Crappy Bread-Board's...

[vlf3]

From another topic ( Triangle Waves )

Poor breadboard connections... They are a pain in the ass.

 

On this point, has anyone found a decent bread-board that can last more than a year of regular use ! my experience is that they have become more crappy, and the so-called silver contacts are at best poorly plated, so after several components insertions the contacts become intermittent; not helped by the tinning of the components wires used... any ideas out there ?

[ChrisGreece52]

I have both these
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Solderless-MB-102-MB102-Breadboard-830-Tie-Point-PCB-BreadBoard-For-Arduino-/170884671651?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27c98528a3
2 of the above
and 6 of those (3 packs of 2)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-x-SYB-120-PCB-Breadboard-60x12-Test-Develop-DIY-700-Point-Position-Solderless-/370637849325?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item564bbcc2ed
The above ones are far better and you can connect 2 of these together to create an even bigger breadboard
The ones at the botom link are cheaper and they have 1 power rail from each side which gets devided into 3 sections ... but i hacked them a bit so i can have one gnd rail and one + rail
Hacking guide : http://www.protostack.com/blog/2011/09/8-breadboard-hacks/

[vlf3]

Thanks, ChrisGreece...

The above ones are far better and you can connect 2 of these together to create an even bigger breadboard

  These look better being a single board, and any hack as you have shown tidies up the tie-points, for more useful work area.

I have done this hack myself over the years, mainly because I use an aluminium ground-plane mounting plate, for HF RF designs, and ov or neg ground the plate.

[nanofrog]

You might want to take a look at Global Specialties (look for the ones with nickel-silver contact points).

proto boards (solderless breadboard + bus strips mounted to a plastic or metal backplate, depending on the exact model): http://www.globalspecialties.com/premium-breadboards/proto-boards.html
solderless breadboards only: http://www.globalspecialties.com/premium-breadboards/solderless-breadboards.html

[Arp]

I have the GL-12F and GL-36 by K&H. Good stuff imho, and not that expensive. Have tried some cheap ebay china boards, but they tend to suck   

http://www.abra-electronics.com/products/GL36-K%40H-Breadboard%252d2420-Tie-Points.html
http://www.kandh.com.tw/products_1.php?gid=2

[vlf3]

Thank you,  nanofrog & Arp... good to know what other members use and get on with; I need to spend some time going through these suppliers, and board size required. 

[Mike Warren]

I put this together a couple of years ago. I find it convenient when I want to take it home. Has 12V and 5V supplies, and a grounded bolt I can attach test leads to.

The actual breadboard came from WES Components in Sydney. I'm not impressed with the way sometimes components will refuse to insert unless I hold my tongue just right, but it hasn't become intermittent. Yet.

[vlf3]

Nice and convenient idea Mike...

Regarding some of these Breadboards on the market, China Breadboards seem problematic, and your point Mike; contacts are stiff to impossible, made worse by the reduction of resistor lead diameters over the years... in the past they were stiff and reasonably robust, however now, the leads tend to bend while inserting; I don't have a problem with Electrolytic's or metal film box capacitors that I use, or even Transistor-FET devices.

I am wondering if the lead mix of copper to steel, or just steel with copper plating and tinning, is some of the problem; also from my recollection and I go back in years, these leads were drawn-out, and maybe even temped hardening.

[ChrisGreece52]

As for organization you could think of getting bags to put your cables and parts in that how i organized it.