Component buying advice for a newbie setting up  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2019, 07:18:51 pm
content: A young friend is getting into electronics, he's done Arduino things but he's interested in learning analogue electronics because he plays guitar.I've already suggested some bubblegum transistors (complimentary pairs like BC547, BC557, BD139, BD140), some OPAmps (bubblegum stuff again, the TL07x ones, some 741) a few voltage regulators and diodes and some amplifier chips (TDA2030, TDA2822) but, resistors, capacitors?I'm thinking he'd benefit from a resistor selection pack but there seems little point in having the *whole* range at first, so, E12 up to 100K with more stock of the commonly used values (the E3 ones)?Capacitors, as he's interested in audio I don't think he's going to need picofarad values so, a selection of ceramics and electrolytics, 1nF, 4.7nF, 10nF, 47nF, 100nF, 470nF and 1uF, then the same range in uF up to 1000uF, say 50V?A selection of variable pots and trimmers.I've got a PSU for him (A Farnell TOPS) and an old Hameg analogue 'scope, he's already got a multimeter, not a great one but it'll do for now.The rest of the workshop tools like a soldering iron, pliers, cutters etc. he's already got, he'll be ordering a breadboard and wires as well as some matrix type protoyping boards.Suggestions and corrections?

author: Lee Leduc
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 13, 2019, 02:46:06 pm
content: Looks like he may be interested in making simple guitar effects and such. I would add a kit of film caps and some monolythic (.1uF or .01uF) bypass caps. Amazon has a lot of component kits available. Here are some examples of Film Cap kits.https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_8?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=film+capacitor+assortment&sprefix=film+cap%2Caps%2C170&crid=2WBHUKREOWOB8

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 13, 2019, 03:57:01 pm
content: I’d buy some stuff from bitsbox. Their component kits are reasonably good value for money:https://www.bitsbox.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=272

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 13, 2019, 04:34:16 pm
content: I think the whole E12 series even up to 1M is worthwhile and can be bought for under £10.https://www.reichelt.com/gb/en/set-e12-resistors-610-pieces-k-res-e12-p119272.html?CTYPE=0&MWSTFREE=0&PROVID=2788&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvrrbtpbr3wIVyrvtCh3cTgbNEAQYASABEgKaUPD_BwE&&r=1Failing that, at lest get the E3 kit, which is cheaper and has 30 of each value.https://www.reichelt.com/gb/en/set-e3-resistors-480-pieces-k-res-e3-p119273.html?&trstct=pol_2I'd get both of the above if I was starting out today.The above are only 5% tolerance which is adequate for most applications, but he may want to consider 1%, although they can be purchased when needed.

author: kosine
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2019, 02:24:03 pm
content: Maybe a few 2950s for more precision stuff. (Good for Arduino projects where you need a cheap and simple 5V analogue reference for ADC measurements.)Considering the musical element, maybe some 1/4" and 3.5mm plugs and sockets. One of those cheap ICL8038 waveform generator kits would be interesting. The venerable MC1496 could be fun for mixing signals.Also recommend you introduce him to LTSpice.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2019, 03:29:55 pm
content: Quote from: kosine on January 14, 2019, 02:24:03 pmNow that's a good point, I hadn't thought of that.Quote from: kosine on January 14, 2019, 02:24:03 pmI've done that, partly in the knowledge that it'll be useful, partly because he can teach me when he works it out