SAFETY · HANDS-ON BUILDS

Battery or USB power, 12 V or less

Every circuit that Spark Chamber suggests you build runs on batteries or USB power, at 12 V DC or less. Low voltage isn't the same as harmless: a small battery can still burn you or start a fire. Read these notes before you build.

Power

  • Use only batteries or a USB supply, and never more than 12 V DC.
  • Never open, modify, or build anything that plugs into the wall. Household AC (wall-outlet) power appears in the app only to explain how power supplies work.
  • Use a USB power bank or a separate USB charger rather than your computer's USB port, since a wiring mistake can damage the port.
  • Disconnect power before you build or change a circuit, and check the wiring against the schematic before you reconnect it.

Short circuits, heat, and batteries

  • Even a small battery can deliver a large current into a short circuit. Wires, parts, and the cell itself can get hot enough to burn you, and lithium cells can catch fire.
  • If anything gets hot, smells, or swells, disconnect the power at once.
  • Never short a battery's terminals, and don't carry loose cells where keys or coins can touch them.
  • Don't use a cell that's damaged, swollen, or leaking.

Parts

  • Electrolytic capacitors have a polarity and a voltage rating. Reversed or overvolted, they can bulge or vent.
  • An LED needs a series resistor.
  • Check each part's voltage, current, and power ratings against what the circuit demands of it.

Tools

  • Wear eye protection when soldering or clipping leads.
  • A soldering iron's tip is hot enough to burn instantly. Keep it in its stand, solder in a ventilated place, and wash your hands afterward.
  • Younger students should build with an adult present.

Provided as is

Spark Chamber is provided as is, without warranty. Check every circuit before you build it, and follow these rules.