Equipment  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Dylan Ioannou-Booth
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 06, 2012, 09:49:28 pm
content: Hi,Could anybody add to my list of what I should buy starting out, I literally am starting from scratch, I currently own a a book on electronics, but these are the items are plan to get:Adjustable Wire Cutters - $35Utility Knife - $20Two Digital Extech MN47 - $120Set of Screwdrivers - $24My friend has ordered me a beginner kit for electronics, just contains the minimal like LEDs, Jumpers, Various Resistors, ect.So if anybody could add to this list that would be great.

author: Aldobrandi
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2012, 10:03:13 pm
content: I am in no position to recommend good tools seeing that I also am barely beginning but I can only redirect you towards this excellent post which helped me a lot a couple weeks ago when I went ahead and purchased my first tools :http://kennethfinnegan.blogspot.fr/2011/06/so-you-want-to-build-electronics.htmlI hope this helps a bit. And good luck !

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 06, 2012, 10:06:58 pm
content: Did you watch Dave's video on how to start a home electronics lab? No need to go crazy and spend hundreds of dollars on equipment, you can do a lot with the basics.A soldering iron / station, obviously, unless you want to limit yourself to solderless breadboards. If you want to do any SMT work, a sharp pair of tweezers. No need to spend more than a few dollars, DealExtreme has some decent ones under the Weitus brand for something like $2, for example. Some small needle nose pliers to grip larger components bending wires, for example when desoldering through-hole components. Some way of desoldering, like wick or a solder sucker.There are some useful tutorial videos ontangentsoft.net. He discusses the basic equipment in the first video.

author: nukie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2012, 01:24:54 am
content: In regards to your screwdriver set...$20 -http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-store/products/SCA-71-Pce-SCREWDRIVER-SET.aspx?pid=287370#Description$24 -http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-store/products/66Piece-Screwdriver-Set.aspx?pid=299404#DescriptionYou don't usually need so many, but since you wanted to spend $24, I show you what I find a bargain.Are you buying your tools together to save on postage? It might be dearer but I think you should do it one at a time and not buy something that you don't need.

author: sacherjj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2012, 03:30:59 am
content: There is almost no way I would recommend getting two of the same meter. Get two different meters that offer slightly different advantages or disadvantages of each other.

author: Dylan Ioannou-Booth
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 07, 2012, 04:11:49 am
content: Quote from: sacherjj on April 07, 2012, 03:30:59 amOk, well could you recommend another type of Multimeter, I want it to be around the same price, nothing more than $60.

author: Dylan Ioannou-Booth
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 07, 2012, 04:16:07 am
content: Also, I need a workbench that is suitable for this kind of work, does anybody have a link to some pretty cheap but very good benches, I don't want to spend too much on the bench because I am still starting out.Also all the equipment above I have already bought apart from the Multimeter because I thought that there might be something I done wrong. So if there is anything else that I should buy, note that the wire cutters is just a set of one.So if anybody has anything else to add to what I should buy that would be great. And yes I have watched the beginner video but some of the stuff that is shown is too advanced to me at the current stage.I am very new to this, I have got a few books.

author: TerminalJack505
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2012, 05:20:41 am
content: If the kit you're getting doesn't have a breadboard be sure to pick one up. In fact, it seems you can never really have too many breadboards so it won't hurt to have several. You'll need breadboard jumpers wires as well. A pair of needle nose pliers will be necessary too since some components need a little extra help when putting them in the breadboard.Once you start shopping around for electronic components here's some of theessentials:1/4 Watt, 1% metal film resistor assortment. Or 1/4 Watt 5% carbon film resistor assortment.Ceramic capacitor assortment.Electrolytic capacitor assortment.Small signal diodes. 1N914 or 1N4148Rectifier diodes. 1N4001 or similar.Small signal NPN transistors. 2N3904 or similar. TO-92 case.Small signal PNP transistors. 2N3906 or similar. TO-92 case.5mm LED assortment.Battery holders: 2AA, 4AA, 9V connector.Voltage regulators: LM7805, LM317.Potentiometers: 10K & 100K.Breadboard-friendly switches: Normally open push button and SPST.555 Timer IC.LM741 Op Amp.Small 8 ohm speaker.The following components are nice to have but won't be immediately necessary:Electret microphone element.Inductor assortment.Small relay.Small DC motor.Zener diode assortment.Solar cells.Photo resistors.N-Channel MOSFET transistors. TO-92 case and TO-220 case.P-Channel MOSFET transistors. TO-92 case and TO-220 case.LM311 voltage comparators.Breadboard-friendly normally closed push button switches.Piezoelectric buzzers.Power NPN transistors. TO-220 case.Power PNP transistors. TO-220 case.Find a store online that sells assortment packs so that you don't have to try to piece together your own assortments of resistors and what not.Have fun.

author: caroper
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2012, 10:30:29 am
content: Adafruit has a good basic starter kit herehttps://www.adafruit.com/products/136It is worth a look just for the advise given, even if you don't purchase from them.@TerminalJack505Great list of components, any change of breaking it down further with regards to the Passives?CheersChris

author: quantumfall
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2012, 11:00:56 am
content: Quote from: Dylan Ioannou-Booth on April 07, 2012, 04:16:07 amYou could cover a piece of your home furniture with a bit of plywood to work on.If you have space you could build one like in Daves Lab, just a bit smaller, you only need to buy the timber you need and you can bolt it together with cheap threaded rod and nuts, washers and screws a few angle brackets. of course you need some basic carpentry tools and drills etc but it can be very cost effective.Another basic bench would be an old office desk, they are strong and if you have a clearance / furniture store you could almost probably get one from them. These clearence companys get to empty offices regularly and desks with marks and scratches would be a good bet. You need to go and see what they have they wont list the scratched ones and will probably junk them but great for a bench. I'm sure you must have some office/ house clearance business you could look at.You can buy basic home garage workbenches from catalog companies, they are strong and come in a complete kit which is easy but at a cost, have a look.You need to be able to put your legs under the bench if you sit down to work, just be wary of that if you buy anything, that theres not a shelf or something in the way.

author: Christopher
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2012, 03:18:41 pm
content: For the bench I'm going to be using an old office desk from a local second-hand store for £25 (Also drawers!).Don't bother getting a scope, function gen or a $100 DMM, it's really not necessary for a hobbyist on a limited budget. I get $10 spools of thin solder from DealExtreme, along with all of my tools. I spent $60 and managed to kit myself out with everything I needed. Remember: electronics isn't about spending money, you will do fine with an Analogue meter. Oh get a load of cheap breadboards too, and jumpers (Can be found on DX)As stated in the other topic, build up a couple of circuits with resistors in series, parallel and potential dividers. Write some notes and get the theory stuck in your head! Also get a good microcontroller (I like AVR because of GCC, PIC is a bit shit for open source) dev board and a cheap programmer. Choose one good micro platform and stick with it, maybe even use Arduino (Don't bother with their shit boards, you can get away with using a bootloaded chip on a breadboard with an FTDI cable).

author: TerminalJack505
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2012, 03:55:56 pm
content: QuoteCheck out the assortments that the Ebay seller Sure Electronics sells. They also have a stand-alone website:http://www.sureelectronics.netIt seems like they have a better variety of stuff in their Ebay store, however.They have a pretty good mix of values in their assortments and their prices are pretty reasonable. I'd be a little leery about using their electrolytic capacitors in a permanently built project but they're fine for breadboarding.

author: sacherjj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2012, 04:45:35 pm
content: Quote from: Dylan Ioannou-Booth on April 07, 2012, 04:11:49 amI would look through Dave's $50 MM videos. Look for additional capabilites. Also, you could consider a $80-100 multimeter for frequency counters,etc. Then a cheaper one for mostly voltage only, where accuracy is good enough, even in one hung low style. I used nothing but $10 meters for all low power stuff for years.

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2012, 04:56:23 pm
content: http://the4thpin.comeze.com/2012/04/07/so-you-want-be-a-electronics-engineer/I written it out .DX's solder is no good .