wanting to get into electronics

[arkcom]

The thing about Digikey is that you have too many choices for a beginner. Need a 10k potentiometer, you have 1500 choices. Sites like sparkfun give you a narrower selection which is actually useful. You don't have choice paralysis and you know you're getting something decent.

Check out http://www.taydaelectronics.com/

Sometimes cheaper than digikey or ebay. They also post coupons on facebook.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I'm trying to stick to sites that sell directly in Canada though. I sometimes buy the oddball things from the states but it's always a surprise what the customs will be. Typically if I'm not sure which item to pick I'll just pick one that has ratings that seem to make sense, and is cheap. Lot of parts are less than a dollar so I figure it's not the end of the world if it ends up being useless or I end up blowing it up. Lot of tutorials mention part numbers too so that makes it easier to find if I want to replicate a circuit.

For now I'll probably mostly be messing around with parts I desolder off old stuff and what not and order stuff I don't have like the breadboards and probably a bunch of potentometers and capacitance meters if I decide to get into radio stuff. Oh and LEDs, it's always fun to make LEDs blink.

 

[Leros]

Do you have good options on eBay?

I buy a lot of components on eBay. They get shipped directly from China which takes about a week, but it's super cheap.

I use Digikey or Mouser for most common components: resistors, ICs, etc.

I use Sparkfun/Adafrauit for certain things like nice screens.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Ebay is ok too. Doing a quick search I can get 100 standard npn transistors for like 3 bucks free shipping, so that's a pretty good deal.

 

[John Connor]

That is definitely on my bucket list. :biggrin:

I also forgot, I have one of those "130 in one science fair kits" from back before Radio Shack turned into The Source. I was just a kid so I'd follow the instructions and get stuff to work but did not really know what was going on. I should crack that open again. :biggrin:

It's still called Radio Shack in the U.S. But they are closing a lot of stores. Back in the day I was their number one customer. I bought so m any damn scanners from them. I still have my Pro-2042 and I did own a Pro-2042 with OS535 board from optoelectronics.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Oh did not know that, figured that was gone. Here it turned into The Source which is basically a mini future shop that sells overpriced TVs and other electronics and probably the goto place for oddball batteries like those flat cell ones. They do have a tiny section in the back where you can buy basic stuff like resistors but that's about it.

 

[John Connor]

Yeah, I have seen some Canadians on my scanner forum mention The Source. Here in the U.S Rat shack (as they call it by Ham radio operators) mostly sell cell phones. Gone are the days when I could buy 50 feet of coaxial cable. I buy mostly on eBay now a days.

I just bought some hard to find coaxial connectors on eBay to expand my coaxial antenna cable to my scanner on eBay. I would never be able to find those at rat shack.

Here in the U.S some time last year they ran a Radio Shack commercial with 80's personalities, such as Hulk Hogan and they said they were returning to their roots. I don't see that. LOL

Here it is. LOL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpkixVDFpcI

 

[Lorthreth]

http://www.futurlec.com/ValuePacks.shtml
http://www.futurlec.com/DevelopmentBoards.shtml

All kinds of nice stuff.

 

[disappoint]

No one likes AliExpress?
http://www.aliexpress.com/

 

[Instan00dles]

I'm trying to stick to sites that sell directly in Canada though. I sometimes buy the oddball things from the states but it's always a surprise what the customs will be. Typically if I'm not sure which item to pick I'll just pick one that has ratings that seem to make sense, and is cheap. Lot of parts are less than a dollar so I figure it's not the end of the world if it ends up being useless or I end up blowing it up. Lot of tutorials mention part numbers too so that makes it easier to find if I want to replicate a circuit.

For now I'll probably mostly be messing around with parts I desolder off old stuff and what not and order stuff I don't have like the breadboards and probably a bunch of potentometers and capacitance meters if I decide to get into radio stuff. Oh and LEDs, it's always fun to make LEDs blink.

I have ordered many things from both digikey and element 14, there has never been any surprises with customs. As long as you order from digikey.ca there will not be any customs or brokerage fees and I have found that the package arrives in a day or two, really fast.

 

[disappoint]

Added to bucketlist: Make a reactive LED coffee table: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkohbr9ApMo

 

[TheVrolok]

Added to bucketlist: Make a reactive LED coffee table: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkohbr9ApMo

Yep. Gonna need one of those in my Man Cave. Doesn't strike me as too complicated honestly.

 

[disappoint]

Yep. Gonna need one of those in my Man Cave. Doesn't strike me as too complicated honestly.

Just a bunch of blue LEDs, infrared LEDs, infrared detectors, and 2 arduinos is what he used. You'll need LED drivers too of course.

 

[TheVrolok]

Just a bunch of blue LEDs, infrared LEDs, infrared detectors, and 2 arduinos is what he used. You'll need LED drivers too of course.

Yep. Might just start watching CL for some cheap half-decent tables for a foundation. ... although I am suspect that I don't have the patience for the significant amount of repetitive actions necessary for construction.

 

[disappoint]

Yep. Might just start watching CL for some cheap half-decent tables for a foundation. ... although I am suspect that I have the patience for the significant amount of repetitive actions necessary for construction.

I hear you. Get this man a pick and place machine stat!

 

[Leros]

They sell kits for this but its too expensive IMO. You're gonna spend $800+ for a coffee table.
http://shop.evilmadscientist.com/productsmenu/majors/46

I haven't priced out making my own yet but I'm not actually sure I could do it cheaper with a professionally made PCB and my DIY PCBs aren't pretty enough for decoration.

 

[Red Squirrel]

That looks like it would be a fun build. Mix it up and add some layers of 1 way glass/mirror so it adds a depth effect.

I kinda want to make a full blown wall like that now. Maybe for the server room some day. That would be a LOT of wiring though. But imagine how cool it would be.

I ended up ordering a bunch of misc stuff off amazon like bread boards, as a start. Suprising how they have quite a lot of stuff. Also got an arduino. I have one that I use for production (home monitoring system) so this one will be for playing around with. I'll probably start with simple projects like radios and stuff.

 

[Miramonti]

These days, if you want to get into electronics, one has to be very small. It was much easier back in the day to fit into an IBM 704.

 

[TheVrolok]

These days, if you want to get into electronics, one has to be very small. It was much easier back in the day to fit into an IBM 704.

I see what you did there ...

 

[Red Squirrel]

Haha.