Tandy are still around, just not on the high street any more.
I don't know if they are still into kits though.
I did also build many moons back a kit for a stereo decoder for fm, that
you could fit to almost any portable tuner by simply removing one capacitor.
It was actually very good. A swine to align since it used aphase locked
loop but fun nonetheless.
Brian

--
----- --
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
wrote in message
...
On Sunday, 3 February 2019 09:58:11 UTC, Tim+ wrote:
So, any recommendations for basic and more advanced kits that won't break
the bank? At the moment looking at a cheap Tesla coil kit on eBay.

The "Science Fair" projects sold by Tandy in the 80s may be simple compared
to these days of digital this, microprocessor that, and IoT't'other, but
they came with manuals that had a full circuit description. You won't get a
digital clock, but you'll get an AM radio, simple intercom and maybe a siren
oscillator!

And if you want to solder one up permanently the components will be cheaper
than chips. They only had a small number of preferred value components (this
one had 10 resistors) so you can buy 10 x 50-packs from cpc and have all the
resistors you need to make 50 projects with no waste. Transistors may need
an equivalent.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SCIENCE-F...T/333033499767

Essential you get one with a manual, though.

Owain