Okay, tonight I'm gonna order basic stuff to start with electronics . But, as I don't know much "practical" stuff about electronics, I need your help to tell me what to buy . I'm gonna need resistors, capacitors, transistors, relays, LED's, switches, copperwire, ... you get the idea right? I'm also gonna buy a solder iron (the cheapest one), a breadboard and a multimeter (the cheapest one), but I think I know the right ones of that. So, I need some "types" of practical IC's, some much-used resistance-values (also, is 1W enough for resistors?), capacitance-values, ... Thanks for any help given
Pratical IC's: 555 Timers 741 Op-amps, and their combos (Dual, Quad) I like the 386 Audio Amp (If you want to do audio) A nice mix of Logic IC's (AND, OR, NAND) I have both CMOS and TTL mixes -If you know Boolean logic and how to compress logic gate, then lots of NAND chips Lots of transistors, 2222 for NPN and 3906 for PNP A couple power transistors Power regulators, both fixed and adjustable. TONS of resistors, in all values, but 100, 220, 1K, 10K, 100K I use the most. For capacitors, you need 0.1uF, 10uF, 100uF for power filtering For Audio the capacitors are very different values, so a mix is needed. The best thing you can have is a good reliable power supply. And an ohm meter (Digital basic for most needs) I would upgrade your soldering iron if you can afford it. Not to a higher wattage but to a better brand. I use Weller for most of my soldering. (I have 5 different Irons) Good tools are a must, wire strippers, wire cutters, etc.... I just spent four hours cleaning up my little electronics corner of my room, I will upload pictures tonight of my whole setup. I think I have one of the largest personal collection of parts, at least a very good stash.
Okay, I could buy some good tools, but a power supply I definetly can't afford I'm already at about $60 The soldering iron is one of about $7, the next thing is a ERSA one of $19.50, but it's so much more!
I have a analod bench power supply, I can get cleaner DC out of a AC outlet than this thing gives me. So I built my own. I used a DC-DC Converter that puts out +5volts +12Volts and -12Volts. Similar to this but with more outputs. It could handle 10amps on the 5volt line and 5amps on the +12 and 1amp on the -12 It needed 36volts in, so I used a 120volt-to-36volt transformer. Then retified it with a bridge recitfier, put a couple big caps on the DC output of the recitifier. Connected that to the DC converter, and wired the outputs to a set of banna jacks. Put extra caps on each DC output. Set switches up for each, and main power. (And put a fuse at the AC input) It gives my VERY clean DC outputs, at very stable levels. I did however fry the 5volts line, but that was my own doing. I'll have pics up later. ------------------------ I can't complain about my soldering irons: $5 RadioShack, I have no idea where it is right now, $15 RadioShack, Ditto $100 Weller, Was given to me $250 Loner, Was Given to me The two expensive ones were given to me second hand. I love the loner, but can't even afford a new tip for it. Used the existing tip till it was as blunt as an eraser. Same with the weller, but just got a new tip for that,$5
Nice, but I'll just work with batteries thank you And how do you know when a solderingiron needs a new tip? edit: another question: what type of capacitors do I need? Tantal? They're so expensive! Ceramic? Only do pF values edit2: and what kind of relays?
When your tip gets a whole in it, or looks worse than charcol. Both of mine were as blunt as an eraser, and one had a whole in the side. NOTE USE A WET SPONGE OFTEN, as I didn't as that's why the tips all broke, if you use a wet sponge to keep the tip clean it should last years. Ceramic for small values Electrolyte for larger values. Tantal are mainly when a very small size is needed (surface mount components) A good mix of relays. I have everything from SPST to Latching automotive types. Lots of SPDT's are good, I have like 10 (I have more parts than I could ever use up in a lifetime) Batteries, well I started out that way too. Still the cleanest source of DC if your doing audio work.
And the "connections" to put on, for example, the GPO-pins of a MO-LCD screen, you know the name for that? I'm asking all this 'cause there's a $20 minimum limit, and if I ever have to buy something again, I need to buy at least $20 Also, you know a good way to identify a CMOS or TTL chip, to get what ports it has? I don't feel like browsing through 2500 chips, looking at their (stupid slow) pdf-datasheets all the time...and the only thing in the name is like "IC 4000", "IC 4001", ...
close but no banana. 4000=cmos, with advantage that it will run off a 9v battery or 12v supply. 7000 needs 5v. You can buy mixed packs of resistors and capacitors, but it might be more economic to start by working out all the bits you need for half-a-dozen projects, and then getting a few extra of each value. A breadboard is also handy for dry-runs - no soldering needed and you can reuse the bits.
No, I mean what are the AND-gates, what are the NOT-gates, what are the OR-gates, and so on? Or isn't there a quick method for this?
Download a catalogue section, eg ESR's IC section . This lists the function of all the ones you're likely to use. Only 6 pages.
Hey! Don't forget LED's! Newbies tend to love blinkin' LED's You need at least red, yellow and green ones... buy at least 5-10 of each color as you _will_ kill a few of them, one by one... (poor LED's... beeing sacrificed for a newbie... well, well, at least it's for a good purpose...) EDIT: oh, it was already listed... I missed that.
lol Ampz, yeah I'm ordening 1 dualcolor, 10 red's, 10 greens, 2 more expensive reds and 2 more epensive greens cpemma: thanks, I'll check it out later
