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[Request] Components/Tools List for DIY, analog 'Beginner Electronics' Kit? (leminal.space)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I'm new to electronics and looking to assemble an array of components and tools for working on and designing electronics & circuits. Something immediately apparent is that all of the widely available kits orient you towards working with microcontrollers and SBCs; these kits are cool, but I want to have a halfway decent understanding of the underlying analog components and circuit design before I go digital.

With that in mind, what should I get? If anyone could specify specifics to look into, I'd really appreciate that! Thanks for the help.

Current list

A decent breadboard
Jumper wires
Multimeter
Batteries
Variable Power Supply?
Assorted resistors (1Ω-?)
Capacitors (Electrolytic and ceramic?)
Various ICs?
Transistors?
Diodes, probably?
Potentiometers

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Sorry, I should clarify - the list is items I believe I'll likely need and the question marks indicate that I'm not sure if they're necessary or that I'm not sure the specifics about what I should get. For example, I'm sure I need resistors, but I'm not sure if I need everything from 1Ω to 1MΩ, or which ICs to get. I was also unsure if I should get a variable power supply. Hopefully that makes more sense?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I think I understand now. I've taught intro to electronics for years, and I'd recommend you start out experimenting with resistor networks and measurement techniques. In that case you really don't need to spend much. All you need is:

breadboards, plural
a resistor kit
some battery holders or clips
jumper wire, just get the cheap bundles with only plugs and no sockets.
pliers and sidecutters. Spend more than 3usd on the sidecutters, and do not use them for anything but thin wire and component leads.
a decent entry level multimeter, a unitrend ut33a can be had for about 20usd plus shipping on ebay, and is fine for starting out.

Try designing networks of resistors with pen and paper, calculate voltages across the individual resistors to get familiar with Ohm's law and Kirchhoff's circuit laws (BTW don't attempt to understand Kirchoff using Wikipedia, someone wanted to flex their brain when writing that article). Build more and more advanced circuits, start out with series, then parallel, and finally mix series and parallel resistors. Try to work out the power draw of each resistor, and just once try to blow one up... On purpose, that is :)

When you've sorta got the hang of it, you can progress on to adding capacitance and inductance in you circuits, or digital logics, or what ever you like. But getting the hang on basic circuit theory? well, that can take some time.