I am young, I want to build an electronics lab. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: bwclark
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 27, 2015, 10:04:54 pm
content: I am young, I am younger. I have some electronic stuff, but I want to build an electronics lab. Because I am young I can't get a job, test equipment and other things cost large amounts of money. Is there anyone who knows where I find cheap and working test equipment and other electronics bits. I am looking for a cheap analog oscilloscope, I am going to buy a multimeter, and I have an Arduino Kit.http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OHQ3CBW/ref=twister_B00OHQ3BD6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1-ThanksBaron CIdaho Falls Idaho, United States of America.P.SI know what I need for a lab, but I don't have allot of money.

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 27, 2015, 10:12:25 pm
content: Wow, just a bit too late to enter a contest for a free multimeter. Please don't be discouraged by the prices of things. I am sure there are things you can do, like cutting grass for neighbors and other things. Keep at it and you will get somewhere.

author: bwclark
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 27, 2015, 10:17:17 pm
content: If you find any more contests, let me know.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2015, 10:51:49 pm
content: Welcome, and I hope you continue to enjoy your hobby.Don't get hung up too much about getting test equipment. You can do an awful lot with just a power supply and a multimeter. In fact there is a good argument that having too much test equipment can be a hindrance. Yes, that is an exaggeration, but there is more than a grain of truth to it.Consider, for example, how would you approach designing the fastest oscilloscope in the work? Obviously you don't a scope fast enough to debug it, so you have to be more inventive and indirect. Learning how to do that is a valuable life skill.Not having, say, a scope to debug a project makes you think how you can break your design down into small easy steps, each of which can be tested with a voltmeter, a LED, and a switch. Then, after you have convinced yourself that beach tiny step worked, you will have the confidence that you can stitch them together into a slightly larger blog.So, have fun, safely and inventively. And, as you already know, "Don't ask, don't get. Do ask, might get"!

author: JackP
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2015, 11:08:22 pm
content: I've learned that the cheapest is not necessarily the worst. You don't need any sort of precision for Arduino projects, so what's wrong with a £2 multimeter. Sure, don't go north of about 12v just to be on the safe side, but at the end if the day it is not a danger unless high voltages are common (then buy a fluke or whatever). Build a simple logic probe, 5 mins with Google and you can instantly check a state, no multimeter required, same with a continuity tester. Building these little gizmos and gadgets is a great way to learn about the equipment itself, and have surprisingly varied applications (linked to the comment about the fastest scope).Finally, I will say that I know your pain. Look on eBay, keep checking for cheap, even obscure test gear. These pieces are often the lowest cost, can teach you loads and give you that new gear feeling! Be proud of your achievements, not the gear you have.

author: mrkev
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2015, 11:10:50 pm
content: Welcome from me too, the thing is, you don't really need that much to start and the best way to get hold of things is to build them. Then, if you actually build stuff, you'll easily spot what's missing on your bench, what tools you should buy.Hint from me, don't buy the cheap stuff (unless you know what you are buying and why. I do f.e. agree with JackP's on the MMs). Even old and used tool that was made with honesty and from solid materials is almost every time better than cheap stuff many hobbyists buy nowadays. Look at ebay, radio-amateur auctions (if you have these in USA), or ask at schools/companies for old and not used stuff that would be written-off. Sadly, I'm not from states so that's about everything I can come up with...Quote from: tggzzz on March 27, 2015, 10:51:49 pmYou've just reminded me of my first scope. I build it with 8051, ADC from old school scope card (wasn't working) and SRAMs from 486 PC cache. I didn't have scope, so I used the ADC and uC to debug the rest

author: timofonic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2015, 11:20:36 pm
content: I"m nearly three times older than you, but I lack incomes and have the same problem.I want a lab grade power supply, a proper bench multimeter, a nice soldering station, a exposure box.for PCBs, some tools, a microscope, a logic analyzer, an analog oscilloscope... and be able to pay myborivate tutor by some years (an old EE that worked at telecommunications) because he was able to teach this rusty and underdeveloped brain many nice stuff that looked impossible to.me.But I have no incomes and my mother has very low incomes.I'm from Spain, that's another handicap tobthe list. We have very.high.unemployment rates too.

author: gildasd
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2015, 11:56:33 pm
content: I'm also older, but in the same budget predicament:- Solder station - Free during a promo at the local electronics shop, it's crap, but it will do for a start.- Multimeter, Uni-t cheapy for less than 60€ in the same shop.- Wires, resistors, breadboards etc... Repaired some bicycles to get some cash (can't work as a student because yayadada tax reasons), about 20€.- Other components (555, 741, 4001 LEDs etc), our school has a program where you can "piggy back" on their purchasing for small items - but you are limited to their list. Go ask the electronics or science teacher. I got about 50 components for less than the price of a sandwich!- Scope. Teacher picked it off a skip - I can borrow it until I can buy a Rigol.- Other components de-soldered from thrown away gear (lots of MOFSETS in a PC).- Power supply, got a turd for 25€, but then built a 6 channel Opamp based hub.- Next power supply, I'm modding a recycled PC power supply.Etc...Just ask around, just in your block of houses there might be a 4000 in 1 gathering dust and other forgotten but useful stuff. Make a friendly fun flier and put it in mailboxes (if that is legal where you are, laws are sometimes weird in the US of A).

author: mrkev
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2015, 01:14:20 am
content: Well after all, I can say the same thing. I am still a student (combined studies) and I'm currently looking for a job, so the money is a issue for me too. I have:- ERS 50 soldering iron. It's old but great tool made by one local company. I've got it from company where I had internship and they were upgrading their tools. I've made two solder irons, but i prefer this one so I sold them.- Two supplies, I've build both. 0-15V 1,5A max and double 0-30V 3A with transformer from old power amplifier. I made first one when I was about your age, in the electronics club (which is great place to learn stuff and get some cheap parts)- Three multimeters, one cheap Uni-T for about 40$, second is also cheap DM3900 (doesn't look that good but it's a good tool for the money) and third one is lab class old analog meter (also write-off), surprisingly it's the most precise one (I've even checked it with proper tools at school and it's in 0,1%) and it has all the protection to measure at mains.- Tools for AVR and 8051, made them myself. The AVR one is USBasp based, I've got also several test boards of mine design.- Tools for making PCBs, some chemistry (ferrite chloride, stuff for cold tinning). Now I mostly use old Iron and laser printer but I also have glass and UV lamp for photo-process.- Proxxon drill, drill stand (cost me about 150$) and huge variety of drills, cutter and milling tools, some screw cutters. Bought those over years.- Two scopes. The one I use is old analog (double chanel 150MHz double beam with delayed sweep), I got it on local variant of ebay for 100$. Even now, it's better than most of the cheap digital scopes. Second one is even older 60MHz analog that I've got from high school, I had to repair it. I also have scope card that I've build. It's just 8b 1MHz, not precise but OK for debugging digital stuff.- RLCG meter from ebay. And cap/inductor meter that I've made.- Low distortion sine gen. for audio, and function generator based on XR2206, again both mine. I'm currently building distortion meter for the first one.- Complete range of resistors and caps (e12), transistors, chips, transformers, inductors, breadboards etc. Accumulated over years, from the ee club, some de-soldered, from radio-amateur flee markets, my last job at electronics shop (something like radio shack) and ofc some bought. Just tip - If you wanna buy SMDs, I would recommend to choose one size and keep with it (I have almost everything in 0805), you can also get huge number of cheap components at ebay, it just takes time to measure and sort them out.- Many tools that I've made just because I needed them at the time, like f.e. LED tester (simple 0-100mA current source), continuity testers, digital probes, wire detector and so on

author: sean0118
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2015, 01:22:58 am
content: Nice to meet you Young.University's are known for hoarding old and surplus electronics equipment. If you have a local university it's probably worth a try sending an email to the electrical engineering department or going to an open day and asking if they want to give any away. That's how I got my power supply, but I was a student of the university at the time...

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 28, 2015, 01:42:08 am
content: Try local ham radio ham fests or flea markets. Try ham radio clubs, especially if you might have an interest in the hobby. You may find people that have older test gear that they may sell for a song or give. It never hurts to ask. I picked up a Tektronix 2235 oscilloscope for $45 at a ham fest and got some cheap probes off of eBay. Same ham fest, I got a Fluke 1952B frequency counter for $15. Hit them up toward the end of the day and you will get a better price because they don't want to haul everything back home

author: sean0118
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2015, 01:46:09 am
content: I nearly forgot, your in the US, so you might have surplus equipment stores nearby. I wish we had them here.Also, if your buying used equipment, make sure you do some basic safety checks on it. If in doubt ask on the forum.

author: bwclark
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 28, 2015, 05:02:35 pm
content: Would the army surplus warehouse have any test equipment, or parts?P.SThanks for all your replies. I am going to call Idaho State University Computer Science and Electrical Engineering department, and see if they have any old stuff. I am also going to try the asking neighbors thing.Also is this a good multimeter:http://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-multimeter-98025.html?

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2015, 05:41:42 pm
content: Quote from: bwclark on March 28, 2015, 05:02:35 pmI've never seen any in an Army surplus store.QuoteNo, not really. The least expensive multimeter I would recomend is theUni-T 136for $16. But keep it (and any cheap multimeter) away from high voltages!

author: rolycat
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2015, 06:08:45 pm
content: Quote from: bwclark on March 28, 2015, 05:02:35 pmIt's a variant of the DT-830 models describedhereand elsewhere on the forum - as discussed in that thread Harbor Freight often give them away for free with even a token purchase.Opinions are divided but many people think it's a decent choice for someone just starting out, and makes a handy second meter once you can afford something a little better. As mtdoc says, don't use any cheap meter with high voltages (>30V or so).

author: gildasd
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2015, 06:13:35 pm
content: Go cycling round your neighborhood: if a roof has loads of antennas on the roof, it is probably a ham radio operator and helpfull.Or a preper who will shoot you.Drop a note and if they call you, go say hello with a parent.

author: Rupunzell
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2015, 04:58:49 pm
content: Suggest visiting one of the local Radio or HAM swap meets, similar electronics swap meets and purchase or ask for donations of vintage hewlett-packard or tektronix (ideally from mid-1960's to late 1990's) test gear in need of repair. Check with your local college or even a high school for student test gear take-home offerings.Find the correct service manual for any given item of test gear and work on repairing it.There are very good reasons to do this instead of simply purchasing the latest and trendiest test gear at new market prices. Vintage test gear in need of repair is often low cost to free. In this process, much learning can happen once that instrument has been repaired, it can be return to being quite useful in many ways. The result of this process can gain more than just a lab full of great test gear, much about electronics can be learned in the process and being able to repair an instrument in need of service gains a host of skills and be self-sufficient with maintaining a high quality electronics lab.Do take in stray electronics widgets, take them apart and ponder how and why they work in the ways they do. This is another powerful and useful learning method. Take in old data books and well established electronics text books, read them and work to understand the information within them. Also read up on other hard science books and literature like Physics, chemistry and others as they are the foundation of how much of this stuff works.Bernice

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2015, 05:10:03 pm
content: Quote from: Rupunzell on March 29, 2015, 04:58:49 pmYes, this. And since you're 12, there's a good chance you have a lot of electronic toys you've out grown lying around. I've had fun with my young boys tearing down their toys as they've outgrown or broken them. If broken you can learn a lot by fixing them. Tear them down and you've got a source of parts to play with.

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2015, 05:41:09 pm
content: I totally agree on what Rupunzell said. I could have said the same thing.I am not young, I do not have special problems of money, and I started electronics with an arduino like you , two years ago.Willing to continue, I could have equipped a full lab with brand new material.Instead of that, I started to collect old electronic devices that you can find all around the place for free,and which you can tear apart. Outdated computers, from which you can get a power supply. Printers which are very good sourcesfor various motors and sensors. I could also get several laboratory gear that were outdated or not working,and as Rupunzell said, i tried to fix them, which took a long time, but I learned a lot doing that, and once you have fixeda device, it becomes much more familiar, and you will certainly use it in a much more efficient way.I am sure that if you are motivated, and not too shy, which is obviously the case, you will find a way toget these unused or broken equipments that often go to the dumpster.I would just advice not too take any oscilloscope with CRT in order to fix them, as these contains very high voltages,like any CRT devices. More generally, even taking apart devices should be done with the utmost care, and main powercan be deadly.

author: Michaela Joy
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2015, 11:22:14 am
content: Do You know how to solder? That's your first investment of time and money. Learn to solder so that you can build anything you want.In my city, Radio Shack is closing down. You might be able to find deeply discounted electronics tools and parts there. Also, there's a post here about free electronics grab-bags being given away on eBay. Keep an eye out for that.Best of luck. By the time I was 12, I had an apprenticeship with a television shop. It was hard work, but fun.:MJ

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 30, 2015, 11:45:37 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on March 27, 2015, 10:51:49 pmI agree, and a scope of course.You can build your own PSU's or use salvaged commercials suppliesAnd a rip-off Hakko soldering station is under $20 at Hobbyking.Add a breadboard and some parts and you can do a lot!

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 30, 2015, 11:55:30 am
content: Quote from: bwclark on March 28, 2015, 05:02:35 pmNo, it's about as bad as you can get. But it's infinitely better than no mulitmeter!Just don't go probing around mains or high voltage/high energy stuff.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2015, 07:51:46 am
content: Quote from: bwclark on March 28, 2015, 05:02:35 pmFWIW, I've never seen electronic components at an Army - Navy Surplus store.But there are a couple based in FL I'm familiar with, and they happen to have web stores.SkycraftMPJAMuch better to be there in person (stuff not listed on the website), but you can still find some interesting items at reasonable prices in their online store.Quick search revealed these as well...Electronic SurplusBG MicroElectronic GoldmineSurplus Electronic SalesAll ElectronicsExcess SolutionsWeird StuffGateway ElectronicsApex ElectronicsIt's not surplus, butTayda Electronicscould definitely be useful to you, if you can wait for parts (good, if not excellent prices for jellybean parts, but are located in Thailand). Best to make sure it's in stock before you order to avoid issues as much as possible.Finding Partsby LadyAda has list of sources as well (some surplus, some not).Review: Bay Area electronic surplus storesmight also be of interest.

author: Chipmunk
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2015, 08:35:56 am
content: Yard/garage sales and fleamarkets. Often times people throw out/get rid of stuff that elderly relatives had and no longer need, you may even find an old-timer* who will help you out and come up with new ideas. (usual caveats about your personal safety though, go with a parent, etc. )*old-timer, noun, apparently redefined to include people YOUNGER than me

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 31, 2015, 05:25:45 pm
content: It is easy to find all kinds of parts, used parts. On garbage day just wander around the neighborhood and look for radios, TVs, whatever, lying in the garbage. Inside there are literally hundreds of free parts to take out. Some people throw things out because they are "too old" but they still work just fine. Don't be too proud to recycle parts!One thing though, if you do start scavenging parts from TVs that are CRT types, short out any capacitors you see inside with a wide screwdriver before touching anything as CRT TVs can have lethal voltages inside. If you you see a power supply in anything, be careful with those too as switching power supplies also have lethal voltages inside. If you aren't sure, don't touch it!

author: rolycat
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2015, 05:52:18 pm
content: Quote from: Lightages on March 31, 2015, 05:25:45 pmThis is probably good advice for the OP, who is based in the States, but beginners elsewhere should be aware that it may be illegal in some countries. People in the UK have been prosecuted for taking items from skips and rubbish bins. If in doubt ask the owner if it's OK to take it.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2015, 08:15:05 pm
content: Don't forget your local GoodWill or Thrift store. They seem to vary a lot by how much electronics they sell but my local one has provided all sorts of sources of used components and even some test equipment for very cheap!Old style AC power plugs - the big heavy ones can often be bought for $1-2 and provide many of the parts you need to experiment building your own linear power supply - transformer, caps, diodes, etc. The higher quality laptop power adapters can also often be bought for a couple of dollars. They are switching power supplies and can be a good source of inductors and other parts as well. Just don't mess with those power plugs while they're plugged in until you know what you're doing and heed the advice about shorting the big caps with a screwdriver before touching them.

author: eas
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 12, 2015, 05:04:21 pm
content: Does the Idaho National Labs have a surplus store? They are big enough, they must generate a fair amount of surplus/obsolete equipment. Even if they sell it in auction lots, there must be people who buy lots and then sell individual units via ebay and similar. Finding out about that might be a way to get a deal on some equipment, and/or a way to get some work that would be relevant to your interests.

author: Cherry
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2015, 11:51:15 am
content: Wow!Fantastic!

author: MMDuino
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2015, 11:55:44 am
content: try to visitwww.aliexpress.comthere are a lot of things you can buy it, it's very cheap.Quote from: bwclark on March 27, 2015, 10:04:54 pm