Electronics Workbench

[rtinbr]

I am new to Electronics, just finishing my first few courses.

Can anyone recommend or send links to me on products to get or allready made to make up a good experimental workbench. I would like to do some work at home in addition to the limited school labs we are doing.

Should I go with something like a Radio Shack Project Kit (around $65), or one of those 200 or 500 in 1 project kits, or try to buy breadboards, components, powersupply's etc myself. That sounds kinda expensive.

Thanks

 

[theinfamousbob]

Personally, I started with the Radio Shack Sensor Lab and Learning Lab when I was 13 (got them for Christmas). That was a bit safer to work with because it was battery powered -- I never blew anything up. After working with those I moved on to the more expensive stuff, but still use the Labs for VERY quick proto work.

Bottom line: If you're new, start small and work your way up so you're not surrounded by equipment that you just barely know how to use.

 

[Krumlink]

Yeah, thats how i started too. I got my electronics learning lab when i was 10 and that was the easiest thing. It has 2 books with easy projects and hard projects. I highly suggest to start very easy, and read the whole book first up to the experiment. This will help you grasp what you will are reading. My 2nd tip is to double check every connection!!! last thing you want to do is to fry a chip on accident, although that is not a problem with the chips that you get and what the max voltage is. Another thing is to use this forum and your online resources! That can really help you out! Instead of buying a book and looking at it for hours looking for a answer, ask real living people! Because some of us have the same lab as you! So for what to get follow the list below:

Electronics Learning Lab $65
This forum!
Careful reading!

This is the best solution to a beginner. You get a very very nice learning lab with tons of stuff on it with nice springs on it. It also includes pre-cut wires and components for every experiment you will need puls extras. Requires 6 AA bateries, but these chips use very low power, so you wont have to worry about replacing them.

Hoped that helped

 

[yngndrw]

I started off with a 200in1 kit, but I ended up blowing half of it up. :c

Regardless of that, I didn't really learn anything from it. I think I learnt a lot more from looking at circuit diagrams and building them on strip board. I then started using breadboards afterwards. I know it's the wrong order but hey soldering was one of the things that kept the start of electronics interesting for me.

Anyhow, I think you'd be better off with a power supply (Regulated 5V DC PSU would be fine as long as you dont want op-amps, two 9V batterys can be used for op-amps though), multimeter, breadboard, door-bell wire, wire strippers / cutters and a selection box of components.

Good luck.

 

[rtinbr]

Just wondering,
Would the radio shack version get me through, equipment wise, with my projects as I approach end of school level experiments. Or should I invest a bit more on Electronics Trainers such as these:
**broken link removed**

And then try to just buy a bunch of bulk components off of Ebay. I see guys selling component bundles of like 700+ misc components:

**broken link removed**

Would hate to spend the $65 on Radio Shack version if it will only get me through the very very basics.

Radio Shacks: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102913

Thanks for the help.

 

[things]

i started with a funway thing from dick smith, when i was about 9 my first kit was a simple electronic dice, and i totally screwed it up i'm only 13, but if i ever try that dice kit again, i reckon i could finish it in 2 minutes

 

[picbits]

I started with a 75 in 1 kit from Tandy (Radio Shack) around 30 years ago .......