Starting Electronics and everything you need

[macshanemike]

Hi EEV blog community, I have a question??? What do I need for starting out with nothing for electronics? I.E Pcb boards, soldering irons etc. Any help will be very appreciated. And if possible stuff available from Jaycar as that is the only place I can get my electronics in New Zealand. Thank you

[Rerouter]

the most basic tools you can get away with for most general stuff is a QM1323 multimeter (dont even look at the box like $10 ones)

for soldering the TS1620 will do, but the one i have used was horribly slow and bad at regulating, i would say go for the TS1564 if you can afford it, (if you read the "holding the wrong end of an iron" thread you will see some of the proof that a holder free iron is the fastest way to burn your hands accidentally )

for desoldering there 1.5mm goot brand desolder braid is very good,

if you need them (possibly SMD work) TH1754 is the best set of tweezers i own, 3 times i have had a pair pinched at work 

And though i cannot find the part number, they have a set of jewelers screwdrivers with tips colored white through green, and i can vouch it to be a good set

[macshanemike]

Rerouter would TS1540 soldering iron do the same job just as easily it is a temperature controlled one but for $35.90

Thanks

[Rerouter]

No...  At least not with out an enclosed holder (the spring style ones are a very marginal improvement but can still easily burn you)

If you can get an enclosed holder for it then great, otherwise you will meet with the same fate as most of the commenters in this thread:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/have-you-grabbed-the-wrong-end-of-a-soldering-iron/?topicseen

[EEVblog]

[Shock]

Jaycar might not have these.
Spring loaded desoldering pumps are useful as well for desoldering through hole PCBs.
You can pick them up on ebay for a few dollars delivered.

Edsyn makes some of the better models.  You can buy them from Amazon.com and Farnell Online (in NZ).
You should check out Radio Spares and Farnell they carry a large range of gear.

Braid will be more useful for smt.

[lapm]

And dont forget ebay.. Sometimes you can get reasonable quality with cheap pricetag delivered.. Sometimes theres suprises, such as item thats actually for chinese market and docent quite meet the specifications of same component in western market...

How ever, i have made few good transactions from ebay. Asuming you can wait 2-4 weeks for delivery...

Im pretty sure NZ has more then jusy JayCar. Seems digikey, element14, etc... do have nz specific sales sites...

[tony3d]

As "Rerouter" said don't buy a cheap multimeter! I bought what I thought was a decent $70.00 meter, and it lasted 5 months as a bench meter! Never saw the light of day or anything over 15 volts DC, or more than 150 or so mA's. The range switch started acting up, and the unit would switch to volts at random on whatever other setting I may have been on. 3 days ago I decided to order a Fluke 287 which should be here Monday. Given the Fluke reputation, I do feel secure knowing it has a Limited lifetime warranty. I probably will never have to buy another meter. Fluke or Agilent has many lower priced models to choose from. Buy just about anything Dave seems really excited about in his multimeter shoot outs, (in the 100 or above range", and you should be fine. If you can't afford a Fluke or cheaper Agilent buy something like this http://www.tequipment.net/BK389A.html?v=7231. Believe me don't spend to much less, or you'll be sorry.

Actually I just watched the video Dave posted above, and that Extech looks like a winner for $50.00!

[PA4TIM]

knowledge  (like for instance good electronics books)

[apelly]

Where in NZ are you? I'm in Auckland and there are a few more options than Jaycar. ebay is your friend. Also aliexpress. I regularly use rs-components, element14 and mouser too. rs-components is local.

[Redcat]

Some useful things I would think about: a little soldering station, some small diameter solder (I use 0.5mm 63/37 and don't want to miss it), flux, some breadboards for experimenting/testing/learning, some basic components and a good multimeter, perhaps a little power supply. There are also heated springloaded desoldering pumps at ebay if you need somthing to desolder, they are a little nicer than just the cold ones.
In my opinion it doesn't have to be the most expensive stuff to begin with, I would go with midrange equipment.
The rest of what you "need" depends of what you want to do  . You can spend a lot of money and buy all fancy stuff, but don't need it.
I used a unregulated little 15W soldering iron for 15 years and it did it's job well enough  .
PA4TIM mentioned some good books. I would go with this. Also look at articles and videos. There are a lot of interesting things to learn from.
Learn also to improvise  .
And also some circuit simulation software could be handy. I found a little java app some time ago which is nice to experiment and learn from.
(http://www.electronics-lab.com/blog/?p=2218)
I ordered a more expensive component from rs-components some weeks ago for our company. It arrived only some hours later. Really good. Also ordered these parts from digikey and they where also very fast delivered (2 days overseas and a little cheaper  ).

[deth502]

the most basic tools you can get away with for most general stuff is a QM1323 multimeter (dont even look at the box like $10 ones)

you mean qm1523?

id argue that point. spend the extra $5 and get the qm1524. the autoranging feature is well worth it.

[deth502]

knowledge  (like for instance good electronics books)

this. imo, you cant beat paper, but most can be downloaded from the net too today.

that and a multimeter, a breadboard, and a handful of passives to get started. you will learn what you need to progress soon enough once you learn the basics.

[Rerouter]

you mean qm1523?

I did mean the qm1323, i would never be comfortable telling a beginner to buy an un-fused multimeter, while i am suggesting some more expensive items it is more in your own interest to start with tools that you can trust,

As a bonus it gets capacitance and Hz which can be helpful for troubleshooting without a scope

[hedgewallace]

the most basic tools you can get away with for most general stuff is a QM1323 multimeter

A big +1 for the QM1323 multimeter. It was one of my first multimeters, and i still use it today. Has everything you need. Voltage, resistance, current, temperature (Via probe), capacitance, frequency, and more.

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=QM1323&w=QM1323&form=KEYWORD

But i'm not a fan of the updated version. On the updated one, you can't turn off the non contact voltage tester! So if you store it next to a power cable, a LED will be on 24/7!

[ampdoctor]

there's a lot of people on this thread saying oh you need this and you need that etc.  here's what you NEED...

1. A meter. You don't need the best unit on the market, but stay away from the bottom of the barrel too. Most meters in the 30-50 dollar range will get you going.

2. You'll need a prototyping board. One of the 600 hole boards will be more than adequate, and if you shop around you should be able to find one for under 20 dollars.

3. A soldering station with a few chisel tips of various sizes. You can find old analog weller stations for a song on fleabay. We're talking easily under 50 dollars.  They're built like the proverbial brick dunny, and even the used ones should last you the better part of 20 years. You don't need the latest and greatest digital unit with the bells and whistles.

4. Solder wick is nice for a lot of things but it's a consumable and a decent sub 10 dollar spring loaded sucker will do you fine to start out.

5. Get a 1 lb roll of 63/37 solder.  0.031" diameter(i think is the size) is good general purpose solder.  You'll go through plenty of it so don't bother with smaller spools.

6. Get your hands on an assortment of phillips and flat tip screwdrivers in large and small sizes, needle nose pliers, a nut driver or socket wrench set, jewelers screwdrivers, and some decent side cutters. Again, you don't need the best in the world, just avoid the really cheap tools. Flea markets and yard sales are great for getting this stuff really inexpensively.

7. Go dumpster diving and start cannibalizing junk equipment for parts, bulk wire, and circuit boards to practice your soldering and desoldering skills on. Once you've accumulated a good collection you can build whatever else you may need like rudimentary power supplies and signal generators with the parts you've scored.

Scopes and function generators, and things like that are nice to have but they're luxuries if you're just starting out and you're not even sure you'll still be excited about the hobby in 6 months to a year from now. What I outlined above will get you up and running with a minimum outlay.

[macshanemike]

there's a lot of people on this thread saying oh you need this and you need that etc.  here's what you NEED...

1. A meter. You don't need the best unit on the market, but stay away from the bottom of the barrel too. Most meters in the 30-50 dollar range will get you going.

2. You'll need a prototyping board. One of the 600 hole boards will be more than adequate, and if you shop around you should be able to find one for under 20 dollars.

3. A soldering station with a few chisel tips of various sizes. You can find old analog weller stations for a song on fleabay. We're talking easily under 50 dollars.  They're built like the proverbial brick dunny, and even the used ones should last you the better part of 20 years. You don't need the latest and greatest digital unit with the bells and whistles.

4. Solder wick is nice for a lot of things but it's a consumable and a decent sub 10 dollar spring loaded sucker will do you fine to start out.

5. Get a 1 lb roll of 63/37 solder.  0.031" diameter(i think is the size) is good general purpose solder.  You'll go through plenty of it so don't bother with smaller spools.

6. Get your hands on an assortment of phillips and flat tip screwdrivers in large and small sizes, needle nose pliers, a nut driver or socket wrench set, jewelers screwdrivers, and some decent side cutters. Again, you don't need the best in the world, just avoid the really cheap tools. Flea markets and yard sales are great for getting this stuff really inexpensively.

7. Go dumpster diving and start cannibalizing junk equipment for parts, bulk wire, and circuit boards to practice your soldering and desoldering skills on. Once you've accumulated a good collection you can build whatever else you may need like rudimentary power supplies and signal generators with the parts you've scored.

Scopes and function generators, and things like that are nice to have but they're luxuries if you're just starting out and you're not even sure you'll still be excited about the hobby in 6 months to a year from now. What I outlined above will get you up and running with a minimum outlay.

That makes a huge difference to what I needed to know, electronics is something I am wanting to expand on and knowing where to start makes things a whole lot easier. If anyone can add to what is listed in this list that I need please let me know

[hamster_nz]

If you are in Canterbury you are more than welcome to raid my junk boxes. Actives, passives, breadboards and so on.

Also a lot depends on your area of interest,  and Jaycar have a pretty old-school range,  with too many gadgets and a shrinking range of interesting components. Nicegear.co.nz is a good place to buy the standard maker stuff, and Element 14 is a good source of exotic stuff.

I also order bits from Seeed Studio every now and then - their PCB service takes a while to get to NZ  but is inexpensive and worth while for any project that you want to put the finishing touches on.

[macshanemike]

I forgot to mention I am based in Auckland

[deth502]

you mean qm1523?

I did mean the qm1323, i would never be comfortable telling a beginner to buy an un-fused multimeter, while i am suggesting some more expensive items it is more in your own interest to start with tools that you can trust,

As a bonus it gets capacitance and Hz which can be helpful for troubleshooting without a scope

i see it now from hedgewallaces link. when i searched the site, nothing came up for that number.