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Toy electroscope for visualizing charge - KiCad source files, gerbers and bill of materials

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Toy Electroscope

Elsewhere: Check out the through-hole version of this electroscope

This is an Electroscope done up using a design from Alan "vk2zay" Yates in his Making Electrets video.

Updated Toy Electroscope

Postings

Updated electroscope

Initial release

Direct fabrication

Latest/updated (use this one): Updated electroscope (OSHPark shared project)

Older: Old electroscope (OSHPark shared project)

Bill of Materials

This BOM specifies the amount needed for one board.

Quantity Description Digikey Part Number Board Placement
3 2N3906 MMBT3906FSCT-ND Right (label: 2N3906)
3 2N3904 MMBT3904FSCT-ND Left (label: 2N3904)
2 100 ohm resistor (0603 imperial) 1276-5038-1-ND Bottom (label: 100 ohm)
2 100k ohm resistor (0603 imperial) 1276-5110-1-ND Middle (label: 100k ohm)
2 1M ohm resistor (0603 imperial) 311-1.00MHRCT-ND Top (label: 1M ohm)
1 9v female PCB mount snap BSPCF 9V+ terminal (verify before soldering by attaching to a 9V battery -- reworking afterwards is difficult without specialized tools/materials)
1 9v male PCB mount snap BSPCM 9V- terminal (verify before soldering by attaching to a 9V battery -- reworking afterwards is difficult without specialized tools/materials)

LEDs

Pick either the 3mm LEDs or surface mount 0805s

Quantity Description Digikey Part Number Board Placement
2 3mm LEDs (Red: 160-1704-ND / Green: 160-1958-ND Bottom (verify orientation before soldering!)
2 0805 imperial LEDs (Orange: 350-2040-1-ND / Yellow: 350-2041-1-ND Bottom (verify orientation as with the 3mm LEDs)

Antenna

There is no part for this, so you'll have to make your own. A simple loop soldered together usually works well (the twisted termination used in the previous photos is just a fancy flourish).

Optional

Shielding: I experimented with a three-layered combination of kapton/polymide tape (to cover the BJTs), copper tape (edge to edge, touching the exposed ground edges), and then another layer of kapton/polymide to keep the copper looking nicely unscuffed by oils (from fingers).

License

CC0 1.0 Universal

Original design/schematic by Alan "vk2zay" Yates

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Toy electroscope for visualizing charge - KiCad source files, gerbers and bill of materials

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