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Where can I buy a simple electronics kit?

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I am new to electronics, have done some theory and research on the best places to buy stock parts but I would like to start with an actual project kit i.e. some type of led project that comes with all caps, resistors, (pcb) etc etc.
I have tried google and some of the other sites but want to start with a super simple and cheap example as I have not done much soldering so don't want to kill lots of costly components.
Alternatively, I would be grateful if anyone could recommend a beginners essential part list for simple projects.
Apologies if this has been printed elsewhere I tried the search but couldn't seem to find what I was looking for.
thanks in advance :)
 
You could just get a solderless breadboard, some wire (Either from a roll or pre-cut stripped pieces specifically for use with a breadboard) and a handful of components with *reliable* circuits from the web.
 
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I am new to electronics, have done some theory and research on the best places to buy stock parts but I would like to start with an actual project kit i.e. some type of led project that comes with all caps, resistors, (pcb) etc etc.
I have tried google and some of the other sites but want to start with a super simple and cheap example as I have not done much soldering so don't want to kill lots of costly components.
Alternatively, I would be grateful if anyone could recommend a beginners essential part list for simple projects.
Apologies if this has been printed elsewhere I tried the search but couldn't seem to find what I was looking for.
thanks in advance :)

You should get a handful of parts,
A solderless breadboard or two,
Wire-22awg,
wire strippers,
digital multi-meter,
and don't forget a battery and battery holder!

You can find circuits on the internet, and I would suggest taking stuff apart if you want parts cheap(you'll need a soldering iron and a solder sucker to remove parts)

To start off, you'll need a lot of:

Resistors:
10Ω,100Ω,330Ω,1000Ω(1KΩ),4.7KΩ,10KΩ and any other value
2 or 3 100K variable resistors(potentiometers)

Capacitors:
.1µf,1µf,10µf,100µf,470µf,1000µf

Diodes:
1N4007
LEDs,red,green,etc...

Transistors:
2N2222,2N3904,2N3906 (general purpose transistors)

IC's:
LM555,LM386,LM741,LM317

Power:
9volt battery
9volt battery clip
If you don't want to use a battery, use a small 9volt dc plug-in power supply
 
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Hi thanks for the advice, I have a solderless breadboard (largish), some wire 22gauge, some wirestrippers and a digital multimeter. I also have a solder station (and 3 different tips) with adjustable temp up to 400C and a desoldering pump. I have cannibalised some old electronics equipment i.e. an old laptop and ps2. I have had a go at desoldering some components and resoldering them afterwards and want to get my teeth into a very basic project or two. The resistors on the laptop are absolutely tiny though, too small for me to start with I think, although I should be able to get some good caps and possibly some IC's and a diode or three.
I will look up some simple circuits and report back with my (slow!!) progress.
Many thanks for your input and advice guys!!!
 
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For cheap common parts, check out:

All Electronics | Electronic and Electro-Mechanical Parts and Supplies at Discount Prices
Alltronics
**broken link removed**
Home
MPJA - Power Supply, Power Supplies, Security Cameras, LCD, Fans, Etc.

All of those place also offer inexpensive tools, breadboards, etc. Scrounge what you can where you can, for specialized ICs (and new parts), use Mouser or DigiKey. In a pinch, SparkFun can be useful (but expect to pay waaaay more than you could elsewhere). Other good surplus places (motors and robot stuff, mainly):

American Science & Surplus : Items Just Off the Truck
Herbach & Rademan, electric motor, power supplies, timing motor, solar panels, fans, transformers, H

Good luck...!
 
Oh - by the way: If you plan on getting any "large" number of components, think of a way to organize and sort them. Different people have different methods, so do some research on this and decide a method that would work for you. I personally prefer "Stack-On" drawer cabinets:

**broken link removed**

They are great if you have a "permanent" workbench area and a bunch of "normal size", mainly thru-hole parts (SMD components are a whole 'nother ball-o-wax when it comes to storage, but you don't need to worry about that right now). If you don't have a permanent area, then maybe some divided storage boxes along with some other storage boxes to put those in (or such a divided box with a handle) might be a better solution.

Also - remember to label -everything- if you want to have a snowball's chance of finding a part later; nothings worse than having to sort thru your parts bins/bags/whatever just to find the one particular part you need.

Something else I didn't mention about the parts (but I think someone else did - but I'll re-iterate) - for a lot of parts cheaply, Chinese sellers on Ebay can't be beat, but you have to be willing to get a bunch of parts, then sort them out. They are really great for cheap LEDs, resistor/capacitor assortments, etc...
 
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