What to buy?

[tom-knox]

I'm getting started in electronics in the next month and i've been wondering what you think i should buy to get going. Components, tools, literature etc.
What d'you think is needed to get going here?

 

[Boncuk]

The components are normally dictated by the circuit.

The most necessary tools are: tweezers, side cutter, long nose pliers, soldering station, solder tin (~0.5mm with resin core) ... and and and ...

... and a sledge hammer (in case the circuit won't work)

You should also get a variable power supply 0 - 30VDC, 0 - 2A and a digital multimeter.

Boncuk

 

[tom-knox]

Breadboard, protoboard/stripboard?

 

[Hero999]

What's your location?

What sort of electronics are you going to be doing?

For a basic starter kit I'd recommend the following:

An E12 set of carbon film resistors, 10R to 1M. I recommend buying extra common values, i.e. E3 values between 100R and 100k.

An E3 set of capacitors, 10pF to 1000µF. I recommend buying extra 100nF capacitors, you'll come across these all the time.

The above can normally be bought as kits.

Small signal transistors, e.g. PN2222A (NPN), PN2907 (PNP).
Some MOSFETs, e.g. IRL540.

Diodes: 1N4001 (rectifier), 1N4148 (small signal), BAT85 (Schottky small signal), 1N5821 (Schottky barrier).

Some cheap wall plug mains adaptors, look in charity shops or trash pick from the dump.

Regulator ICs: start with LM7805 and LM317, not so important if the wall plugs you buy are regulated.

Common op-amps, e.g. TL072, TL074, LM358, LM324.
A small audio amp IC e.g. LM386.
Comparators, e.g. LM393, LM339, LM311.

Small 8Ω speakers, look for old radios/TVs at the local dump.

Some CMOS glue logic, i.e. CD4011, 74HC01, 74HC04, etc. not needed much these days but still useful for simple circuits.

Are you interested in micro-controllers?

Buy a cheap programmer ans some PICs.

See Nigel's tutorials.
Nigel's PIC Tutorial Page

Another good PIC site.
Gooligum Electronics

Essential tools:
A set of screwdirvers
Soldering iron
Desoldering pump
Multimeter
Breadboard

Also nice:
Oscilloscope - look on ebay
Signal generator - ebay again or build your own.
Benchtop power supply - build your own.

Consumables:
Solder
Stripboard
Tinned copper wire

Also nice:
Etching kit.

 

[Mark68]

Build My Own?

Benchtop power supply - build your own.

I'm probably biting off more than I can chew, but I would love to be able to build a power supply. Do you have a good schematic for this...that doesn't need to be tweeked. I have never worked with AC (other than changing a plug or outlet) but I would love to try. Maybe a list of parts along with it..so I buy the right components and supplies with it? I know theres are alot of info on the net...but I don't want to trust just any info. I'd rather get it from someone that built it and has the schematic and information with it.

Thanks for any Help!

 

[Hero999]

It depends on what you need from your supply.

Proving you use a transformer, connect the metal case to earth and include a fuse there's not much that can go wrong. If you've got mains and DC on the same PCB just make sure you leave a wide gap between the primary and secondary traces, 12mm (half an inch) minimum.

I'd recommend an LM317 supply.

Or if you want to be slightly more adventurous a bipolar tracking supply.

http://www.electro-tech-online.com/custompdfs/2009/07/Bipolar20PSU.pdf

 

[tom-knox]

I was going to build my own bench anyway, found some great project guides for that.

You recommend any starter projects or books to go through, when starting in electronics?

 

[tariq7868]

here is schemtic for dual power supply...

 

[xtrmi]

Hey thanks for posting the schematics. This will give me something to study. I'm currently getting my hands dirty trying to design and build a bench top supply

 

[Mark68]

It depends on what you need from your supply.

Proving you use a transformer, connect the metal case to earth and include a fuse there's not much that can go wrong. If you've got mains and DC on the same PCB just make sure you leave a wide gap between the primary and secondary traces, 12mm (half an inch) minimum.

I'd recommend an LM317 supply.

Or if you want to be slightly more adventurous a bipolar tracking supply.

http://www.electro-tech-online.com/custompdfs/2009/07/Bipolar20PSU-1.pdf

Hero I think I put the components right....but I cant see where the C8 would go? Sorry I know it's sloppy but it's the only way could get it off the pdf file you gave me. What am I missing here?

 

[Hero999]

I suppose i should have prepared a silk screen layer, even though I didn't use it.

C1 and C2 are wrong, flip them by 90°, they're axial leaded and quite large.

I didn't fit C8 because I didn't need it. I was advised to include C8 because some people had simulated the circuit and it was unstable without C8.

Anyway, I strongly recommend you make your own PCB because the footprints of the parts you use may be significantly different.

 

[Mark68]

C1 and C2 are wrong, flip them by 90°, they're axial leaded and quite large.

C1, and C2? Are you sure those are the ones you meant to say? If I turned those 90 degrees where would they go?

And another thing.....how did you make that little 'degree sign'? LOL

 

[Hero999]

C1, and C2? Are you sure those are the ones you meant to say?

Yes C1 and C2.

If I turned those 90 degrees where would they go?

Like the big blue cylinders in the photograph linked below.
http://www.electro-tech-online.com/attachments/bipolar-psu-pic-jpg.30625/

And another thing.....how did you make that little 'degree sign'? LOL

I use the Clippings extension for Firefox which allows me to access pre-programmed bits of text on a menu which appears when I right click. I added loads of useful symbols using Windows Character map. The forum also has it's own symbols but my list has the ones I use more often.
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/1347

 

[Mark68]

Yes C1 and C2.


Like the big blue cylinders in the photograph linked below.
http://www.electro-tech-online.com/attachments/bipolar-psu-pic-jpg.30625/


I use the Clippings extension for Firefox which allows me to access pre-programmed bits of text on a menu which appears when I right click. I added loads of useful symbols using Windows Character map. The forum also has it's own symbols but my list has the ones I use more often.
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/1347

Ok I see the problem now...it's a foreign language mis-communication. See, in America...we wouldn't say 'quite large', we would say something like, 'totally huge', that would have clued the reader to look all the way to the other side of the PCB. LOL. By the way, thank you for being "quite patient" with me.

I'll have to check out that clipping thing a ma jig, I got to have that with my right click.

Can you take a few more pics of the front and sides for reference, and maybe let me know what a good size to make the pcb board.

Thanks for all your help......I've never done this...so I will probably be asking more as I go along.

 

[AllVol]

We would say, "Totally huge"? Hmmmmmm.

 

[Mark68]

We would say, "Totally huge"? Hmmmmmm.

Well seeing your from down south.....you might say somethin like gitter dun!

 

[Mr RB]

Or if you were from California you might say... "Totally huge DUDE!!!"

 

[Mark68]

Or if you were from California you might say... "Totally huge DUDE!!!"

Exactly my point.....and seeing I'm a New Yorker.....that covers the US. LOL

 

[Mark68]

Hero.....where are you? Can I get a few more pics of your sexy bi-polar power supply. Specially the front of it. I have no idea what it should even look like. I know I need one if I am going to start fiddlin with electronics. K if you don't answer this....I won't bug you no more, but if you do...your committing to probably a bunch more annoying questions....K enough ramblin~

 

[Hero999]

I was banned and now I've only just rediscovered this thread.

Here's a picture of the whole thing, see this thread for more information.