Joule Thief Electronics Kit – From Breadboard Prototype to Real PCB
Learn electronics the way engineers actually do it.
The Joule Thief is a clever, real-world circuit that allows a nearly “dead” battery to power an LED brightly.
Here’s the kicker: even a fully charged AA battery at 1.5 V isn’t enough to power a white LED, which typically needs around 3 V. On its own, the LED won’t light at all.
Yet this circuit can run that same LED from a battery drained down to around 0.7 V. How? By rapidly switching and storing energy, the Joule Thief creates high voltage spikes which can force the LED to turn on.
An excellent example showing how engineers work around real-world limitations using smart circuit design.
The Joule Thief Electronics Kit is a complete, hands-on learning experience that takes you from first principles on a breadboard all the way to a finished, soldered PCB. This kit is designed to teach not just what a circuit does, but how engineers think when developing real electronic products.
You will build two versions of the same circuit:
A fully working prototype on a breadboard
A professional-style PCB version that you assemble and solder yourself
Along the way, you’ll learn how the Joule Thief circuit works, why each component is used, and how a simple idea becomes a finished electronic product.
What You’ll Learn
- How a Joule Thief circuit operates in practice by building and testing it step by step
- How to construct a coupled inductor (toroid) by hand, including winding, insulation removal, and continuity testing
- How to build, power, and troubleshoot a real transistor-based circuit on a breadboard
- How component orientation, pinouts, and wiring errors affect whether a circuit works or fails
- How to methodically troubleshoot a non-working circuit using continuity checks and signal flow
- How the same electronic circuit is implemented differently on a breadboard versus a PCB
- How PCB traces, ground planes, vias, and terminals replace jumper wires and breadboard connections
- How to assemble and solder a through-hole PCB safely and correctly
- How engineers move from a working prototype to a finished, repeatable hardware build
All builds are supported by full step-by-step video instructions along with a paper based version, guiding you through the practical build process.
What’s Included in the Kit
Everything required to build both versions of the circuit is included:
- Breadboard
- Custom PCB
- 2 × AA batteries
- Battery holders
- Terminals
- Resistors
- LEDs
- Toroid cores
- Enamelled copper wire
- Transistors
- Switches
This allows you to create:
- One working prototype
- One finished PCB-based circuit
Tools Required (Not Included)
To assemble the PCB version, at a minimum you will need:
- Soldering iron
- Solder
- Pliers
- Wire cutters
- Screwdriver
- Safety glasses
Important Information
- Soldering is required to complete the PCB build
- Educational use only – this is not a toy
- Recommended age: 14+
- Contains small parts – choking hazard
- Adult supervision required
Shipping Information
Orders are shipped Monday to Friday. You will recieve a tracking link via e-mail as soon as your item is packaged and ready for dispatch.
Shipping is currently available to:
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Canada
If you are outside these regions, you can register your interest here, and we will contact you when shipping becomes available in your country.
This kit is designed and hand-assembled in our UK-based Engineering Mindset studio workshop and shipped worldwide. We are currently offering free shipping on this product, which will be automatically applied at checkout.
Note: Component colours may vary.
Why This Kit Exists
This is our first-ever physical kit, created to bridge the gap between theory and real-world electronics. It’s for learners who want more than a pre-built module, who want to understand how things actually work and how engineers turn ideas into hardware.
If you’ve ever wanted to move beyond kits that just “plug together” and start thinking like an engineer, this is where you start.
Quality Guarantee & Returns
Each Joule Thief kit is made to order, packed by hand, and carefully checked before dispatch.
In the unlikely event that you receive a defective or damaged component, or a kit with missing parts, please contact us within 14 days of delivery and include clear photos of the issue. We will assess the claim and, where appropriate, provide a replacement part, replacement kit, or refund.
Due to the nature of electronic kits:
- We do not accept returns for kits that have been assembled, soldered, or modified
- We do not accept returns for damage caused by incorrect assembly, misuse, or soldering
- Change-of-mind returns are not accepted
This policy does not affect your statutory consumer rights.