Your summer vacation

I’ve arranged a special vacation offer just for my readers. You’ll stay at no nightly cost, have food prepared to your taste and never bother with packing and unpacking.

It’s exactly what I plan for myself: A stay-at-home vacation with activities for the whole family. You’ll have plenty of time to read and take naps — important parts of any vacation.
And it will leave you with a little extra money in your pocket. I have plans for some of those dollars, but even so you’ll end up spending a fraction of what a conventional vacation would cost.

Think of me as counselor at your high-tech summer camp. There are a wide range of fun and educational activities offered. You can tailor what you do to all age groups.

I’ll direct you to some high-tech family projects you can order using the Web. Most of these sites offer dozens of projects. I’ll suggest a few types, and then you can find kits to suit your family.

Build-a-computer

One of the best ways to learn about computing is to build your own computer. Everyone in the family can help.

The first option is to build a powerful computer that can join the family arsenal. Simply pick up all the components from power supply to case at any good computer store. Most stores will help you find what you need and have books that explain the process.

You can also get Web help here: http://www.mysuperpc.com/

The project requires no soldering and is surprisingly easy. Depending on the components you select, you’ll spend about $800. The site above offers links to sites of various parts vendors. You can also shop locally or at other Web sites.

For a more sophisticated project where you literally work at the circuitboard level, try this Web site: http://tinyurl.com/5vwrnq

This isn’t for the faint-hearted. But for those of you who want to mount tiny components, it’s a great experience. You’ll get a book and all the components you need for $125.

You will not end up with a PC. Instead, this computer is mostly for learning. But it can be used as the brains for another project, including a robot. This is definitely a project for the hobbyist, but enough help is offered to make it suitable for motivated beginners.

Some kid stuff

Many families — especially those with young children who want to get involved — would be better off starting with much easier projects. Try this Web page for a wide range of scientific kits geared toward kids: http://www.hobbyengineering.com.

A child of 11 or 12 can easily navigate kits such as these.

One of my first boyhood projects was building a radio. I did it from scratch, but there are easier ways today. A Tennessee company called Ten-Tec (it also makes outstanding ham radio products) offers a $39 kit that lets you make a shortwave radio.

You get everything you need, along with instructions. This project is suitable for kids, but soldering is required so supervision is a good idea. Check it out at the top of this page: http://radio.tentec.com/kits

That radio won’t be fancy. But the same Web page offers increasingly difficult radio kits. You can wind up with a very nice homebuilt radio for about $200. Ten-Tec is known for its willingness to help when you’re stumped. That’s a nice plus.

Heat things up

If you are interested in some of the kits that involve soldering, why not get a kit that specifically teaches soldering? It just costs $12 and — for your efforts — you end up with a robot with blinking eyes. You can see it here: http://www.kitsusa.net/phpstore/index.php.

For those who want to build a real robot, here’s a good site: http://www.lynxmotion.com

I’ve geared a lot of this to kids, but tech-minded adults shouldn’t ignore the fun these electronics projects offer. I still get great joy in building something. There’s a real thrill in hitting the power switch on something you made yourself.

So now you have a starting point for what could be a really terrific family vacation. Even if you took on two of the more expensive projects, the cost will be a fraction of what you’d spend on a conventional vacation. And you you have the potential for educational fun that can bind a family tighter than the most elegant solder joint.