from 2 miles away!

So, again, my sincerest thanks to you guys, especially SgtWookie who patiently provided more instruction than was reasonable in spite of our ignorance and elementary questions. I know that we truly would not have been able to do it without you!

Enjoy the pictures! We look forward to posting the results of her science fair competition later this month.

All the best,
Stacy

 

Hi all,
I just wanted to let you all know the results of the past 2 months of work has paid off and Katie is now the proud owner of a VERY cool, VERY bright, one-of-a-kind "USA" LED sign that looks incredible.

Since I last posted she completed connecting the strings of LEDs exactly in accordance with SgtWookie's instructions. Connected the new power supply (8-AAs) and then built a case to enclose the wiring/etc on the back of the board. We spent a week trying to figure out the best way to protect the back of the board while still keeping it both visible (it's a science project so they need to see her awesome soldering work) and we also wanted security at the Olympic venues to be able to see that it isn't a bomb...although honestly, I am not sure we will be able to get it inside a venue because of it being so outside the norm. Glorified postboard for sure! Rest assured, I will have pictures of Katie in Vancouver holding her sign and supporting our country at the Winter Olympics next week!

Anyway, it simply looks amazing and she is SO PROUD that she did it. I can't wait for her to show it off in Vancouver! You'll have to look for us on TV! I swear you can see this thing from 2 miles away!

So, again, my sincerest thanks to you guys, especially SgtWookie who patiently provided more instruction than was reasonable in spite of our ignorance and elementary questions. I know that we truly would not have been able to do it without you!

Enjoy the pictures! We look forward to posting the results of her science fair competition later this month.

All the best,
Stacy

Wow!!! Looks great! Very neatly laid out. I certainly hope they have someone on security qualified to examine that gadget. No telling what is in there.

 

Hi Stacy!

Wow, Katie did a great job!

I'm really glad that it all worked out in the end, and despite some trials and tribulations, you both "stuck it out" and didn't give up on it. Now she's accomplished something very cool, and she should be justifiably proud of it.

I hope everyone has a wonderful time at the Olympic games! Have a safe trip, and let us know how it went.

 

A exciting thing that I'm sure Katie would enjoy is the Boe-Bot from Parallax. Although it's somewhat expensive, there are a million things you can do with it. I've programmed LEDs to blink in different ways and with varying intensities. Also, it includes servo motors which will transport your Boe-Bot at your command. The BASIC programming language is considered to be a extremeley high-level language (meaning it's one of the easiest programming languages out there).

While you can order it from Parallax's website direct, distributors sell it for a less exorbitant price.

Austin

 

Please except my hardiest congratulations for a job well done. Your mom and daughter teamwork is very admirable. Please keep us posted about the results of the Science Fair experience.

We at AAC eagerly look forward to the next project. Please don't hesitate to let us know if we can help out in the future.

hgmjr