Quick to get going. Instructional. Lots o’ parts. FUN!
I plan to automate the air intake control on my wood stove, and that means taking temperatures from two thermocouples, analyzing them, and moving a lever. An Arduino can do that very easily.But I know nothing about Arduinos other than they exist. UNTIL NOW.I just finished Lesson 5, Digital Inputs. The PDF instructions explain what is going on and warn you that in this particular section things seem a bit backwards, a good thing to make you aware of so you can learn. Each lesson is brief with excellent pictures and diagrams and just enough explanation. Follow and HAVE FUN.The kit already contains a lot of what I will need to build my project someday: Arduino and power supply; LCD display; motors; motor controllers; buttons; LEDs and other electronic bits; remote controller and sensor. I will need to add thermocouples and the associated interfaces, and the information for those is available everywhere on the ‘net. I may also add Bluetooth and WiFi, using BLYNK to create an app for the phone…someday.The kit comes neatly packed in a nice plastic container with a bunch of compartments. You get your development environment from the ‘net, and the included CD contains all the code you’ll need, which is EASY to upload to the Arduino. There are breadboards to let you lay out your parts, do the lessons, and experiment. You do not need to solder. You just need a PC with a USB port, and you install the development environment there and plug the board in. The Arduino already has a program loaded and running to blink an LED, and you will modify that program by changing a number, then you’ll upload it and see the results. That is how easy this is to get going.Additional parts are easy to get and relatively inexpensive, and when your project is all designed, you can get boards where you can solder everything permanently. I have a long way to go to get to that point. This kit, though, has been a wonderful learning experience so far.About the only things I found with the kit, which are MINOR:- It is tough to discern the colors on the resisters. This isn’t the fault of Elegoo. I suggest getting a stand with a magnifying glass and light. Note that the tape from which the resisters come is labeled, so you can just go by that.- I needed a longer USB cable than what was included. I had one on hand. Again, not Elegoo’s issue, as they supplied a USB cable in the kit. Plug and play.Overall: Lots o’ stuff in a fun kit with great instructions!Note: I do have some basic familiarity with electronic components and programming. Having these basic skills does help, but I think a beginner can follow along. Just take your time to follow the pictures, and take even more time to understand the programming examples (the “sketches”), which are short and fairly clear. And HAVE FUN.

Comprehensive Kit for Beginners, but Documentation Could Be Better
I recently delved into the ELEGOO Mega R3 Project Starter Kit, and it’s a fantastic choice for anyone new to electronics and programming. The kit includes a wide range of components, from various sensors and motors to an extensive collection of jumper wires and modules. This makes it an excellent value for those starting out or wanting to experiment with different projects.The compatibility with the Arduino IDE is seamless, and setting up was straightforward. I appreciated the inclusion of a tutorial, which provides a good introduction to using the kit and programming with Arduino. It’s very helpful if you’re just beginning and need step-by-step guidance.However, the documentation could use some improvement. While the tutorial is a good start, it can be a bit basic and might not cover more advanced or troubleshooting aspects. If you’re looking for in-depth project guides or more complex examples, you might need to supplement this kit with additional resources.

I just received replacement parts from Elegoo and my original order was in fact from the old stock. Anyone ordering now will likely get the updated Kit. Excellent service and will order from Elegoo again. Thank you!____________________________________I used to program in C++ some 20 years ago, but I gave up then due to the limited interface capabilities with sensors and a general lack of libraries, etc. My career doesn’t involve programing / computers now, but I was looking at getting back into it – hence having ordered this product. It’s really cool that Arduino Mega (clone) can be interfaced with all kinds of sensors.To review this product: All pieces arrived on-time in a plastic compartmentalized case. It also came with a CD that acts as an introductory walk-through of all the sensors included in the package. The English was good, albeit with some errors. All components worked, but I do have some comments:1. The RGB LED wires were crossed. The ground was still correct, but the colour leads were off. No biggy, just had to rewire.2. The relay is a stand alone, and should really be installed on a small break-out panel because the pins do not line up with the breadboard and are too big for the F-M wires. Also, the breadboard itself is not rated for 120V/20A (rating of relay). That being said, it was enough for teaching the concept and would switch lower wattage loads.3. The sound sensor module was weak – I had to literally hit it to register values.4. The DC Motor is said to activate at 50 with a max value of 255, however, in reality, it would not start below 100 and would have phasing issues above 150. Again, good enough to teach the concept.5. Some of the coding is outdated and written only for the UNO. You have to look up the PINs for the Mega to make some sensors work. For example the RFID uses a totally different set of pins. You’ll have to hunt through libraries on the internet.6.The schematic and the sample photos were nice to have, but some did not match – creating confusion.7. The coding for the stepper motor is off as well. It is a LOW RPM motor (5-10) and not 20 as it was coded. Above 20 it was occasionally non-responsive.8. Some of the M-M wires pulled out of the pin, but plenty spares are included.9. The breadboard can be hard to punch sometimes – you have to insert on an angle – again no biggy.10. The 9V battery that was included is essentially useless -died after less than 5 mins powering the 8×8 LED module.11. The PIR sensor (motion sensor is not the HC-SR501, but rather the DSUN DSN-FIR 800. The DSUN does not have the jumper settings that the instruction manual mentioned – so it seems like a simpler module.12. There is a generous number of resistors includedOverall, it was a fun set to work with and the sensors were great for teaching functionality and concept. For the price, it was the best value that I could find. Depending on your project, you’ll probably want to upgrade some sensors that have greater specifications and tolerances.

Un kit tres complete et facile a utiliser. Le DVD fournit évite de perdre trop de temps pour rechercher les Bibliothèques nécessaires pour le codage. Tutoriel en anglais. Je pense que le tutoriel pourrait être améliore avec un peu plus d’explications théoriques.